THE AMERICAN ENGLISH EXPRESS
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CHAPTER VIII
Formal and Informal Vocabulary Do’s and Don’ts
Or Some tricks of the trade
This chapter provides alternative words for you to use instead of the slang and informal language that in generally is used in everyday speech.
These are your tools!
Learn them well.
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You will use this ‘do’s and don’ts’ list when you are proofreading!
The words listed here have been gathered from years of studying student difficulties. This list is not exhaustive (a complete list), as there are many more words that are problematic in the English language.
You must work to own the alternatives to these common and informal words. For formal speaking and writing, NEVER use the slang words and try not to use the informal one-syllable words. One strategy is to use the slang or informal words when you write your draft, but then, when you edit, to replace these words with the proper alternatives.
I always require that my students continue to expand the “do’s and don’ts” list on their own. For your future studies, you should develop your own, expanding the list to include words that you come across and have learned to use.
You will notice that many of these one-syllable words (such as so and like), have multiple (more than one) meanings. The fact that these words have many possible meanings indicates that they are vague and imprecise (they are not precise or not exact). You may recall that in Chapter I we discussed that formal language is accurate, precise, and clear. This is because formal communication must be specific in order to communicate technical, legal, scientific and other complicated concepts. As you progress in your study of English, you will learn more and more words and will begin to appreciate their subtle (almost imperceptible or very slight) differences in usage and meaning.
When dealing with words that have several meanings, you must use your reading skills to determine the intended meaning of the word when you read it. You must define the word based on the context. YOU CAN ALSO LOOK THEM UP! When writing, you must be sure that the way you are using the word in the sentence communicates the meaning that you intend. Larger dictionaries very often provide a sample sentence for each meaning of the word. These sample sentences can help you to learn how to use the word yourself. That is why you need to own these words, and why you always need to look them up!
Near the end of the chapter is a list of words to avoid and words to use in their place. First, however, the words will be discussed:
DO’S AND DON’TS LIST EXPLANATION
WORDS NOT TO USE IN FORMAL WRITING
#1: GET (the past tense is got): Never, ever use get or got in formal writing and speaking.
The verb to get is one of the worst offenders. This little word has so many meanings that we use it constantly. A good exercise for you is to count the number of times you hear this word (and others on this list) in a day! Here are some of the most common meanings of get and the formal alternatives you should use:
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To get can mean to obtain, to buy, to purchase or to acquire, as in the sentence:
Informal: “When shopping, please be sure to get the eggs for the cake.”
This informal sentence would be a formal sentence if the word purchase were substituted for get:
Formal: “When shopping, please be sure to purchase the eggs for the cake.”
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To get can mean to catch or to contract as in the sentences:
Informal: “When the ball was thrown, did he get it?”
Formal: “When the ball was thrown to him, did he catch it?”
Informal: “When she was exposed to the disease, did she get it?”
Formal: “When she was exposed to the disease, did she contract it?”
Notice the word ‘contract’ also has additional meanings:
- as a verb, in addition to the meaning above,
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- contract can mean to become infected with
- contract can mean to grow smaller, to sign up or to agree to
- as a noun, a contract can be a pact, a deal or an agreement.
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To get can mean to move or to progress as in the sentence:
Informal: “You should really get out of the way!”
Formal: “You should really move out of the way!”
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To get can mean to become or to grow as in the sentence:
Informal: “When my child gets to be 12, I will tell him about the birds and the bees.”
Formal: “When my child becomes 12 years old, I will tell him about the birds and the bees.”
A student wrote the following sentence:
Informal: “One of the major problems foreign born individuals face in the United States is the transition of getting used to American customs and lifestyles.”
Acceptable: “One of the major problems foreign born individuals face in the United States is the transition of becoming accustomed to American customs and lifestyles.”
Better: “One of the major problems foreign born individuals face in the United States is the transition of adapting to American customs and lifestyles.”
(Or the verb acclimating to could be used as well.)
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To get can mean to understand, to comprehend, to grasp, to follow, or to perceive as in the sentence:
Informal: “When the teacher explained clearly, the students finally got it.”
Formal: “When the teacher explained clearly, the students finally understood.”
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To get can mean to accomplish, to attain, to reach as in the sentence:
Informal: “Students require time to study and get good grades.”
Formal: “Students require time to study and earn high grades.”
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To get can mean to find, as in the sentence:
Informal: “When you looked for the book, did you get it?”
Formal: “When you looked for the book, did you find it?”
These are some the most common uses of the word get.
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DO NOT USE GET OR GOT IN FORMAL WRITING OR SPEAKING.
NEVER EVER.
Use the more precise (descriptive, exact) alternatives instead.
#2 LIKE: try not to use this word, which has several different meanings in English:
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As a verb, to like can mean to be fond of, to enjoy, or to be partial to
This is the only acceptable use of ‘like’ in formal writing, as in the sentence:
“The teacher likes that student most of all; she is the teacher’s pet!”
It is almost always better to substitute a formal alternative, such as:
“The teacher is fond of that student most of all; she is the teacher’s pet!” or
“The teacher is most fond of that student; she is the teacher’s pet!”
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As a preposition, like can mean similar to, akin to, approximating, reminiscent of, resembling, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The little girl wanted an ice cream just like her sister had.”
Formal: “The little girl wanted an ice cream similar to the one her sister had.”
Formal: “The little girl wanted an ice cream resembling the one her sister had.”
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In these two cases, and you must substitute more than one word in order to use the formal alternatives.
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As an adjective, like can mean similar, comparable or approximately, as in the sentence:
Informal: “She gave her a present like that.”
Acceptable: “She gave her a present of like kind.”
Better: “She gave her a similar present.”
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In slang usage, like can mean such as or for example, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The man went to the store and bought fruit, like apples, oranges and bananas.”
Formal: “The man went to the store and bought fruit, such as apples, oranges and bananas.”
Better: “The man went to the store and bought fruit, for example, apples, oranges and bananas.”
Do not use the expressions sort of like, or kind of like.
Use the acceptable formal substitutes: for example or such as.
Never, ever, ever use ‘like’ to mean ‘for example’ in formal writing!
#3 SO is an informal word that has several meanings in English.
DO NOT USE THIS WORD!
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So can mean very or extremely, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The girl told her boyfriend that she loved him so much.”
Formal: “The girl told her boyfriend that she loved him very much.”
Informal: “The student studied so hard that he passed the exam.”
Formal: “The student studied extremely hard and he passed the exam.”
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Notice, again, in the second example, that the substitution (change) is not merely one word for another. The sentence must be slightly altered (changed) to allow for (accommodate) the formal language. This is one of the changes that indicates that the language is formal. Sometimes one must use more words to express their thoughts in a formal way in order to be more exact and specific.
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So can mean an abundance of as in so many:
Informal: “When the student consulted the thesaurus for synonyms of the word ‘formal’, there were so many that she didn’t know which to choose.”
Formal: “When the student consulted the thesaurus for synonyms of the word ‘formal’, there was such abundance that she didn’t know which to choose.”
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So can be informally joined with other words, such as so that in the sentence:
Informal: “The hardworking students read all the assignments given by the professor so thatthey would learn everything required of them.”
Formal: “The hardworking students read all the assignments given by the professor to insurethat they would learn everything required of them.”
Formal: “The hardworking students read all the assignments given by the professor in order that they would learn everything required of them.”
Formal: “The hardworking students read all the assignments given by the professor in an effort to learn everything required of them.”
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So can be used to signify causality: it can mean therefore, consequently, as a result, for this/that reason, thus, hence, or accordingly as in the sentence:
Informal: “The student was late for class so he missed the instructions for the exam.”
Formal: “The student was late for class; consequently, he missed the instructions for the exam.”
Informal: “So, Socrates drank the hemlock rather than cease his pursuit of the truth.”
Formal: “Therefore, Socrates drank the hemlock rather than cease his pursuit of the truth.”
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So can be used to signify causality in time: it can mean subsequently, as in the sentence:
Informal: “An agreement was reached, so the peace treaty was signed by the British and Americans, ending the revolutionary war.”
Formal: “An agreement was reached; subsequently the peace treaty was signed by the British and Americans, ending the revolutionary war.”
Better “Subsequent to reaching an agreement, the peace treaty was signed by the British and Americans, ending the revolutionary war.”
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#4 TOO: Never, ever use this very informal word in formal writing for any of its meanings! This is an extremely overused adverb with many meanings:
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Too can mean and, also, as well, in addition, besides, moreover, as in the sentence:
Informal: “Although she read the chapter too, she was not able to answer the questions in class.”
Formal: “Although she read the chapter as well, she was not able to answer the questions in class.”
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Too can mean excessively, overly, or exceedingly, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The teacher had to tell the students the same thing too many times.”
Formal: “The teacher had to tell the students the same thing an excessive number of times.” NEVER USE THIS WORD IN FORMAL DISCOURSE!
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I know I have repeated this several times, but students make this mistake so often that it bears repeating! Too also appears among the dangerous homonyms listed in the next chapter.
#5 A LOT OF: this is a terrible combination of words NEVER USE IT!
And you shouldn’t use the expression plenty of either.
I can’t tell you how many times I mistakenly use a lot in class and then must excuse myself. This word is used a lot of times to mean a lot of things!
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In formal language, the noun lot can mean a parcel of property, a piece of land, or a group of articles. In an auction, several paintings sold at once are referred to as a lot.
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A lot of can mean many, numerous, countless, several, various, or 'cores of, as in the sentence:
Informal: “A lot of times, students do not succeed because they do not read, read, and read!”
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Formal: “Many times, students do not succeed because they do not read, read, and read!”
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Better: “Countless times students do not succeed because they do not read, read, and read!”
Note: a score is a quantity, meaning 20
BONUS WORD:
Another word to avoid is PUT: alternatives include place, invest, position, situate, locate, deposit, set, lay, and leave.
This is a particularly vague word because the present tense and the past tense are the same:
For example: “I put it down.” Could mean either
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“I am putting it down right now” or
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“I put it down yesterday.”
Informal: “He asked her to put the cup down!”
Formal: “He asked her to set (or place) the cup down.”
Informal: “Her mother put money in the bank.
Formal: “Her mother deposited money in the bank.”
WORDS TO USE LESS OFTEN
The next set of words are acceptable for formal writing, but you should use these words as little as possible and certainly don’t overuse them. Do use the substitutes indicated.
#6 AND: This is a fine word that you will use constantly. For this reason, you should have a supply of alternatives ready to use so that your writing does not become boring:
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And can mean also, as well, in addition, besides, moreover, additionally, furthermore, as in the following sentences:
Acceptable: “And the teacher explained why the word ‘and’ when written over and over again can be boring.”
Better: “Furthermore, the teacher explained why the word ‘and’ when written over and over again can be boring.”
Acceptable: “And there is a way to study better, the teacher said, by taking notes in addition to reading”.”
Better: “Moreover, there is a way to study better, the teacher said, by taking notes in addition to reading”.”
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Acceptable: “And the teacher said that students should always re-read any sentences or paragraphs that are not immediately understood.”
Better: “In addition, the teacher said that students should always re-read any sentences or paragraphs that are not immediately understood.”
Please note: Do not use the slang word plus to mean and.
Use plus only when discussing addition, as in the sentence:
“One plus one is two.”
#7 BUT: This is another perfectly acceptable word that you will use constantly. Consequently, you should have a ready supply of alternatives ready to use to show the strength of your vocabulary.
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But can mean yet or still. The better alternatives are however, although, though, nevertheless, on the contrary, nonetheless, conversely, despite or in spite of.
Informal: “The teacher asked the students to read, but they did not.”
Acceptable: “The teacher asked the students to read, yet they did not.”
Or “The teacher asked the students to read, still they did not.”
Formal: “The teacher asked the students to read, nevertheless they did not.”
Or “The teacher asked the students to read, however they did not.”
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But can mean other than, except, aside from or excluding as in the sentence:
Informal: “They threw out everything but the kitchen sink.”
Formal: “They threw out everything except the kitchen sink.”
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But can mean only, just, merely, solely, simply, or exactly as in the sentence:
Informal: “It has been but one second since he left us.”
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Formal: “It has been merely one second since he left us.”
Do not confuse but with butt, which means one’s rear end as in:
#8 JUST: This is another of those little words that has many, many meanings. There is only one meaning of the word just that you should use in formal writing, and that is
· when the word is used as an adjective. Just can mean fair, impartial, honest, honorable, righteous, moral, or ‘truthful, as in the sentence:
Formal: “The student felt that the grade he received was a just one.”
All of the other meanings of just are adverbial (just is used as an adverb) as in the following sentences:
· Just can mean a minute ago, a moment ago, only this minute, in the past few minutes, a short time ago, recently, lately, as in the sentence:
Informal: “Didn’t that just happen?”
Formal: “Didn’t that happen a moment ago.”
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Just can mean now, immediately, or presently, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The student just came into the classroom.”
Formal: “The student immediately came into the classroom.”
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Just can mean only, merely, simply, or solely, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The student just peeked at the answers once.”
Formal: “The student only peeked at the answers once.”
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Just can mean barely, hardly, scarcely, or slightly, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The student had just peeked at the answers when the teacher came back to the room.”
Formal: “The student had hardly peeked at the answers when the teacher came back to the room.”
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Just can mean really, truly, definitely, empathically, clearly, entirely, absolutely, completely, or perfectly, as in the sentence:
Informal: “It was lucky for the student that she had just finished peeking at the answers when the teacher came back to the room.”
Formal: “It was lucky for the student that she had completely finished peeking at the answers when the teacher came back to the room.”
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Just can mean exactly, precisely, or right, as in the sentence:
Informal: “The student had just enough time to peek at the answers before the teacher came back to the room.”
Formal: “The student had precisely enough time to peek at the answers before the teacher came back to the room.”
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#9 SINCE: there are two uses of this word and only one is acceptable in formal writing:
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Since, when used as a conjunction, can mean as, because, given that, seeing as, in view of the fact that, or while, as in the following sentence:
Informal: “Since the student peeked at the answers, the teacher thinks he should take the test again.”
Formal: “The teacher thinks he should take the test again because the student peeked at the answers.”
As you can see, I have turned the sentence around in order to use the word because.
DO NOT use the word since to mean because in formal writing.
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Since, when used as an adverb, can mean from the time when, or ever since, as in the sentence:
Formal: “Ever since the student peeked at the answers, the teacher does not trust him.”
This is the only acceptable usage of the word ‘since’ in formal writing.
#10 DO: you will need to use this word frequently. It is acceptable to use this word in formal writing and speaking. However, whenever possible you should substitute with a more specific alternative:
The verb to do is our primary action word and has three basic meanings:
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Do can mean to accomplish, complete, engage, perform, act, achieve, complete, execute, or make.
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Do can mean to see to, fix, prepare, organize, sort out, look after, or make sure of.
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Do can mean to solve, work out, resolve, figure out, or puzzle out.
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A final note on vocabulary: I have found that many students confuse one word with another because they have only heard the words used and pronounced by someone else. The first thing to realize is that many people mispronounce words. Therefore, when you learn a word by listening to someone else use it, you cannot always learn the proper spelling of the word.
This is yet another reason for you to own your words and look them up! Know their pronunciation and spelling. The spelling of words will help you to recognize the different words you see. Many words in English have only one letter that is different from another word, but the meaning is entirely different.
You should photocopy the following list of “Do’s and Don’ts” and use it whenever you write:
Do’s and Don’ts List
Don’t use Do Use
Get Obtain, buy, purchase, acquire,
Catch, contract,
Become, grow,
Move, progress,
Understand, comprehend, grasp, follow, perceive,
Accomplish
Like For example, such as (not ‘sort of like’, or ‘kind of like’),
Fond of, enjoy, be partial to,
Similar to, akin to, approximating, reminiscent of, resembling,
Similar, comparable
So Extremely, very, an abundance of,
Therefore, consequently, as a result, for this reason, thus, accordingly, hence,
In accordance with, subsequently
Too And, also, as well, in addition, besides, moreover, additionally, furthermore,
Very, excessively, overly, exceedingly
A lot of Many, numerous, countless, several, various, scores of' (Plenty of)
Use these words as little as possible Do Use these substitutes:
and certainly don’t overuse:
And, also, as well in addition, besides, moreover, additionally, furthermore
But, yet, still, however, although, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, nonetheless, conversely, then again, in spite of this,
other than, except, excluding
Just now, immediately, presently, only merely simply solely,
barely hardly, scarcely, slightly, simply really, truly, definitely, empathically, clearly, entirely, absolutely, completely, perfectly,
exactly precisely, right
Since because, as, given that, seeing as, in view of the fact that, while,
from the time when, ever since
Do accomplish, complete, engage, perform, act, achieve, complete, execute’, make, see to, fix, prepare, organize, sort out, look after, make sure of, solve, work out, resolve, figure out, puzzle out
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And some other words you can think about not using include:
Go, which is our basic verb for moment. Every movement has an actual verb that names it, such as to hop, to skip, to jump, to ride, to walk, and to attend.
Kid (or kids), which is a baby goat and not a human child (or children).