Formal vs. Informal
My mom was like, "If you applied yourself to your reading the same way you do to your science classes, you could have an A."
"Like" is a conversational or colloquial phrase
Lady Gaga's latest single is a club banger that absolutely slaps.
These slang terms are informal and may not be known to your reader (just ask Dr. Rohrer's friend, who does not know what "slaps" means).
Congressmen are in recess until September.
Use gender inclusive language
Kansas Wesleyan University students come from many states around the country, particularly Kansas, California, Texas, and Colorado.
This sentence has an appropriate level of specificity.
When asked about earthquake preparedness, Mayor Kim said the city has more work to do.
An appropriate level of formality for an academic essay or article.
When I was in middle school, every student had to read books for AR.
"AR" could be considered jargon - specialized vocabulary known only by members of a certain profession or organization.
Professional wrestling fans are uneducated.
Writers should avoid stereotypes like this, which are often based on half-truths and suggest intolerance and (possibly) bigotry. Also, this statement is so general as to be inaccurate!
When I was studying language arts in high school, there were many things that caused me to struggle.
"Things" is too vague a word.
When you understand the impact of cigarette smoking on your health, you will realize that quitting is the best choice if you want to live longer.
Second person pronouns in writing read as informal and conversational. Also, who is the "you" you're referring to?
Women in ads are depicted to be much more conscious of their appearance as they are distinctively the focal point, dignifying a different set of values such as flamboyancy from that of their male-counterpart.
The writer has chosen to use so many unnecessarily big, stuffy words that their writing sounds pompous and is completely impenetrable!
Black Americans celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday which commemorates the end of slavery in America.
Notwithstanding nightmarish images of out-of-control flatware, livestock run amok, and colliding tubas disturbing the peace and quiet of Tecumseh, the great majority of students the School District seeks to test in truth are engaged in activities that are not safety sensitive to an unusual degree.
This is some extremely interesting writing, but isn't terribly clear. Maybe this writer could tone it down just a bit.
The tiger (the largest of the cat species) is the third largest land carnivore.
Appropriate level of formality.
The business finally went belly up after years of financial struggles.
"Belly up" is a colloquial expression that may not be clear to all readers.
Congresswoman Sharice Davids of Kansas is a Native American.
It is most appropriate to refer to indigenous peoples by the specific name of their tribe/nation. This would apply to any subject whose country of origin is known to the writer.
I drove to Dillon's, turning right onto Ohio, passing Belmont, Albert, and Parkwood before turning right onto Cloud. I parked my silver Ford Focus in the third row to the left, then entered the far left door and grabbed a small cart from the fifth row of carts.
This is too specific and this level of specificity seems unnecessary.
The Emperor Penguin has been hot in the news and even the box office. If you’re not sure what this lordly penguin looks like, it has a black head, bright-yellow spots around the ears, and a big ol’ white belly.
Very conversational and informal in tone.
There was a great deal of synergy and cross promotion between the two subsidiary companies.
This sentence is full of business jargon.
There are 12 men and 15 females in class.
"Females" is an adjective and can be considered dehumanizing when used as a noun.
Albert Einstein was considered a genius in several disciplines.
Too vague. What disciplines consider him to be a genius?