Year 6 English Formal and informal English and the subjunctive: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Think about the meaning, and choose a word that suits formal writing.

1. Find the meaning. get means the same as obtain in a formal text.
   get
2. Choose the formal word. obtain suits formal writing, and it is not slang.
   obtain
3. Write the answer.
   obtain

Check. obtain is more formal than get. ✓

Watch out. Formal writing avoids slang and very casual phrases.

Method. Find the two words that the contraction stands for.

1. Find the two words. The apostrophe shows that letters have been left out of it's.
   it's
2. Write the full form. The full form is it is.
   it is
3. Write the answer.
   it is

Check. it's stands for it is. ✓

Watch out. Formal writing does not use contractions, so write the full form.

Method. Find the two words that the contraction stands for.

1. Find the two words. The apostrophe shows that letters have been left out of won't.
   won't
2. Write the full form. The full form is will not.
   will not
3. Write the answer.
   will not

Check. won't stands for will not. ✓

Watch out. Formal writing does not use contractions, so write the full form.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. An imagined situation after if uses were.
   were fits
3. Reject the other choices. The other form is not used in this formal or imagined sentence.
   was do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   were

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Watch out. The subjunctive uses were after if for imagined situations, and the base form after suggest, insist or essential that.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. After essential that, the base form arrive is used.
   arrive fits
3. Reject the other choices. The other form is not used in this formal or imagined sentence.
   arrives do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   arrive

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Watch out. The subjunctive uses were after if for imagined situations, and the base form after suggest, insist or essential that.

Method. Look for the term that matches the meaning.

1. Read the meaning. The meaning is: a form of the verb used for imagined situations and formal demands.
   a form of the verb used for imagined situations and formal demands
2. Name the term. The term for this is subjunctive.
   subjunctive
3. Write the answer.
   subjunctive

Check. subjunctive has the meaning given. ✓

Watch out. Learn each term with one example, so that you can use it in your own writing.

Method. Look for the term that matches the meaning.

1. Read the meaning. The meaning is: leaving out a word that the reader can work out.
   leaving out a word that the reader can work out
2. Name the term. The term for this is ellipsis.
   ellipsis
3. Write the answer.
   ellipsis

Check. ellipsis has the meaning given. ✓

Watch out. Learn each term with one example, so that you can use it in your own writing.

Method. Change kids to children, and can't to cannot.

1. Change kids. Children is the formal word.
   children
2. Change can't. Cannot is the full form, with no contraction.
   cannot
3. Write the answer.
   The children cannot attend.

Check. The sentence is formal. ✓

Method. Compare the features.

1. Look at formal. Formal writing uses full words and no contractions.
   full words
2. Look at informal. Informal writing uses contractions, slang and ellipsis.
   contractions
3. Write the answer.
   Formal English uses full words and no slang or contractions; informal English uses contractions, slang and ellipsis.

Check. The two registers differ in these features. ✓

Method. Use the base form after requires that.

1. Find the phrase. Requires that is followed by the base form.
   requires that
2. Use the base form. The base form of return is return.
   return
3. Write the answer.
   return

Check. return is the base form. ✓

Method. Choose a formal verb with the same meaning.

1. Find the meaning. Ask for means to ask for something to be given.
   ask for
2. Choose the formal word. Request is the formal verb.
   request
3. Write the answer.
   request

Check. request is formal. ✓

Method. Change kids to children, and can't to cannot.

1. Change kids. Children is the formal word.
   children
2. Change can't. Cannot is the full form, with no contraction.
   cannot
3. Write the answer.
   The children cannot go on the trip.

Check. The sentence is formal. ✓

Method. The situation is imagined, so use the subjunctive were.

1. Find the situation. The speaker is not the captain, so the situation is imagined.
   imagined
2. Choose the form. After if, use were.
   were
3. Write the answer.
   were

Check. were is the subjunctive after if. ✓

Method. After essential that, use the base form.

1. Find the phrase. It is essential that is followed by the subjunctive.
   essential that
2. Choose the base form. The base form of return is return.
   return
3. Write the answer.
   return

Check. return is the base form. ✓

Method. Look for a word that the reader can work out, but is left out.

1. Look at the sentence. The subject it is left out.
   it
2. Name the feature. Leaving out a word the reader can work out is ellipsis.
   ellipsis
3. Write the answer.
   ellipsis

Check. The subject is left out. ✓

Method. Change talk about to the formal verb discuss.

1. Find the informal phrase. Talk about is informal.
   talk about
2. Change it. Discuss is the formal verb.
   We need to discuss the plan.
3. Write the answer.
   We need to discuss the plan.

Check. discuss is formal. ✓

Method. Use the base form after it is vital that.

1. Write the phrase. It is vital that is the formal phrase.
   It is vital that
2. Add the base form. Understand is the base form, with no s.
   every pupil understand the rules
3. Write the answer.
   It is vital that every pupil understand the rules.

Check. understand is the base form. ✓

Method. Think about the reader and the purpose of the letter.

1. Think about the reader. A formal reader expects polite, precise language.
   polite, precise
2. Think about the features. Slang and contractions are informal.
   informal
3. Write the answer.
   A formal letter avoids slang and contractions, because it needs precise, polite words for a formal reader.

Check. The reason is given. ✓

Method. Think about the meaning of the term.

1. Find the meaning. A short form of two words with an apostrophe is a contraction.
   contraction
2. Write the answer.
   contraction

Check. contraction is the term. ✓

Method. Say what the level of formality depends on.

1. Find the meaning. Register is the level of formality.
   level of formality
2. Name what it depends on. It depends on the situation and the reader.
   situation and reader
3. Write the answer.
   Register is the level of formality that suits the situation and the reader.

Check. register depends on the situation and reader. ✓