Formal/Informal
Writing Style
Random
Main Idea
Key Details or Main Idea
100

Formal or Informal?

"whatsup"


Informal

100

This type of writing communicates information to the reader to share knowledge or to convey messages, instructions, and ideas.

What is expository writing?

100

What is a single strand of spaghetti called?

Spaghetto

100

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.

Being a rodeo clown can actually be very dangerous.


100


Dolphins are mammals.



Main Idea

200

Formal or informal:

"It has been brought to my attention..."

Formal

200

What type of writing is the following prompt from Oliver Twist:

""Not having a very clearly defined notion of what a live board was, Oliver was rather astounded by this intelligence, and was not quite certain whether he ought to laugh or cry. He had no time to think about the matter, however; for Mr. Bumble gave him a tap on the head to wake him up, and another on the back to make him lively, and bidding him follow, conducted him into a large whitewashed room where eight or ten fat gentlemen were sitting round a table, at the top of which, seated in an armchair rather higher than the rest, was a particularly fat gentleman with a very round, red face." 

Narrative Writing

200

Which singer's real name is Robyn Fenty?

Rihanna

200

If cotton candy had a list of ingredients on the side of the bag, it would be a very short list. Sugar and food coloring would be the only two things on it. So, how does sugar become the fluffy treat that we know as cotton candy? The process starts with a small amount of colored sugar spinning in the head of the machine. The sugar is heated until it melts. Then it is squeezed out through tiny holes in the spinning head. The melted sugar becomes solid and is caught in a larger bowl that surrounds the spinning head. The product builds up in the bowl. The person running the machine should twirl a stick to gather the sugared strands. You may not have a cotton candy machine lying around your house, but you probably have all the ingredients to make it!

Making cotton candy is quite easy, and it does not require many ingredients.


200

Dog's have 300 million receptors in their nose, making their sense of smell 100,000 times more sensitive than humans.

Key Detail

300

Writing short sentences is an example of..

Informal language

300

Writing that should have no bias (no opinion)

Expository writing

300

By U.S. law, exit signs must be one of what two colors?

Green or red

300

It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to the production of Tootsie Rolls. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry’s staple product: chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!

The candies that are the most popular in the US are candy corn, Tootsie Rolls, and chocolate.

300

Some dogs are incredible swimmers.

Main Idea

400

Not using exclamation marks is an example of using

Formal Language

400
  • how-to/instructional articles
  • news writing/journalism
  • recipes
  • scientific reports

These are examples of...

Expository Writing

400

Where do U.S. vice presidents live?

on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory

400

The brain is the most complicated system in the human body. The brain is separated into two hemispheres or halves. From front to back, the brain is further divided into three parts: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain. The forebrain is where most reasoning, thinking, and emotional activity occur. It is also where most memories are stored. The midbrain controls reflexes and processes sensory information (sight, touch, taste, etc.) The hindbrain processes basic survival functions, like breathing and maintaining a heartbeat. The brain is truly the most amazing system in the human body.


The brain is an amazing system in the human body.



400

Greyhounds run at speeds in excess of 35 mph for up to 7 miles.

Key detail

500

Which is an example of informal language?

This shows that.../ This demonstrates...

This shows that..

500
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Persuasive Writing

500

What was the name of the high school in "Grease"?

Rydell High... duh

500

There are many types of deadly venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Male platypus carry a venom mixture in their ankles. This venom incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses electroreception. That means that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey. Electroreception is a sixth sense, different from seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. What an odd creature indeed.


The platypus is an odd creature.



500

Dogs have sensitive senses.



Main Idea