Writing: Formal vs Informal Word Choice

In IELTS Writing, word choice should fit the meaning and the task’s style. Task 2 requires a relevant essay; a General Training Task 1 letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal depending on the recipient and purpose. Lexical Resource considers vocabulary range, precision and register — the appropriacy of style.

A simple word such as get can be neutral and correct, while kids has an informal tone. Check suitability in context. One word or a count of these words does not automatically assign Band 6 to the whole response. Compare:

Kids get a lot of stuff from their parents.

Children receive a significant number of items from their parents.

Both sentences are grammatical; the second may sound more formal, but word choices and nuances depend on context. Editing aims to select precise, appropriate wording, not replace every simple word. The next section compares four examples.

The four rows compare possible alternatives; not every original word is informal and not every replacement fits every context. Check meaning, register and grammar in your own sentences rather than aiming to replace words without thinking.

Two subtleties: obtain often emphasises getting something through effort or purpose, while receive focuses on what is given or sent; the sentence’s meaning decides. A lot of can modify both countable and uncountable nouns. When choosing alternatives, use a significant number of with countable nouns and a great deal of with uncountable nouns, checking that the intended quantity is preserved.

After finishing, review the list; three minutes is a possible practice choice, not an official time allocation.

1. Contractions: don't → do not; full forms are usually more suitable in formal academic style. In a General Training letter, consider the recipient and required tone.
2. Phrasal verbs: find out → discover, go up → increase, sort out → resolve are possible choices, but not every phrasal verb is informal; meaning and construction must fit.
3. General words: things, good, bad, nice can be vague. Choose an alternative when a more precise meaning is needed: a good result → a positive outcome is not automatically identical in every context.
4. Direct address and rhetorical questions: check whether You know..., Isn't it obvious? fit an academic essay’s tone; addressing a recipient may be appropriate in a letter.
5. Intensifiers: really huge! → substantially larger is not strict equivalence: the second adds comparison. Choose it only when the intended meaning and tone fit.

Sample edit:

The government should sort out this problem fast.

The government should address this issue promptly.

In this pair the main recommendation remains similar while the style becomes more formal. With other replacements, separately check meaning, comparison and grammar.