Same news, two readers

Så fungerar det

We want to show that we can choose the right tone for the reader. A formal text uses full forms, more Latin-based words (receive, require, inform) and polite indirect requests. A casual message uses contractions, phrasal verbs, short sentences and sometimes slang.

The content can stay the same while almost every word changes: I will be unable to attend becomes Can't make it, sorry! Before you write, decide who will read the text, why you are writing and how well you know them.

Formal: I regret to inform you that the event has been postponed. Casual: Bad news, the party's off for now.

Why we all speak more than one English

Imagine that you have just been offered a place on a summer course abroad. Within ten minutes you might tell your best friend, your grandparents and the course organisers. You would probably give all three the same news, but you would not use the same words. To your friend you might write: "Guess what?! I got in!! Sooo happy." To the organisers, you might write: "Thank you very much for your offer. I am delighted to accept." Linguists call this switching between styles a change of register. Register depends on several factors: who you are talking to, how well you know them, what the situation is and whether you are speaking or writing. Most of us change register many times a day without thinking about it. In English, formal and informal registers often differ in vocabulary. Many everyday words come from Old English, while their formal equivalents were borrowed from French or Latin. We ask for something with friends, but we request it in an official letter. We tell a friend the news, but we inform the organisers. Phrasal verbs, such as find out or put off, are common in speech, while single words like discover and postpone appear more often in formal writing. Grammar changes too. Informal English is full of contractions (I'm, can't, we'll) and often leaves out words that are obvious from the context: "Coming tonight?" Formal English prefers complete sentences and can sound more distant, sometimes by using the passive: "Applications must be submitted by Friday." Neither register is better than the other. The skill lies in choosing the one that fits. A text message that sounds like a legal document can be funny or cold, but a job application written like a text message may never be read to the end.

Källor

1. Kursplan i engelska, Lgr22, Skolverket