Questions tagged [formality]
is for questions about whether a word or phrase is considered formal or informal. Be sure to include as much context as you can, because sometimes how formal or informal a word or phrase is can be different in different situations.
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What's the difference between "veggie" and "vegetable"?
What's the difference between "veggie" and "vegetable"?
Can I use them interchangeably? or is there any difference in terms of meaning and usage?
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Nuance of infinitive phrase `to stand watch` in the sentence
In the movie "The Hobbit", Erlond tells Gandalf:
You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-earth.
I'm not sure if there's any nuance with the use of the form to stand watch.
If I ...
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2
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What's the meaning of "Not unattractive but getting on"?
Not unattractive but getting on.
to get on means: get along to have a good relationship.1
Does it mean:
she is attractive but she doesn't set along to have a good
relationship?
The context of ...
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omitting "that" is "so ... that ..."
Is it considered informal to omit "that" in "so ... that ..."?
What would style guides say about the following?
John is so intelligent (that) he can learn any language in two months.
If this ...
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Can't we say "don't/doesn't got" while we can say "I got", "He got", "They got" etc.? (American English)
I am used to hearing the positive version of "got" when it is used for meaning "have".
For example, I mean we can say "I got a car.", "He got three children.", "I got no money." etc.
But I am not ...
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Can the adverb "exclusively" in the sentence be replaced with an adjective without changing the meaning of the sentence?
I came across this sentence in an online article.
Some medical literature has found that exclusively breastfeeding during the first four to six months of life may decrease your baby’s risk of ...
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3
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354
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A word denoting something taking place for the last time in an indefinitely large series
I've been looking for the word denoting something taking place for the latest time in an indefinitely large series, for example, the solar eclipse occurring for the______ th(?) time from the beginning ...
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position of "from"
Is there any difference between the following sentences?
They returned where they had come from.
They returned from where they had come.
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1
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Godspeed as a way of saying goodbye
There are a couple of movies I heard actors using Godspeed as a way to say goodbye. At least I interpreted it this way. I though never heard anyone use this expression in the UK, Ireland, Australia, U....
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"How much are you into us for already?"
I am confused about a line from the movie Kingpin:
Ernie: All right, let's go. Thank you for the education, gentlemen. We've just received a PhD in stupidity. (to Roy) Doctor, shall we?
Roy: ...
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Is it right to use the word 'execute' in place of 'run'?
I have recently studied two sentences in which these words are used which i mentioned:
your program is not executing.
your program is not running.
these two words often used in sentences so my ...
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Use of the word bestow
If we see the language in its natural pace and flow which of the following sound better?
May God bestow sincerity upon me!
or
May God make me become sincere!
or
May I become sincere!
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Difference between -decker, -tier, shelf and level (see picture)
How would you describe the number of shelves of the growing trays in the image below? Four-leveled, four-tier, four-shelf or four-decker? Are all these ways correct and interchangeable?
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"spot defective goods" or "check products for defects"
Which of the following is more natural?
Your job is to check products for defects.
Your job is to spot defective goods.
I'd appreciate your help.
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3
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517
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What is the difference between "likelihood" and "probability"?
What is the difference between "likelihood" and "probability"?
Iv'e check the dictionaries for that questions and it seems that there's no a difference. Cambridge dictionary even call them clearly ...
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What is the difference between someone and somebody? [closed]
Should I say:
[•] I'm thinking about someone.
Or
[•] I'am thinking about somebody.
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meaning of the phrase "amped up on" in context
It is from Crash Course A&P. It is at 1 minute and 23 second. Here is the context:
But even when they are functioming well, some of your immune cells are careening around your body like ...
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1
answer
647
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The usage of "see"
Are the following sentences grammatical?
The summer of 2000 saw me in a research project at a museum in Africa.
The summer of 2000 saw me doing a research project at a museum in Africa.
The ...
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3
votes
2
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3k
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"People persons" versus "people people"
A People person is someone who is outgoing and has good communication skills.
He was always energetic and positive and he was a people person.
What is the plural of "people person"?
I am ...
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How to use the verb "to hope for" in the right tense for something that hasn’t happened yet?
I am sending formal mail to a German company so I was wondering whether the following sentence is ok to use in that correspondence?
We are hoping for the best results.
Does this sentence make any ...
Yigig
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2
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295
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Why was "wise advisor" better than "savvy person"?
See Question 10 in the image.
He was to be loyal to his lord, courageous in his defense, and a (10) savvy person. Basically, he was to be a man of honor, who would stay true to his Christian faith ...
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"can we schedule the call to" vs "can we do the call at"?
I am writing a business email and want to schedule a call with the recipient.
Which of the following is correct, if any:
Can we schedule the call to 9 AM?
Can we do the call at 9 AM?
Can we have ...
Omerb
2
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3
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"I would be very happy if I could have..." Is this natural sentence with manners?
I would be very happy if I could have such an opportunity to see you in person, so please let me know whenever (if?) you will have a chance to visit this area.
Is this natural sentence with manners?
...
STT
0
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1
answer
62
views
Making question
I'd like to know the difference between
Why don't you do it?
Why do you not do it?"
Could you please let me know the differences?
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How to say "a bit of code"
I am describing how this part of my code works:
def store_output(self, file_name, identifier):
dsc_in = ogr.Open(file_name)
if dsc_in is None:
raise Exception("Reading data failed.")
...
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160
views
Which is more formal: clearer or more clear?
I know both forms are correct, but I wonder which is more formal. Is there any difference in levels of formality?
- 2,161
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3
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193
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Application of "Misunderstand" in the Past Continuous Tense
I have doubt that whether the following sentence is correct or not:
Anytime my teacher was teaching the lesson, I was misunderstanding some notable points.
Actually, I want to use this sentence in ...
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What is the difference between 'drawback' and 'side effect'?
In terms of Computer Programming, people around me mostly say 'side effect', when they talk about something that will happen behind the scenes, and it sounds pretty negative. However, when I read some ...
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Ways to say "My phone ran out of power"
What are some other ways to say "My phone ran out of power", meaning my battery got depleted. What is the level of formality of each one?
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Different ways to ask somebody to wait
Are there differences in meaning (and possibly context) of the following three ways to ask somebody to wait? Or is one of these options even ungrammatical?
1 I'm going to ...
I'm just going to ...
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176
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"establish a startup" in conversation
I'd like to know whether "establish a startup" sounds pompous in a conversation as follows:
John: Why did you decline that job offer?
Peter: I decided to follow my dream and establish a startup. Now ...
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2
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Why "yours truly" means "me"?
I don't understand how yours truly can mean me, they are two complete differents words, maybe if it was mine truly I could understand a little better, but the truly part would stil being strange.
¿...
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Does "buck" mean "disagree" or "challenge" in this sentence, and how formally?
I heard this sentence from a show in TV, wants to know what does it mean.
there are million free thinkers like us who refuse to obey the experts and buck their traditionalist fact.
by sentence ...
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How does addressing a person as “dear” sound?
I am wondering if addressing a person as ''Dear'' sounds casual, friendly or formal. For example, ''Thanks dear''
Is it used in business letters nowadays or is it outdated?
I hear "dear" ...
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Is this plain form "I requested her hand for marriage from her father" acceptable in general; as opposed to the idiomatic form?
The plain form which I feel more natural to my tongue:
I requested her hand for marriage from her father
As opposed to the idiomatic form:
I asked her father for her hand in marriage
Is the ...
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Using 'you' in scientific papers
In German, most of the time you try to avoid 'you' in academic papers. Of course I refer to 'you' in the meaning of 'in general' not you as a pronoun. What is the best practice in English?
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"Much much more" in formal language
How would I say, "much much more" in a formal manner?
I need to write a report and cannot come up with a more formal way of saying, much much more. This is to be placed at the end of a list:
...
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423
views
Is omitting subject-auxiliary verb combination a formal and grammatical way of writing?
The left hand side of the equation is equal to the right hand side of it. Hence, proved.
Wouldn't it be grammatically like this-
The left hand side of the equation is equal to the right hand side ...
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"cranial" vs "cerebral"
Is there a substantial difference between the adjectives "cranial" and "cerebral"? Are these ones interchangeable in a not-so-medical context?
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Use the verb "to mothball" in official texts
I saw a Wikipedia article (and not only this one) using the verb "to mothball" to denote rather obsolete, abandoned, put-on-hold methods or phenomena, e.g.:
So by 2003, the original ECMAScript 4 ...
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Bowed down at / before / in front of the altar
Which is the correct preposition to use here from the options given in title ?
He bowed down ______ altar.
I have mentioned three options here though I had 4 options in the question. I managed ...
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"Fixing" an error
Open source programmers commonly use the term "to fix" (as in "fixing an error") to mean to correct (eliminate) an error.
Is this use of the term "to fix" common outside open source programming (both ...
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Formal letter: what is the English version of "En attandant votre réponse, veillez croire, Monsieur, à l’expression de ..."
I have a hard time writing a formal letter in English for the first time in my life and without any good reference or previous training. I am stuck in the final phase where I want to express that I am ...
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Is "crimp an aluminium cap on" a naturally-sounding phrase?
My translation from Russian:
Fill the vial with nitrogen, then immediately close it with a stopper and crimp an aluminium cap on.
The Russian original uses the word "завальцевать", which is ...
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1
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Correct word order of “An article you are a co-writer of”?
I am having trouble with the wording of a sentence in a formal letter. I came up with this, but, for me, it feels somewhat twisted and incorrect. How would you pharse this?
During my research, I ...
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0
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37
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Ellipsis scheme
Is it grammatical to write
The highest score was 10, the lowest 2, and the median 5
or, particularly in a formal context, the implied verbs should be included, yielding the following (awkward?):
...
Themis Mitsis
0
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1
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141
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Numbers in Words
How do we write 3,251 in words?
A. Three thousand two hundred and fifty one
B. Three thousand two hundred and fifty-one
C. Three thousand two hundred fifty-one
Essentially, I am requesting a ...
3
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1
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513
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'Into' more formal than 'in' in following context?
I placed the cake in the fridge.
I placed the cake into the fridge.
Is into more formal? To me in is sufficient because the movement of the cake into the fridge is implied, but I wonder whether ...
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He is fierce, as were warriors (so)
Is the so in this example incorrect or superfluous?
I was thinking about the example of so with do:
He asked me to send him money; I did (so).
I wondered whether so could be used similarly in my ...
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