English Formal Writing Quiz

In formal writing what do you never use?

"you", instead use specific plural nouns and third person pronouns

What are first person pronouns?

(I, me, my, we, us)

What are contractions?

(aren't, don't, they're) Spell them out.

What are second person pronouns?

(you, yours)

What do you do when using plural pronouns?

Be specific to the situation in which the sentence is talking about. don't use over generic plural pronouns like people or everybody.

It is okay to do this, but it is wordy?

Using the phrase he or she, instead use their or they.

When is it okay to use first person pronouns?

When using personal anecdotes as examples or when writing a personal narrative.

What is formal writing?

abides by the rules of grammar and usage and finds a home in academic and professional writing.

The word that a pronoun refers to is called its...

antecedent

What other 4 rules in formal writing should you not do?

avoid using he or she phrase, don't write the reason is because, don't use the repetitive because statement, don't use the word a lot.

What is dangerous when using the pronoun "one"

becomes distracting and very repetitive, fine if its just one time.

What are the 4 rules of what not to use in formal writing?

don't use first person pronouns, don't use second- person pronouns, don't use contractions, don't use slang or colloquialisms.

What are example of formal writing situations?

essays and research papers

What does it mean when a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender?

it means that the antecedent should be the same gender and number as the pronoun. For Example- if the pronoun is Sean then the antecedent has to agree in gender which would be his(masculine pronouns) unlike her which is feminine and number, his is singular unlike their or our which is plural.

What are example of informal writing?

journal entries, emails and notes

What do you replace second person pronouns with?

plural nouns that are relevant to the context of the sentence.

Rather than using "one" or "you", you should rely on...Why?

specific plural nouns and third person pronouns. adds a specific element to the sentence and takes away the repetitiveness and boringness.

What do plural pronouns(people/athletes) prevent?

the use of second person and eliminate the need for the phrases like he or she and him or her.

What is the solution to a sentence using he or she phrasing?

use plural nouns(they) and (them) and the corresponding third-person pronouns.

Why don't you use "the reason is because"?

very repetitive, replace "the reason is" with just because.

When do you only use second person?

when the purpose of the formal writing piece is to provide directions or instructions

What is slang/colloquialisms?

words or expressions that are not academic or professional, (messed up, people are mental, hit the roof)

What is the dirty truth about "you"

you can't avoid using it again and again and again