Lesson 2: Choosing Formal Alternatives
Upgrading Your Vocabulary
In academic and professional writing, our goal is to be as precise and clear as possible. While simple, common words are perfect for conversation, choosing a more formal alternative1 can make your writing sound more sophisticated2 and credible3. This lesson is a practical guide to upgrading common words to their more powerful, formal equivalents.
From Common to Academic: A Guide to Alternatives
The following table shows simple words and the more formal alternatives you can use to improve your academic writing.
| Instead of this... (Informal) | Try this... (Formal) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| show | indicate, demonstrate, illustrate | The data demonstrates a clear connection between the two factors. |
| get | obtain, receive, acquire | Researchers must obtain consent from all participants. |
| good / bad | positive, beneficial / negative, detrimental | The new law had a beneficial effect on the environment. |
| look at / look into | examine, investigate, analyze | This report will examine the causes of the recent economic changes. |
| a lot of | numerous, many, considerable | There are numerous advantages to this approach. |
| ask | inquire, request | We will inquire about the availability of the documents. |
In Conversation: Editing a Report
Sreyneang and Bora are working on a formal report for their company.
Sreyneang: Bora, can you look at this sentence? "We need to **ask** the marketing team to **get** the numbers that **show** the results." It sounds too simple.
Bora: I agree. Let's make it more formal. Instead of "**ask**," we can say "**request**."
Sreyneang: Good start. What about "**get**"?
Bora: We can upgrade that to "**obtain**." And for "**show**," let's use "**illustrate**."
Sreyneang: So the new sentence is: "We need to **request** that the marketing team **obtain** the data that **illustrates** the results."
Bora: Perfect. It sounds much more professional and credible now.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. Which word is the most formal alternative for "good"?
- a) nice
- b) okay
- c) beneficial
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) beneficial
2. Complete the sentence with the best formal word: "The police will _________ the crime."
- a) look at
- b) investigate
- c) get
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) investigate
3. Which sentence is the most formal?
- a) There are a lot of reasons for this.
- b) There are many reasons for this.
- c) There are numerous reasons for this.
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) There are numerous reasons for this. ('Numerous' is generally considered more formal than 'many' or 'a lot of').
edit Your Mission
- Upgrade Your Sentences: In your notebook, rewrite these sentences using more formal alternatives.
- The study will look into the problem.
- We got good results from the test.
- Paragraph Polish: Read this short paragraph: "We did a survey to find out what people think. The results show that a lot of people are worried. This is a bad sign." Rewrite it in your notebook to make it sound more academic.
- Formal Writing Practice: Write 2-3 formal sentences about the importance of education in Cambodia. Try to use at least two words from the 'Formal' column in the table above.
book Lesson Glossary
- Alternative (noun) - Khmer: ជម្រើស - Something that is different from something else, especially from what is usual, and offering the possibility of choice. ↩
- Sophisticated (adjective) - Khmer: កម្រិតខ្ពស់ - Advanced and showing a high level of development or complexity. ↩
- Credible (adjective) - Khmer: អាចជឿទុកចិត្តបាន - Able to be believed or trusted. ↩