Match the phrase to the reader, and change as little as possible. A polite, plain sentence is usually formal enough, and it still sounds like you.
This lesson is part of revising an English response without replacing the student voice. It builds on the organisation skills in writing clear topic sentences and transitions.
What is the smallest change that works?
First ask who will read the piece. Then find the phrases that would sound careless or rude to that reader. Change only those, using the simplest polite alternative.
If a sentence already fits the reader, leave it alone.
Worked example: same phrase, two readers
| Informal phrase | To the principal | To a friend |
|---|---|---|
| “We’re gonna do a clean-up.” | “We plan to hold a clean-up.” | Keep: “We’re gonna do a clean-up.” |
| “It was super tiring.” | “It was very tiring.” | Keep: “It was super tiring.” |
| “Can you give me a hand?” | “Could you please help us?” | Keep: “Can you give me a hand?” |
| “Loads of students came.” | “Many students came.” | Keep: “Loads of students came.” |
The friend column stays the same because the phrases suit that reader. The principal column changes each one only as much as needed. “Super tiring” becomes “very tiring”, not “extremely fatiguing”.
What does over-formalising look like?
Suppose a student changes “We’re gonna do a clean-up” into “We shall commence a cleaning endeavour.” The sentence is formal, but it sounds forced, and no student talks like this.
The revision “We plan to hold a clean-up” keeps the meaning and the voice. “Plan” and “hold” are everyday words, used correctly.
The mistake that loses marks
The common slip is to swap every plain word for a long one. The result sounds as if it came from a thesaurus, and mistakes creep in because the student is unsure of the new words.
A better test is to read the sentence aloud. If a polite student could say it to a teacher, it is formal enough.
Check yourself
You are writing to the school principal. Edit each phrase minimally: (a) “Lots of us are super keen.” (b) “We’re gonna need some help.” (c) “Sorry for the hassle.”
Answer
(a) “Many of us are very keen.”
(b) “We will need some help.” Or “We will need your help.”
(c) “I apologise for the inconvenience.”
Each edit is small. The ideas and sentence shapes stay the same, and only the words that would sound careless to a principal change.
What to study next
Finish the sequence with reducing repetition while keeping the required detail. Use the English writing task checklist to record the audience before you write.
If you would like a teacher to check the tone of your own drafts, see online one-to-one English tuition.