Formal vs Informal Vocabulary
Formal vs informal vocabulary is the register-awareness skill that distinguishes B2 fluency from B2 competence. Get → receive / obtain. Tell → inform / notify. Help → assist / support. Ask → enquire / request. Show → demonstrate / illustrate. Find out → discover / ascertain. Buy → purchase / acquire. Use → utilise / employ. Need → require. Begin → commence. The informal verbs are correct in everyday speech and conversational writing; the formal verbs are correct in academic, business, and official writing. The worksheet trains learners to shift register confidently.
This worksheet builds B2 fluency with register-shifting across informal and formal vocabulary.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- Register table with 30+ verb pairs (informal / formal equivalents)
- Sentence-rewriting: convert casual sentences into formal-register equivalents
- Gap-fill in mixed contexts (CV vs casual email; report vs blog post)
- Multiple-choice items distinguishing register-appropriate vocabulary
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes with cover-letter and CV-writing extension
Common challenges: Over-formalisation is the recurring B2 risk — using utilise everywhere sounds stilted; use is correct in 80% of contexts. Under-formalisation is the opposite problem: get and show in academic writing pull the register down. Register mismatch within a single text is the worst error — a CV that opens I have over five years’ experience in marketing and then says I’d love to chat about this opportunity loses coherence. The worksheets train consistent register matching.
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B2, in upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. Register precision is critical for Cambridge B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE), BEC, and academic writing. Part of the Word Building & Style collection — the natural next step is British vs American English Vocabulary, which extends register awareness into geographical-variation territory.
Every worksheet you'll ever need — ready to teach.
Stop building from scratch. 324 classroom-ready worksheets, every level, with answer keys and teacher notes on every sheet.
