Make Writing Sound Formal
Using Artificial Intelligence

There is a significant difference between writing an email to a colleague and writing an academic thesis or a legal contract. While "professional" writing is about efficiency and politeness, "formal" writing is about precision, objectivity, and adherence to standard conventions.

Formal writing leaves no room for ambiguity or casual slang. It requires a specific set of rules that can be difficult to maintain consistently. Fortunately, AI tools are excellent at enforcing these strict parameters.

Here are the essential changes AI makes to transform everyday text into formal prose.

1. Eliminate All Contractions

The quickest way to spot casual writing is the presence of contractions. In formal writing, we do not shorten words. We write them out fully to ensure maximum clarity and gravity.

2. Elevate General Vocabulary

Formal writing avoids "general" words like bad, good, big, or get. These words are too vague for academic or technical contexts. AI paraphrasers are programmed to swap these out for more precise alternatives.

3. Maintain Objectivity (Third Person)

In academic and scientific writing, the focus must remain on the data and the findings, not the author. AI tools help remove first-person pronouns ("I", "We", "My") to create an objective, third-person perspective.

4. Avoid Idioms and Clichés

Idioms like "ballpark figure," "on the same page," or "cut corners" are cultural shorthand. They do not belong in formal documents because they can be misinterpreted by international audiences and lack precision. Formal writing says exactly what it means.

• Instead of "in a nutshell," say "in summary."
• Instead of "bottom line," say "ultimate outcome" or "financial result."
• Instead of "keep an eye on," say "monitor."

Conclusion

Formal writing is about discipline. It requires stripping away the casual habits of speech—contractions, slang, and personal opinions—to leave behind a polished, authoritative text.