List of Formal and Informal Words in OET Writing
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OET letters are formal letters; therefore, it is important to use formal vocabulary to convey the information in them. This article illustrates common informal words seen in OET writing and their formal versions.
Table of Contents
1. Common informal words and their formal alternatives
| Informal vocabulary | Formal alternative |
|---|---|
| bloody show (Ob-Gyn) | bleeding |
| brain is broken | mentally overwhelmed (depends on case notes) |
| bring down (the temperature) | lower |
| crack (drug) | cocaine |
| feel run down | tired, weak |
| (feel) giddy | faint |
| give up (smoking) | cease, stop |
| get in touch | contact |
| go back (home) | return |
| mood swings | unstable mood/labile mood |
| off colour | slightly unwell |
| off-and-on | occasional/intermittent |
| on top of | in addition to |
| pass out | lose consciousness |
| pick up (the infection) | contract |
| plus | (along) with |
| put on (medicine) | apply |
| put under (anesthesia) | anaesthetize/give anesthesia |
| put off | postpone |
| show up | arrive/visit |
| take out (stitches) | remove |
| take up (an activity) | start/commence |
| throw up/puke | vomit |
| tummy | abdomen |
| water/bag broke (Ob-Gyn) | ruptured amniotic membrane |
2. Criterion
Using informal vocabulary will impact the score of the criterion ‘Genre and Style’.
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