00:00Formal English vs. Informal English
00:05Round 3
00:07Fight!
00:13Hello! My name is Matti from Piece of Cake English
00:16and in this lesson we are going to learn
00:1915 formal alternatives to less formal English words
00:24and we are going to do this through two stories
00:28Are you ready? Let's start with the first story
00:33Jason works in a company as a data analyst
00:39He checks the final numbers and statistics
00:44and he loves his job, ok?
00:48But recently he's always been sick
00:51and his boss isn't happy
00:55So the company ended his contract
01:00and now he is looking for a new job
01:05This story is not completely formal
01:09It's semi-formal
01:12We want to make it more formal, but how?
01:15We need to find some alternatives to less formal words
01:20and now let's start with word number one
01:23Instead of check you can say verify
01:29For example
01:30These numbers are surprisingly high
01:34and they will have to be checked
01:43Perhaps something is wrong
01:45Instead of check say verify
01:48These numbers are surprisingly high
01:50and they will have to be verified
01:52It means we have to check to see if we have made a mistake, right?
01:57Or here's another example
01:59The result of the research needs to be checked by experts
02:11It means an expert has to check it to see if the results are correct
02:15If they are valid
02:17Instead of check say verify
02:20The result of the research needs to be verified by an expert
02:25It's more formal
02:26Number two
02:27Instead of job say occupation
02:31Have you noticed when you want to fill in a form
02:35Instead of job you see occupation
02:38It's like name, last name, age, nationality
02:42Occupation, not job
02:45Occupation is more formal compared to job
02:48For example
02:49He returned to his previous job as a teacher
02:59Make it more formal by saying occupation
03:02He returned to his previous occupation as a teacher
03:08It sounds more formal, right?
03:10Or here's another example
03:12His main job is property development
03:17His main job is property development
03:20He's a property developer
03:22Now instead of job say occupation
03:25His main occupation is property development
03:30More formal
03:31Number three
03:32Instead of sick
03:34If you are not feeling well say unwell
03:37That's more formal
03:38For example
03:39If you feel sick tell the teacher
03:44If you feel sick tell the teacher
03:46Instead of sick say unwell
03:48If you feel unwell tell the teacher
03:52That's more formal
03:53Or one more example
03:55You look sick, why don't you go to the doctor?
03:59You look sick, why don't you go to the doctor?
04:03Instead of sick say unwell
04:06You look unwell, why don't you go to the doctor?
04:10This is more formal, right?
04:12Number four
04:14Instead of happy you can say satisfied
04:18Satisfied
04:19For example
04:21Are you happy with the new arrangement?
04:29Instead of happy say satisfied
04:32Are you satisfied with the new arrangement?
04:37That's more formal
04:38Or here's another example
04:40Her teacher seems happy with her progress
04:48Instead of happy say satisfied
04:50Her teacher seems satisfied with her progress
04:55Number five
04:56Instead of so you can say therefore
05:00Therefore is more formal version of so
05:03For example
05:04We were unable to pay the rent
05:06And so we had to find another place to stay
05:10We were unable to pay the rent
05:13So we had to look for another place to stay
05:17Now instead of so say therefore
05:20We were unable to pay the rent
05:23Therefore we had to look for another place to stay
05:27Or one more example
05:29We didn't have much time
05:31So we left early
05:33We didn't have much time
05:35So we left early
05:38Instead of so say therefore
05:41And that's more formal
05:42We didn't have much time
05:44Therefore we left early
05:47Number six
05:48Instead of end say terminate
05:52Terminate
05:53That sounds really formal, right?
05:56For example
05:57For example
05:58They ended my contract in October
06:01They ended my contract in October
06:04Say they terminated my contract in October
06:10That sounds really formal and fancy
06:12Or one more example
06:14She was trying to end the conversation
06:18She was trying to end the conversation
06:23Say it
06:24She was trying to terminate the conversation
06:29That's really formal
06:31And number seven
06:32Instead of look for
06:34Which means to search for something
06:36You can say seek
06:38Seek is more formal than look for or search
06:42And one more thing
06:43One general thing
06:45Phrasal verbs in general are considered informal
06:49So seek is formal and look for is informal
06:53Now let's have a look at a few examples
06:56Are you looking for a new job?
07:03Instead of look for say seek
07:05Are you seeking a new job?
07:11Or one more example
07:12We are looking for a place to stay
07:18Say it
07:20We are seeking a place to stay
07:23Instead of look for you say seek
07:25And now let's use the new vocabulary we have learned
07:30The formal ones
07:31And rewrite the story
07:33And try to make it more formal
07:35Ready?
07:36Let's have a look
07:37Jason works in a company as a data analyst
07:42He checks the final numbers and statistics
07:47He verifies the final numbers and statistics
07:51And he loves his job
07:54He loves his occupation
07:58Excellent
07:59But recently he has always been sick
08:05Sick or unwell
08:08He has always been unwell
08:10And his boss isn't happy
08:14His boss isn't satisfied
08:16Excellent
08:18So therefore
08:22Therefore the company ended his contract
08:26Or terminated his contract
08:30Bravo
08:31And now he is looking for a new job
08:35He is seeking a new job
08:38Excellent
08:39This story is now more formal
08:42As I said earlier in my previous videos
08:45There is no better option between formal or informal
08:48Both of them are okay
08:50It's not that formal is better than informal English
08:53No, there is no fight
08:55But it depends on your target audience
08:58Who are you talking to?
09:00Who are you writing for?
09:02That's very important
09:03If you are writing for your boss
09:04If you are talking to your boss or your professor
09:07You need to be formal
09:09If you are talking casually with your friends
09:12Be informal
09:13It is weird to be formal
09:15When you are with your best friends
09:17So there is no better option
09:19Now it is time to have a look at another story
09:23And learn some more formal alternatives
09:25To less formal words
09:27But before that
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09:54And now time for the second story
09:56Are you ready?
09:57Let's have a look
09:59Jessica is Jack's girlfriend
10:04They have decided to choose a building as their future house
10:10Jack has chosen an old building
10:13And Jessica thinks Jack is stupid
10:17And buying the old house is a wrong decision
10:23Jack says that they don't have enough money to buy a better one
10:28And that Jessica's behavior is having a bad effect on their relationship
10:35So there is an argument going on between Jack and Jessica
10:39Do you think Jack is right or Jessica is right?
10:42Well that's not the point of this video
10:44The point is to learn some formal vocabulary
10:48So let's learn some alternatives
10:51And try to make this text more formal
10:54Instead of girlfriend or boyfriend say partner
10:59That's more formal, partner
11:01For example
11:03She broke up with her boyfriend
11:06She broke up with her partner
11:09That's more formal
11:11Or one more example
11:12He lives with his girlfriend
11:15He lives with his partner
11:18Exactly
11:19He lives with his partner
11:20That is more formal
11:22Instead of girlfriend or boyfriend say partner
11:25Instead of choose say select
11:29That's more formal
11:31For example
11:33There were three options and we could choose one
11:37There were three options
11:39One, two, three
11:40And we could choose one
11:43There were three options and we could select one
11:47That is more formal
11:48Or here's another example
11:50There are 32 flavors of ice cream
11:54And you can choose whichever you like
11:57There are 32 flavors of ice cream
12:01Mango, strawberry, pistachio, cocoa
12:06And you can choose whichever you like
12:09Or you can select whichever you like
12:13That's more formal
12:15Instead of stupid
12:17Which is a bad word
12:19It's a curse word if you say someone's stupid
12:21You're stupid, he's stupid
12:23This is bad
12:24It's not only informal, it's also offensive
12:27Instead of stupid say ignorant
12:30Ignorant
12:31It's more formal
12:33It's still offensive
12:34But it's less offensive than stupid
12:37For example
12:39Some people are too stupid to realize what's bad for them
12:44Some people are too stupid to realize what's bad for them
12:49You can say
12:50Some people are too ignorant to realize what's bad for them
12:55It's less offensive and more formal
12:58Or one more example
13:00She was really stupid to quit her job
13:03She was really stupid to quit her job
13:07Or she was really ignorant to quit her job
13:12Or you can also make it more formal by saying
13:15It was ignorant of her to quit her job
13:19This is the most formal
13:21But the structure is a bit difficult
13:24It's better for advanced students
13:26Instead of buy say purchase
13:29Purchase
13:30This is more formal than buy
13:32For example
13:34You must buy the tickets two weeks in advance
13:38You must buy the tickets two weeks in advance
13:43You must purchase the tickets two weeks in advance
13:47That's more formal
13:48What does in advance mean?
13:50In advance means before
13:53For example
13:54If an event is on 14th of October
13:58You should buy the tickets until the 1st of October
14:02Two weeks in advance
14:04Two weeks before the deadline
14:06Two weeks before the event
14:08Or here's another example
14:10She bought her first house yesterday
14:13She bought her first house yesterday
14:16Now bought is the past of buy
14:19If you want to replace it with purchase
14:22You need to use the past tense of purchase
14:25Which is purchased
14:27So here's the formal sentence
14:29She purchased her first house yesterday
14:32She purchased her first house yesterday
14:36Instead of wrong you can say incorrect
14:40Incorrect
14:41This is more formal than wrong
14:43For example
14:44Her answer to the question was wrong
14:48Her answer to the question was incorrect
14:51Or one more example
14:53The information on the website was wrong
14:57The information on the website was incorrect
15:02One tip
15:03Information is always uncountable
15:07You cannot say informations
15:09No, no, no, no
15:10It's always information, singular
15:13Information is, information was
15:16Instead of enough you can say sufficient
15:20Sufficient
15:21For example
15:23The food should be enough for five people
15:26The food should be sufficient for five people
15:30Or here's another example
15:32Did you have enough time to finish your assignment?
15:36Did you have enough time to finish your assignment?
15:39You can say
15:40Did you have sufficient time to finish your assignment?
15:44Instead of behavior you can say attitude
15:49Attitude
15:50For example
15:51It is often very difficult to change people's behaviors
15:57It is often very difficult to change people's behaviors
16:01It is often very difficult to change people's attitudes
16:05Or
16:06I don't like your behavior
16:08I don't like your behavior
16:11I don't like your attitude
16:13And finally
16:14Instead of bad say negative
16:17Negative
16:18For example
16:19For example
16:20Too much fat has a bad effect on your body
16:24Too much fat has a bad effect on your body
16:28You can say
16:29Too much fat has a negative effect on your body
16:33You can also use it as an adverb
16:36Negatively instead of badly
16:38For example
16:39Too much fat can badly affect your body
16:43Too much fat can negatively affect your body
16:47And now let's try to rewrite the story
16:51This time in a more formal way
16:54Using the new alternatives we have learned
16:57Are you ready?
16:58Before we start don't forget to give this video a thumbs up
17:01And if you are new to this channel click subscribe
17:04Jessica is Jack's girlfriend?
17:08Partner
17:09Jessica is Jack's partner
17:11They have decided to choose
17:14Select
17:16A building as their future house
17:19Jack has chosen
17:22Selected, right?
17:24Jack has selected an old building
17:27And Jessica thinks Jack is stupid
17:31Ignorant
17:32Jessica thinks Jack is ignorant
17:36And
17:37Buying the old house is a wrong decision
17:40Buying the old house or
17:43Purchasing the old house
17:45Is a wrong decision or
17:47Is an incorrect decision
17:50That's right
17:52Jack says that they don't have enough money
17:56Sufficient money
17:58They don't have sufficient money
18:00To buy
18:02To purchase
18:04To purchase a better one
18:06And that Jessica's behavior
18:09Attitude
18:10Jessica's attitude
18:12Is having a bad effect
18:15A negative effect
18:17On their relationship
18:19And that's it
18:20A more formal text
18:22I hope you've enjoyed this lesson
18:24Don't forget to practice
18:25See you
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