Formal or Casual Speech
Aligned to SL.6.6 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Skilled speakers adjust how they talk to fit the situation — casual with friends, formal in a presentation or interview. Command of formal English means using it on purpose when the moment calls for it.
Worked examples
Example 1
Telling a friend: 'That test was brutal, no cap.' Telling a teacher: 'The test was more challenging than I expected.' Same idea, adapted register — the formal version fits the classroom setting.
Example 2
To a friend: 'that assignment was rough.' In an email to a teacher: 'I found the assignment difficult and I would like to ask about question 4.'
Example 3
Formal does not mean longer or fancier. 'I would like to request an extension' is formal; 'I would humbly beseech an extension' is just odd.
Practice questions
- Say one casual sentence you'd use with a friend, then rewrite it formally.
- Name a situation that calls for formal English and one that doesn't.
- Give a 30-second formal introduction of yourself, avoiding slang.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Hablar Formal o Informal
Los buenos hablantes ajustan su forma de hablar según la situación — informal con amigos, formal en una presentación o entrevista. Dominar el español formal significa usarlo a propósito cuando el momento lo pide.
Ejemplo 1: A un amigo: 'Ese examen estuvo bien pesado, la neta.' A un maestro: 'El examen fue más difícil de lo que esperaba.' La misma idea, registro adaptado — la versión formal encaja en el salón de clases.
Ejemplo 2: A un amigo: 'esa tarea estuvo pesada.' En un correo a un maestro: 'La tarea me resultó difícil y quisiera preguntar sobre el ejercicio 4.'
Ejemplo 3: Formal no significa más largo ni más rebuscado. 'Quisiera solicitar una prórroga' es formal; 'me permito implorar humildemente una prórroga' solo suena raro.
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