Standard, Formal English

The way you text a friend is not the way you write for a test. The reading and writing section — and especially the essay — expects a formal style known as edited written English, and knowing its features helps you both answer questions and write your response.

Standard, formal English is the polished style used in school, business, and published writing. It avoids slang, contractions, and casual shortcuts, and it follows the rules of grammar and punctuation closely. The editing questions reward this careful, edited style over everyday conversational language.

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Formal vs. Informal Language

Informal English is fine in a text but out of place in an essay. It includes slang, abbreviations, and a chatty tone. Formal English chooses precise, complete words and keeps a respectful distance. Wrong (too casual): The author’s argument is kinda weak, and he’s got no real proof. Corrected: The author’s argument is weak because he offers no real proof. Notice the changes: “kinda” becomes “weak because,” and the contraction “he’s” becomes “he offers.” Wrong: This passage is awesome and totally nails the point. Corrected: This passage is convincing and clearly supports its point. Formal writing also avoids texting shortcuts like “u,” “thru,” and emojis. When you are unsure, picture writing to someone you respect but do not know well, and choose the more careful word.

Edited Written English on the Test

Edited written English is simply writing that has been reviewed and corrected. It uses complete sentences, standard spelling, and consistent grammar. On the editing questions, the “best” answer is usually the one that is clear, complete, and free of casual usage. Wrong: Me and him seen the movie yesterday. This mixes an object pronoun and a nonstandard verb form. Corrected: He and I saw the movie yesterday. Wrong: They should of studied more. “Should of” is a spoken mistake for “should have.” Corrected: They should have studied more. When two answer choices mean the same thing, pick the one that follows standard rules and drops the slang. Aim for writing that a careful editor would leave untouched.

Watch: A Short Video Lesson

Ultimate Word Definitions gives a clear overview to go with this lesson:

A Routine for Formal English

1. Replace slang and casual words with precise ones.
2. Avoid contractions and texting shortcuts in formal writing.
3. Use standard verb forms and pronoun case.
4. Reread as if an editor were checking every word.

Practice

1. What is standard, formal English?
2. Name one feature of informal language to avoid.
3. Fix this: “The essay is kinda boring.”
4. Fix this: “Me and her went first.”
5. What should replace “should of”?
6. What does edited written English mean?

Answers

1. The polished style used in school and published writing.
2. Any of: slang, contractions, abbreviations, emojis.
3. “The essay is somewhat dull.”
4. “She and I went first.”
5. “Should have.”
6. Writing that has been reviewed and corrected to follow standard rules.

Where This Fits in Your RLA Prep

This style ties into commonly confused words and contractions and cutting wordiness and fixing order. See every topic on the Language Arts Prep Hub.

Recommended Prep Books

Keep building momentum with a full study guide and practice tests:

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