Formal and Informal Register: Choosing Words for Audience and Purpose — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 10 vocabulary worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 10 · English · VocabularyFormal and Informal Register: Choosing Words for Audience and Purpose — Answers
Part A: Identifying register
Register is the level of formality in language. Formal register suits essays, reports and official letters; informal register suits conversations, messages and personal writing. Circle the best answer.
- AWe're gonna sort out the problem soon.
- BWe'll fix the problem soon, don't worry.
- CThe problem will be resolved shortly.
- DDon't stress, we'll handle it.
Answer: The problem will be resolved shortly.
No contractions or slang, a precise verb (resolved) and an impersonal passive construction.
- Atechnical vocabulary
- Bcontractions such as can't and we'll
- Cthe passive voice
- Dabstract nouns such as the decision
Answer: contractions such as can't and we'll
Contractions are common in speech and casual writing but are usually avoided in formal writing.
- Aa job application
- Ba text message to a friend
- Ca science report
- Da letter to a government minister
Answer: a text message to a friend
A message to a friend is personal and casual.
- Adiscover
- Blook
- Cget
- Dsort
Answer: discover
Phrasal verbs (verb + small word) are often replaced by single, more formal verbs in academic writing.
Part B: Formal alternatives
Match or write a more formal alternative.
- put off
- look into
- make up
- go up
- cut down on
- hand in
- postpone
- investigate
- increase
- submit
- reduce
- invent
Answer: put off → postpone; look into → investigate; make up → invent; go up → increase; cut down on → reduce; hand in → submit
Answer: many
Also correct: numerous, a large number of.
Answer: essential
Also correct: crucial, vital, critical.
Answer: children
Also correct: young people, students (depending on context).
Answer: improve
A single precise verb is more formal.
Part C: Shift the register
Rewrite each sentence in the register shown.
Answer: Many students believe that the new timetable is unsatisfactory.
- Loads of → many; think → believe; kind of bad → unsatisfactory.
Answer: We are unable to attend the meeting because of a prior sporting commitment.
- No contractions, no casual phrases (make it, got a game on), and a precise, formal noun phrase.
Answer: Hey, everyone in the cast has to come to rehearsal, okay?
- Any friendly version with everyday words, a direct address or contraction is fine.
Part D: Your turn
Model answer: Dear Principal, I am writing on behalf of our year group to request permission to hold a fundraising event for the local animal shelter. We would like to run a cake stall during lunch next Friday. Many students have offered to bake and to staff the stall. We would also be grateful if we could use the hall for the event. Please let us know whether this would be possible at your earliest convenience. Yours sincerely, Jordan Lee
Success criteria:
- Appropriate formal greeting and sign-off
- Purpose stated clearly in the first sentence
- No contractions, slang, abbreviations or excess punctuation
- Precise formal vocabulary (request, permission, grateful, convenience)
- All key details from the original included
- Correct capital letters, spelling and punctuation
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.