Different kinds of writing require different choices of words. Essays and reports tend to drive you towards more formal usage, while narratives and humorous stories might benefit more from a looser control of language.
Most written use of the English language can be divided into three types:
Formal. The language used when a serious, objective tone needs to be adopted, it’s the official usage for textbooks, academic publications and most types of university writing. When writing in this manner, aim for precise meaning and impersonal style, using long, carefully-worded sentences. Most of the time, specialized vocabulary and jargon are acceptable at this level.
Informal. Here, you follow all the normal rules as your writing check software enforces them, but relax a bit on traditional grammar. As such, the use of contractions, abbreviations and first-person references are accepted. There’s also a greater emphasis on impact, allowing for shorter, more abrupt sentences. Newspapers and magazines offer a great selection of writing in this level of usage.
Popular. Also referred to as colloquial (and, traditionally, as vulgar), this style of writing isn’t encouraged much. It most closely resembles spoken language and, as such, is used primarily for writing speeches. Here, it’s not uncommon to find imprecise language and basic vocabulary, since the usage is meant to be aided by voice accents and non-verbal expressions.
