Formal or informal tone — Interview skills for students

Tip

Person first, then words — “think who you are talking to, then pick a formal or informal tone”

1. Formal: emails to the principal, interviews, calls to offices, letters, your supervisor at work, a panel of judges.
2. Informal: friends, cousins, family chats, birthday messages, planning a picnic.
3. Formal words in full: “going to”, not “gonna”; “please”, not “pls”; “Yes”, not “Yup”; “Thank you very much”, not “Thx!”.

Use it for: Emails, phone calls, interviews, group projects, workplace chat and messages to teachers.

Worked example: 💬 Is this a formal or an informal line? “Could you kindly share the details?” → a formal line

✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

🏁 Lesson 5 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the 🎩 Tone Switcher badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 8 lessons of Part 1 · Communication skills. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Communication Skills Worksheet: Formal and Informal Tone

• Worksheet set 1 (PDF)
• Worksheet set 2 (PDF)
• Worksheet set 3 (PDF)