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Formal and Informal English is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on choosing the register a situation calls for, aligned to Common Core standard SL.4.6. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 10 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Formal and Informal English

SL.4.6

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.Why does a report avoid "I"?
  • A.Because "I" is misspelled easily
  • B.Because reports must be long
  • C.Because it presents the events rather than one person's experience
2.Which belongs in dialogue between friends?
  • A.You are exhibiting excessive concern.
  • B.Your concern is disproportionate.
  • C.You're making a fuss.
3.Which belongs in a formal report?
  • A.Loads of them had sorted it.
  • B.Eleven of fourteen households had prepared.
  • C.Most people, like, moved stuff.
4.Which situation is fine for informal English?
  • A.Telling a joke to a friend on the playground
  • B.Writing a letter to the mayor
  • C.Reading the news on the school radio
5.Why do people switch between formal and informal English?
  • A.Informal English is always wrong
  • B.Different listeners and situations expect different ways of speaking
  • C.Formal English is only for adults
6.Which is the polite, formal way to ask a librarian for help?
  • A.Hey, where's the volcano stuff?
  • B.Volcano books. Where?
  • C.Excuse me, could you help me find a book about volcanoes?
7.Which is the formal way to say "Thanks a bunch!"?
  • A.Thanks loads!
  • B.Thx!
  • C.Thank you very much.
8.Which sentence is too informal for a class presentation?
  • A.Some volcanoes have not erupted for thousands of years.
  • B.Volcanoes form where plates in the Earth's crust meet.
  • C.So yeah, volcanoes are, like, totally wild.

LessonPrint · SL.4.6 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Formal and Informal English

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Because it presents the events rather than one person's experience
  2. 2.You're making a fuss.
  3. 3.Eleven of fourteen households had prepared.
  4. 4.Telling a joke to a friend on the playground
  5. 5.Different listeners and situations expect different ways of speaking
  6. 6.Excuse me, could you help me find a book about volcanoes?
  7. 7.Thank you very much.
  8. 8.So yeah, volcanoes are, like, totally wild.

More practice for SL.4.6

Tell when to use formal English and when informal is fine.

Teaching this next? Formal and Informal Situations is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 4 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to SL.4.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.