Formality

There are three accepted levels of formality. The three levels are informal, moderately formal, and highly formal. The audience your writing is directed towards determines the level of formality. Writing a letter to the Dean of Students requires a higher level of formality than writing a letter to a friend. Also, subject matter can affect the level of formality required. Subjects that are serious require a higher level of formality. The purpose also affects how formal your writing needs to be. If you are writing a newsletter, there is more leeway for informal writing. However, writing for a peer reviewed journal requires a high level of formality. If there is a question, err of the side of formality. Informal writing has a tendency