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Joy English · Level C2 · Registerjoy-english.com

Register: formal and informal equivalents

Name:Date:

Match formal words such as commence, ascertain and reside with their everyday equivalents, and choose the right register for letters and reports.

Choose the most formal option

Choose the most formal word or phrase to complete each sentence, as it would appear in an official letter or report.

  1. The board will ___ proceedings at nine o'clock sharp.
    • a) kick off
    • b) commence
    • c) get going
    • d) start up
  2. Before we can approve the plan, we must ___ whether the figures are accurate.
    • a) ascertain
    • b) find out
    • c) check up
    • d) work out
  3. Applicants who ___ in the district may claim the grant.
    • a) live
    • b) stay
    • c) reside
    • d) hang out
  4. ___ his appointment, he had worked as a surveyor.
    • a) Before
    • b) Prior to
    • c) Ahead of
    • d) Up to
  5. The committee did not consider the evidence ___ to justify a change.
    • a) enough
    • b) plenty
    • c) decent
    • d) sufficient
  6. Staff are asked to ___ the attached document before the meeting.
    • a) peruse
    • b) look over
    • c) go through
    • d) check out
  7. The new regulations will ___ a complete review of staffing.
    • a) call for
    • b) necessitate
    • c) mean
    • d) involve
  8. Details of the scheme were ___ circulated to all members.
    • a) later on
    • b) after that
    • c) then
    • d) subsequently

Write the formal word

Replace the informal word in brackets with a formal word from this list: endeavour, procure, ameliorate, remuneration, peruse, necessitate, subsequently, reside. Use each word once.

  1. We will ___ (try) to reply to every enquiry within two working days.
  2. The charity hopes to ___ (get) enough blankets before the cold weather arrives.
  3. New drainage should ___ (improve) conditions in the lower village.
  4. The role carries generous ___ (pay) and a pension.
  5. Residents are requested to ___ (read carefully) the enclosed notice.
  6. The delay will ___ (make necessary) a revised schedule.
  7. Further details will be announced ___ (later).
  8. Several members of staff ___ (live) outside the city.

Answer key

Choose the most formal option

  1. b) commenceCommence is the formal verb for begin; the other options are informal or neutral.
  2. a) ascertainAscertain is the formal equivalent of find out.
  3. c) resideReside is the formal word for live in a place.
  4. b) Prior toPrior to is the formal equivalent of before.
  5. d) sufficientSufficient is the formal equivalent of enough.
  6. a) perusePeruse is the formal word for reading something carefully.
  7. b) necessitateNecessitate means make necessary and is the formal equivalent of call for.
  8. d) subsequentlySubsequently is the formal equivalent of later or afterwards.

Write the formal word

  1. endeavour / endeavor / strive / attempt / seekEndeavour is the formal verb for try hard.
  2. procure / obtain / acquire / secureProcure means obtain, and is formal.
  3. ameliorateAmeliorate means make a bad situation better.
  4. remuneration / compensationRemuneration is the formal noun for pay.
  5. peruse / examine / study / scrutinise / scrutinize / reviewPeruse is the formal verb for reading carefully.
  6. necessitate / require / entailNecessitate means make necessary.
  7. subsequently / in due courseSubsequently is the formal adverb for later or afterwards.
  8. resideReside is the formal verb for live in a place.

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