Some more practice in formal and informal writing

Choose the sentence which is too formal for a letter to a friend.

Thanks a lot for agreeing to house-sit for me!

Should you need to contact me for any reason while I am away…

The inversion ‘should you need to’ is formal. Informally it would be written ‘if you need to’.

…I’ll be staying at the Imperial Hotel in Bundaberg.

If, however, it is an urgent matter, you may contact me by mobile phone.

This uses more sophisticated vocabulary such as ‘matter’ and more formal modal verbs, such as ‘you may’.

I’ve written the numbers on a sticky note which I’ve left on the fridge.

The cat requires to be fed twice daily, each morning and evening.

This is too formal and uses passive voice (to be fed).

Please ensure that an appropriate amount of dried cat food is placed in his dish.

He needs fresh water all day too.

This uses the formal verb ‘ensure’, as well as passive voice.

It is essential that you check throughout the day to ensure there is a sufficient supply.

You can give him a small bowl of milk in the evening too.

Again this is too formal, with a commanding tone and more sophisticated vocabulary, such as ‘sufficient supply’ rather than ‘enough water’.

Regarding my house plants, under no circumstances should you forget to water them regularly.

You only need to water the indoor ones in the lounge every few days but you need to water the plants on the balcony every day (unless it rains).

This is extremely formal and reads more like a firm instruction from a person in authority than a request from a friend.

One last thing - please empty the mail box every day and keep the outside lights on at night to keep burglars away.

I look forward to seeing you upon my return.

The closing ‘I look forward to…’ is too formal for use with a friend. Also ‘upon my return’ is a very formal way to say ‘when I get back’.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/understanding-ielts/6/steps/157671/questions