Day 5 ATI TEAS Formal vs. Informal Language

Term	Definition	TEAS Context
Formal language	Standard English used in academic writing, professional documents, medical records, business correspondence, and official reports. Avoids contractions, slang, colloquialisms, and first-person pronouns (I, we, you) unless necessary.	✅ Required for essays, research papers, nursing care plans, patient handouts, business memos, and professional emails.
Informal language	Casual English used in everyday conversation, personal texts, social media, and diary entries. May include contractions, slang, sentence fragments, and first-person pronouns freely.	❌ Not acceptable in academic or professional writing on the TEAS.

TEAS Rule of Thumb: If a sentence appears in a formal context (essay, report, medical documentation, letter to a professional), it must use formal language. Informal language will be marked as incorrect.

Key Differences: Formal vs. Informal

Feature	Formal	Informal
Contractions	Cannot (not can't)	Can't
Pronouns	One, a person, the patient	You, I, we
Vocabulary	Precise, sophisticated	Simple, vague
Slang	Never	Often (cool, sucks, kinda)
Sentence structure	Complete, complex	Fragments, run-ons allowed
Phrasal verbs	Avoid (investigate vs. check out)	Common (check out, figure out)
Transition words	However, therefore, consequently	But, so, anyway

Formal vs. Informal Examples (TEAS-relevant)

Informal	Formal
The patient was kinda tired.	The patient reported fatigue.
We think the results are weird.	The results appear unusual.
You should take this med with food.	The patient should take this medication with a meal.
The experiment didn't work.	The experiment did not produce the expected results.
Let's figure out what went wrong.	Determine the cause of the discrepancy.
The nurse was super nice.	The nurse demonstrated a professional and compassionate demeanor.
A lot of patients missed appointments.	Numerous patients missed appointments.
The doctor gave the okay.	The physician approved the treatment plan.

How the TEAS Tests Formal vs. Informal Language

The TEAS will present a sentence in a specific context (e.g., a research paper, a nursing note, an email to a supervisor, a patient handout) and ask you to:

Identify whether the language is formal or informal.
Choose the best revision to make informal language formal.
Recognize which sentence is appropriate for a given professional setting.

✍ Practice Questions: Formal vs. Informal for ATI TEAS

Questions 1–5: Identifying Formal vs. Informal

Question 1

Which of the following sentences is written in formal language suitable for a research paper?

A) The results were pretty surprising, honestly.
B) We kinda think the data is off.
C) The findings deviate significantly from the original hypothesis.
D) It looks like something went wrong with the experiment.

Answer: C – Uses precise vocabulary (“deviate significantly,” “original hypothesis”) with no slang or informality.

Question 2

A nurse writes in a patient chart: “The patient seems kinda confused about the discharge instructions.”

Which word makes this sentence informal and inappropriate for medical documentation?

A) seems
B) confused
C) discharge
D) kinda

Answer: D – “Kinda” (kind of) is informal. The sentence should read “seems somewhat confused” or “appears confused.”

Question 3

Which sentence would be inappropriate for a formal business memo?

A) All staff must complete the training by Friday.
B) Please submit your timesheets to payroll by noon.
C) We need to get this done ASAP, so don't slack off.
D) The quarterly meeting has been rescheduled to March 5th.

Answer: C – “ASAP,” “don’t,” and “slack off” are all informal for a business memo. Formal: “This must be completed promptly.”

Question 4

Read the sentence from a patient education handout:
“You should call your doctor if you feel worse.”

Which of the following best evaluates the formality of this sentence?

A) Too formal — patients prefer casual language
B) Appropriate — patient education often uses “you” for clarity
C) Inappropriate — should use passive voice only
D) Slang — should be removed

Answer: B – Patient education materials often use second-person (“you”) for direct, clear instructions. This is acceptable and not considered informal in that specific context.

TEAS Tip: Context matters! “You” is fine for patient handouts but not for research papers.

Question 5

Which of the following is a feature of informal language?

A) Complete sentences
B) Precise vocabulary
C) Contractions (e.g., don't, can't, won't)
D) Third-person pronouns

Answer: C – Contractions are a hallmark of informal language. Formal writing spells them out (do not, cannot, will not).

Questions 6–10: Revising Informal to Formal

Question 6

Revise the following sentence for a formal nursing report:
“The patient didn't want to get out of bed.”

Which revision is most appropriate?

A) The patient refused to get out of bed.
B) The patient didn't want to get out of bed at all.
C) The patient kinda didn't want to get up.
D) The patient was like, no way, to getting up.

Answer: A – “Refused” is precise, professional, and eliminates the contraction “didn’t.”

Question 7

A student writes in an academic essay: “A lot of studies show that sleep affects memory.”

Which replacement is most formal?

A) Lots of
B) Numerous
C) A bunch of
D) Plenty of

Answer: B – “Numerous” is formal. “A lot of,” “lots of,” “a bunch of,” and “plenty of” are all informal.

Question 8

Read the sentence from a research proposal:
“We think this treatment might work better than the old one.”

Which revision is most formal?

A) We believe this treatment may be more effective than the previous one.
B) This treatment is probably better than the old one.
C) Researchers hypothesize this treatment may be more effective than the previous one.
D) We guess this treatment could work better.

Answer: C – Removes first-person (“we”), uses “hypothesize,” and replaces “might work better” with “may be more effective.”

Question 9

Which of the following is the most formal version of this sentence?
“The nurse checked out the patient’s wound.”

A) The nurse looked at the patient’s wound.
B) The nurse examined the patient’s wound.
C) The nurse took a peek at the patient’s wound.
D) The nurse inspected the patient’s wound.

Answer: B or D – Both “examined” and “inspected” are formal. “Checked out” is an informal phrasal verb. Option C (“took a peek”) is also informal.

Question 10

A physician writes in a discharge summary:
“The patient is doing great and can go home.”

Which revision is most appropriate for medical documentation?

A) The patient is doing great and can be discharged.
B) The patient is awesome and ready for discharge.
C) The patient is stable and approved for discharge.
D) The patient is super and going home.

Answer: C – “Stable” is precise medical terminology. “Doing great” is informal.

Bonus: Mixed Practice (5 Questions)

Question 11

Which sentence is appropriate for a formal lab report?

A) We got weird results that didn't match our guess.
B) The data were inconsistent with the predicted outcomes.
C) The experiment kinda failed, so we re-did it.
D) Something was totally off with the measurements.

Answer: B

Question 12

A nurse tells a colleague: “Room 212 is super stable right now.” In a formal chart note, this should be written as:

A) Room 212 is super stable.
B) Room 212 is totally stable.
C) Room 212 is very stable.
D) Room 212 is stable.

Answer: D – “Stable” alone is sufficient. “Super” and “very” are unnecessary and informal.

Question 13

Which of the following is not a feature of formal language?

A) Third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they)
B) Complete sentences
C) Slang and contractions
D) Precise vocabulary

Answer: C

Question 14

Revise for a professional email: “Thanks for getting back to me about the schedule.”

A) Thanks for the schedule info.
B) Thank you for your prompt response regarding the schedule.
C) Appreciate you getting back to me on the schedule.
D) Thanks for responding about the schedule.

Answer: B

Question 15

Which sentence uses informal language in a way that would be unacceptable in a nursing care plan?

A) The patient ambulated 50 feet with a walker.
B) The patient's pain was 4/10 at rest.
C) The patient was super tired after physical therapy.
D) The patient tolerated breakfast without nausea.

Answer: C – “Super tired” is informal. Use “fatigued” or “reported significant fatigue.”

ATI TEAS 7 Practice Test: Knowledge of Language

(25 questions – mixed topics)

Questions 1–5: Slang

Question 1

A nursing student writes in a reflection: “The patient was super chill during the blood draw.”

Which revision is most appropriate for a professional clinical note?

A) The patient was super calm during the blood draw.
B) The patient was chill during the blood draw.
C) The patient remained calm during the blood draw.
D) The patient was totally relaxed during the blood draw.

Answer: C – “Super chill” is slang. “Remained calm” is professional and neutral.

Question 2

Which sentence contains slang inappropriate for a formal research paper?

A) The results were inconsistent with the hypothesis.
B) The control group showed no significant change.
C) The experimental data was total garbage.
D) Data were collected over a six-month period.

Answer: C – “Total garbage” is slang meaning “worthless” or “invalid.”

Question 3

Read the sentence from a patient education handout:
“If you start feeling weird, call your doctor.”

Which best replaces the slang while maintaining clarity?

A) feeling anxious
B) feeling unusual symptoms
C) feeling happy
D) feeling tired

Answer: B – “Feeling weird” is vague slang. “Feeling unusual symptoms” is clear and appropriate.

Question 4

A nurse says in a handoff: “The patient in 302 crashed at 0200 but is stable now.”

In this context, “crashed” is:

A) Slang — inappropriate for medical communication
B) Standard medical terminology meaning sudden deterioration
C) Redundant phrasing
D) A transition word

Answer: B – In medical settings, “crashed” is accepted shorthand for sudden deterioration or arrest.

Question 5

Which of the following is slang?

A) Cannot
B) Going to
C) Gonna
D) Will not

Answer: C – “Gonna” is slang for “going to.”

Questions 6–10: Formal vs. Informal Language

Question 6

Which sentence is appropriate for a formal business memo?

A) We need to get this done ASAP.
B) Please complete this task by Friday, March 10th.
C) Hey team, let’s knock this out quick.
D) This thing is due Friday, so don’t forget.

Answer: B – This is professional and clear. The others use informal language (“ASAP,” “hey,” “knock this out,” “don’t forget”).

Question 7

Revise the following for a nursing care plan:
“The patient didn't want to take her meds.”

A) The patient refused to take her medications.
B) The patient didn't want to take her medications at all.
C) The patient was like, no way, to her meds.
D) The patient kinda didn't want her meds.

Answer: A – “Refused” is precise and professional, and the contraction “didn’t” is removed.

Question 8

Which sentence uses formal language?

A) The results were pretty surprising.
B) A lot of patients missed their appointments.
C) Numerous patients failed to attend scheduled appointments.
D) The data seems kinda off to me.

Answer: C – “Numerous” and “failed to attend scheduled appointments” are formal. The others use informal words (“pretty,” “a lot of,” “kinda”).

Question 9

A student writes in an academic essay: “I think that social media has a bunch of negative effects.”

Which revision is most formal?

A) I believe social media has many negative effects.
B) Social media has lots of negative effects.
C) Research suggests that social media has numerous negative effects.
D) Social media, like, has a ton of bad effects.

Answer: C – Removes first-person (“I think”), uses “research suggests,” and replaces “a bunch of” with “numerous.”

Question 10

Which of the following is a feature of informal language?

A) Third-person pronouns
B) Contractions (e.g., don’t, can’t)
C) Precise vocabulary
D) Complete sentences

Answer: B – Contractions are a hallmark of informal language.

Questions 11–13: Redundancy

Question 11

The nurse asked the patient to repeat again the instructions.

Which corrects the redundancy?

A) repeat again once more
B) repeat
C) repeat a second time
D) again repeat

Answer: B – “Repeat” already means to say again.

Question 12

Which sentence contains a redundancy?

A) The two twins looked identical.
B) The patient was discharged home.
C) The lab results were abnormal.
D) The doctor wrote a prescription.

Answer: A – “Twins” are two people by definition, so “two” is redundant.

Question 13

The final conclusion of the study was published in a medical journal.

Which word is redundant?

A) final
B) conclusion
C) published
D) medical

Answer: A – A conclusion is inherently final.

Questions 14–16: Tone

Question 14

Which sentence is most appropriate for a formal research proposal?

A) This whole experiment thing is kinda cool.
B) We think our idea is probably right.
C) The proposed study will examine the correlation between sleep and cognition.
D) Honestly, nobody has really looked into this before, which is wild.

Answer: C – Formal, objective, and precise.

Question 15

Read the sentence from a patient handout:
“If you forget your meds, don’t freak out — just take them when you remember.”

Which revision maintains clarity with a more professional tone?

A) If you forget your meds, don’t panic — just take them when you remember.
B) If you miss a dose, do not panic — take it as soon as you remember.
C) If you forget, chill out and take it later.
D) Forgetting meds is bad. Take them.

Answer: B – Removes contraction (“don’t” → “do not”), replaces slang (“freak out” → “panic”), and uses precise language (“miss a dose”).

Question 16

Which sentence has an inappropriately casual tone for a nursing report?

A) The patient ambulated to the bathroom with assistance.
B) The patient denied chest pain overnight.
C) The patient was super tired after therapy.
D) The patient’s vitals were stable at 0600.

Answer: C – “Super tired” is too casual. Use “fatigued” or “reported exhaustion.”

Questions 17–19: Transition Words

Question 17

The patient took the medication as prescribed; ______, her symptoms improved within 24 hours.

A) however
B) consequently
C) for example
D) otherwise

Answer: B – “Consequently” shows cause and effect.

Question 18

The first treatment was ineffective; ______, the physician ordered a different approach.

A) therefore
B) in contrast
C) similarly
D) for instance

Answer: A – “Therefore” indicates a logical result.

Question 19

The patient’s blood pressure decreased; ______, her heart rate remained elevated.

A) in addition
B) for example
C) however
D) consequently

Answer: C – “However” contrasts the decreased BP with the elevated heart rate.

Questions 20–22: Topic Sentences

Question 20

Which sentence would be the best topic sentence for a paragraph about the benefits of handwashing?

A) Soap was first used for cleaning skin around 2800 BCE.
B) Handwashing with soap removes bacteria and viruses effectively.
C) Many hospitals have hand hygiene stations at every entrance.
D) Some people forget to wash their hands before eating.

Answer: B – This introduces the main idea (benefits of handwashing).

Question 21

Read the paragraph below:

(1) Regular exercise strengthens the heart.
(2) It also helps control blood sugar.
(3) Weight-bearing exercises improve bone density.
(4) Many people prefer evening workouts.

Which sentence is out of place?

A) Sentence 1
B) Sentence 2
C) Sentence 3
D) Sentence 4

Answer: D – Sentence 4 is unrelated to physiological benefits.

Question 22

“Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions in modern medicine.”

This sentence serves as a:

A) Supporting detail
B) Topic sentence
C) Transition sentence
D) Conclusion

Answer: B – It introduces the main idea of the paragraph.

Questions 23–25: Thesis Statements

Question 23

Which of the following is a strong thesis statement?

A) This paper will discuss the pros and cons of mandatory vaccination.
B) Mandatory vaccination policies protect public health, prevent outbreaks, and save lives.
C) Vaccines are shots that prevent diseases.
D) There are many things to consider about vaccination.

Answer: B – Clear, arguable claim with supporting points.

Question 24

Which sentence is too vague to serve as an effective thesis statement?

A) Requiring helmets for cyclists reduces head injuries and saves healthcare costs.
B) Social media has changed communication in several ways.
C) The Affordable Care Act increased insurance coverage between 2014 and 2016.
D) Free community college would increase access while reducing student debt.

Answer: B – “Several ways” is vague.

Question 25

A student writes: “In this essay, I will explain why exercise is important.”

Which revision is an effective thesis statement?

A) Exercise is important for many reasons.
B) Have you ever thought about why exercise matters?
C) Regular exercise improves cardiovascular health, reduces stress, and supports weight management.
D) Exercise is when you move your body to get fit.

Answer: C – Replaces announcement with a specific, arguable claim.

Study With BR Sir

Sunday, 3 May 2026

Day 5 ATI TEAS Formal vs. Informal Language