Informal language (i.e. colloquial language) is the language of private conversation, of personal letters, etc. it is the first type of language that a native speaking child becomes familiar with.

After his father’s death, Peter had to change his job. [5]Sentence [4] could be part of a casual conversation between friends of Peter Brown. In English there are many differences of vocabulary between formal and informal language. Much of the vocabulary of formal English is French, Latin, and Greek origin; and we can often ‘translate’ these terms into informal language by replacing them by words or phrases of Anglo – Saxon origin: compare commence, continue, conclude <formal> with begin, keep (up), end:

Commence at 4 p.m. <formal>The government is <formal>

rather informal>

<formal><informal>

Many phrasal and prepositional verbs (see 696-703) are characteristic of informal style:

<Formal> <Informal>OR COMMON CORE WORD EQUIVALENT

The informal word job, for instance, has no formal equivalent: instead, we have to choose a more precise and restricted term, according to the context: employment, post (esp <BrE>), position, appointment, profession, vocation, etc.<formal><formal><informal>Impersonal style <impersonal>

Some of the common features of impersonal language are passives (see 676-82), sentences beginning with introductory it (see 584-7), and abstract nouns (see 54-6). Polite and familiar language <polite> <familiar> (see 27-28)

When we know someone well or intimately, we tend to drop polite forms of language. English has no special familiar pronouns, like some languages (eg French tu, German du), but familiarity can be shown in other ways. <familiar><polite>

I wonder if you would mind shutting the door? <more polite><very familiar> [7]Slang is language which is very familiar in style, and is usually restricted to the members of a particular social group, for example teenage slang’, ‘army slang’, ‘theatre slang’. Tactful and tentative language <tactful> <tentative>

Peter’s father has gone at last.Compare:

I suggest that we postpone the meeting until tomorrow.<tactful><tentative, more tactful>

Literary, elevated or rhetorical language <literary> <elevated> <rhetorical>

An example of such elevated language comes from the Inaugural Speech of President Kennedy (1961):In addition to the variety labels <literary> and <elevated>, we sometimes use the related label

<rhetorical>. Levels of usage<written> <formal> <polite> . . .

. . . . . . . . .

<spoken> <informal> <familiar>This diagram represents only the most important levels of usage, and ignores the more restricted variety labels, such as <impersonal> and <elevated>. For example, it is possible to express oneself politely in spoken English, and it is possible to express oneself informally in written English.

For example, an older English speaker might regard as ‘familiar’ a form of language which might not seem so to a younger English speaker. Selective list of variety referencesFor those who wish to explore the characteristics of different varieties of English in more detail, we now give a list of references to variety labels in the rest of this book. Explanation: ie, eg, viz 373Main and subsidiary information: focus, weight, topic, etc 422-4, 427Cleft sentences: It’s more time tjat we need 434-7Genitive 570-2A personal pronoun substituting for a following noun phrase 686Spelling change: lady/ladies, etc 808-21

<Spoken>Pieces of information set off by tone units 36, 411-13, 479 (sentence adverbials), 490 (apposition), 522 (comment clauses)Rising intonation in questions 41, 249, 800Unlinked clauses 389Subject-verb inversion: Here’s the milkman 431Auxiliary verbs: contracted forms 497, 630<Formal>Time-when: subsequently, etc 149Condition + contrast: even though 215Degree: To what degree (extend)? 217Addition: in addition 238Short questions: With whom? 255, 579Certainty: indubitably, unquestionably, etc 303Wish: The manager wishes to thank you . . . 336Regrets: I regret that . . . 361Good wishes, toasts, etc: Your health! 362Subject-operator inversion: Under no circumstances must the door . . . 432Relative pronouns: the girl to whom he spoke 791-4<Informal>Pronouns with indefinite reference: You never know . . ., They say . . . 86Contrast: though 212Condition, contrast: all the same 214, anyway 216Degree: a lot, a bit, etc 219-21

Wh-questions: Who did you send books to, and why? 252Short questions: Who with? 255Unlinked clauses 389Emphatic topic: Joe his name is 427Comment clauses: He’s a pacifist, you see 522