Formal English is used in, for example, books, official documents, news reports, business letters or official speeches. In general, informal spoken English contains a number of colloquialisms or conversational expressions that are inappropriate for formal written English. In the case of speaking, formal English is usually only used for official or serious occasions and for the hospitality careers like hotel receptionists and a restaurant hosts or hostesses, they may need to use formal expressions when speaking to guests to show respect. As with any other aspect, you need to be careful about using informal expressions with people who you do not know well or whose rank or status is higher than yours.
Some differences between formal and informal expressions are as follows:
Expressions in English
| Formal expressions | Less formal expressions |
Good morning, (sir/ma’am). |
Hello |
Of course, after the greeting, the dialog must be continued, and what is said then depends on the situation. When interacting with guests or customers, that continued interaction usually involves determining what the guest/customer wants or needs. A couple of standards that can be used in the hotel industry and the restaurants are as follows:
How can I help you today, ma’am (sir)?
Can I be of assistance?
How may I assist you?
May I assist you with anything?
What can I do for you today?
Notice that "Would like" is the polite form used when asking and requesting. For example, “What would you like, sir (or madam)?”
Formal titles:
The use of formal titles in business situations is very important. To get someone's attention you can say: "Excuse me, sir." or "Pardon me, madam/ma'am." To greet someone you can say: "Hello, sir." or "Good morning, madam/ma'am." The phrase, ‘Yes, sir!’ (or "Yes, madam/ma'am!") is considered to show the formal response to the people we are talking to. Please see the following examples of formal expressions used for making requests.
Guest: Could I have another order of garlic toast?
Waiter: Yes sir, I’ll take care of that right away.
Guest: I would like extra soap and shampoo left in the room.
Hotel receptionist: Certainly sir, I’ll attend to that immediately.
Guest: Would it be possible to get a two-minute boiled egg?
Waiter: Of course, ma’am. I’ll be back with that item in a few minutes.
Guest: Instead of herbal tea, do you happen to have Earl Grey?
Waiter: I’m sorry ma’am, but herbal tea is all we have at the moment.