Establish and Maintain a Formal Style

Why Does Formal Writing Exist?

Imagine you're texting your best friend about weekend plans. You might say, "yo let's hang at the park lol." Now imagine you're writing a letter to the principal asking for a longer lunch period. Would you use the exact same words? Probably not! That shift in how you write is the difference between informal style (casual, everyday language) and formal style (polished, professional language). Formal writing has been part of human communication for thousands of years.

So here's the big question this lesson answers: How do you write in a formal style — and keep that style going from the first sentence to the last? That's exactly what "establish and maintain a formal style" means, and it's a skill you'll use throughout school and beyond.

Core Principles of Formal Style

Formal style isn't about using the fanciest words you can find. It's about sounding clear, respectful, and serious — like someone who has thought carefully about what they want to say. Here are the four main building blocks.

Visual Guide: Informal vs. Formal

The diagram below shows how the same idea can be expressed in very different ways depending on your writing style. On the left is informal (casual) language. On the right is formal (academic) language. Notice how each element changes.

As you can see, formal writing doesn't change what you're saying. It changes how you say it. The message stays the same, but the delivery becomes more polished and professional. Every row in the diagram shows one swap you can make: replace slang with standard English, swap vague words for precise ones, trade personal opinions for objective observations, and write out full words instead of contractions (shortened word forms like "don't" or "can't").

How Formal Style Works in Practice

Now that you know the building blocks, let's zoom in on the specific moves you can make to keep your writing formal. Think of these as your toolbox — a set of techniques you can pull out whenever you sit down to write an essay, report, or argument.

Move 1 — Eliminate Slang and Casual Expressions

Words like "cool," "awesome," "kinda," "stuff," and "a lot" are perfectly fine in a text message. But in formal writing, replace them with more specific, academic vocabulary. Instead of "a lot of problems," try "numerous challenges." Instead of "kinda important," try "somewhat significant."

Move 2 — Avoid First and Second Person (When Possible)

In many formal essays, it's best to avoid first person ("I," "me," "my") and second person ("you," "your"). Instead, use third person ("the reader," "one," "students," "the evidence"). This keeps the focus on the topic rather than on yourself. For example, instead of "I believe recycling helps," write "Recycling has been shown to help the environment."

Move 3 — Write Out Contractions

A contraction is when you squish two words together with an apostrophe, like "don't" (do not), "isn't" (is not), or "they're" (they are). In formal writing, spell them out. Writing "does not" sounds more polished than "doesn't."

Move 4 — Use Transitions to Connect Ideas

Transition words are like bridges between your sentences and paragraphs. Words such as "furthermore," "however," "in addition," "consequently," and "therefore" make your writing flow smoothly and sound professional.

Move 5 — Stay Consistent from Start to Finish

This is the "maintain" part. Once you set a formal tone in your introduction, keep it going through every body paragraph and your conclusion. If you slip into casual language in the middle, your reader may stop trusting you as a serious writer. Read through your whole essay at the end to check for any spots where the tone drifts.

The flowchart above shows a simple process you can follow every time you write. For each sentence you create, run through the four questions. If the answer to any of them is "yes," revise that sentence before moving on. Over time, this checklist becomes automatic and you won't even need to think about it!

Detailed Breakdown: Word Swaps

One of the fastest ways to make your writing more formal is to swap casual words for academic ones. The table below gives you a handy reference. Study these pairs and keep them in mind the next time you write an essay.

Notice that formality is a spectrum (a range from one extreme to the other), not just two categories. A blog post is more formal than a text message but less formal than a research paper. For school essays in 6th grade, you want to aim for the right side of this bar — solidly in the formal zone.

Worked Example: Revising a Paragraph

Let's walk through a real example. Below is an informal paragraph about school lunches. We'll revise it step by step into a formal version.

See how different that sounds? The ideas are the same, but the revised version reads like it was written by someone who took the topic seriously. That's the power of formal style.

Strengths and Limitations

Formal style is a powerful tool, but it's not always the right choice. Knowing when to use it — and when not to — makes you a stronger writer overall.

One common mistake is thinking that formal means "use the biggest words possible." That's actually the opposite of good formal writing. The goal is to be clear and precise, not complicated. If a simpler word gets the job done just as well, use it! "Use" is formal enough — you don't need to say "utilize" every time.

Beyond 6th Grade: Where Formal Style Leads

The formal writing skills you're building now are the foundation for everything that comes next in your education. As you grow as a writer, the expectations become more specific and challenging. Here's a peek at what's ahead.

Right now, your main job is to learn the basics: know what formal style looks like, practice it in your essays, and keep it consistent from beginning to end. Once that feels comfortable, you'll start learning how to adjust your level of formality depending on who you're writing for and why. It's an exciting journey, and it all starts right here in 6th grade.

Practice Problems

Time to try it yourself! Work through these five challenges. Start with the easier ones and build up. Click "Show Answer" when you're ready to check your work.

Lesson Summary