The subjunctive and formal writing
I can tell formal from informal language, spot a question tag, and use If I were.
For grown-ups: this lesson in words
Year 6 · English
The subjunctive and formal writing: I can tell formal from informal language, spot a question tag, and use If I were.
Here are two invitations to the same party. Listen to how different they sound.
The first is to a friend. It is chatty: Hi Mei! It'll be brilliant, won't it?
The second is to a teacher. It is careful and polite: Dear Mrs Khan, I would be grateful.
Chatty language is informal. Careful, polite language is formal. Today we learn to tell them apart.
Picture: A short text called "Two invitations" with a picture of an envelope: "Hi Mei! Fancy coming to my party on Saturday? It'll be brilliant, won't it? Dear Mrs Khan, I would like to invite you to our class party on Saturday. I would be grateful if you were able to attend." "Hi Mei!", "won't it?", "Dear Mrs Khan" and "I would be grateful" are underlined.
Hi Kofi! I can't wait for the trip. It'll be brilliant, won't it? This is informal: how we talk to a friend.
Hi is a chatty greeting. Can't and It'll are contractions: two words squashed into one.
Won't it? is a question tag: a little question tagged onto the end of a statement.
Question tags belong in informal speech. You will not find them in a formal letter.
Picture: The sentence "Hi Kofi! I can't wait for the trip. It'll be brilliant, won't it?", with "Hi", "can't", "It'll" and "won't" underlined.
Dear Mr Patel, I am looking forward to the trip. It will be a wonderful day. This is the formal version.
Dear Mr Patel is a formal opening. I am and It will are written in full: no contractions.
There is no question tag. Formal writing states things calmly. It does not chat.
Picture: The sentence "Dear Mr Patel, I am looking forward to the trip. It will be a wonderful day.", with "Dear", "am" and "will" underlined.
Your turn: Which sentence is informal, the way we talk to a friend?
Choose one:
- I would be grateful if you could reply.
- Fancy coming to the park later, mate?