Using Standard English
How to write in a formal style
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Here is an informal phrase
This is a slang term for GOOD
Laura scored a wicked goal against them
losers down the road.
This should be THOSE
This is a harsh,
emotive adjective to
use
This isn’t a very precise description
Why is it informal?
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How can we re-write this
in Standard English?
• Laura scored a wicked goal against
them losers down the road.
• Laura scored a brilliant goal against
the local opposition.
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Why would we NEED to re-write it?
• Writing is all about PURPOSE and AUDIENCE
• Sometimes we need to use Standard English
when writing formally and when addressing
important people
• We should use it in school, in exams, at
work and when contacting official people
• We also need to speak it!
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HOW do we re-write?
Vocabulary
• keep it formal
• don’t use slang
Grammar
• ensure you use the correct verb tense
• think about your syntax
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Can you re-write these?
• When we done our Science
experiment the water went all
bubbly.
• The man in the book we read was
nasty, mean and trampy.
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Can you re-write these?
• Mr Jones is a safe teacher. He’s a
real laugh.
• I didn’t do nothing!
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Can you re-write these?
• I’m writing to tell you how nasty
you are if you test make-up on
poor bunnies.
• The poem’s got some good stuff in
it like alliteration.
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Can you re-write these?
• I seen you thump him one on the
head!
• Shakespeare’s this bloke what
wrote some plays like “Macbeth.”
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Can you re-write these?
• When I leave school I want to be a
bricky.
• That Maths test was nasty and I
really bombed it.
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Can you give some
examples of types of
writing we do in and out
of school where we need
to use Standard English?
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