This worksheet helps students practice converting casual phrases into professional business language.

Let's solve this "Formal Language" worksheet step by step.

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Task Overview:

We are given a list of informal statements (1–13) on the left and a list of formal (business-appropriate) versions (A–M) on the right. Our goal is to match each informal statement with its formal equivalent.

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Step-by-Step Matching:

Let’s go through each informal phrase and find the most appropriate formal version.

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#### 1. What do you need?
→ This is direct and casual.
Formal version: "I was wondering if you could let me know your requirements."
✔ Match: D

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#### 2. Thanks for your email.
→ A simple, informal thank-you.
Formal version: "Thank you for your recent email."
✔ Match: G

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#### 3. Sorry, I can’t make it.
→ Informal apology for not attending.
Formal version: "I’m afraid I will not be able to attend."
✔ Match: H

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#### 4. I’m sorry to tell you that...
→ This introduces bad news.
Formal version: "We regret to advise you that..."
✔ Match: M

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#### 5. I promise
→ Strong personal commitment.
Formal version: "I can assure you that..."
✔ Match: B

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#### 6. Could you
→ Polite request.
Formal version: "I would be grateful if you could..."
✔ Match: J

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#### 7. You haven’t
→ Incomplete, but likely part of “You haven’t responded” or similar.
Looking at options:
"We note from our records that you have not..." fits as a formal way to state someone hasn't done something.
✔ Match: C

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#### 8. Don’t forget
→ Direct reminder.
Formal version: "We would like to remind you that..."
✔ Match: F

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#### 9. I need to
→ Direct expression of necessity.
Formal version: "It is necessary for me to..."
✔ Match: L

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#### 10. Shall I
→ Suggesting action.
Formal version: "Would you like me to..."
✔ Match: I

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#### 11. Please could you
→ Polite request.
Same as #6 — best match is "I would be grateful if you could..."
✔ Match: J

Wait — both #6 and #11 are asking for the same thing?

Let’s double-check:

- #6: Could you → matches J: "I would be grateful if you could..."
- #11: Please could you → also matches J, since both are polite requests.

But we can only use each letter once.

Hmm. Let’s look again.

Wait — maybe #11 is better matched with E?

Let’s check E: "I was wondering if you could..."

That’s also a polite way to ask — very common in business English.

So:
- "Could you" → J: "I would be grateful if you could..."
- "Please could you" → E: "I was wondering if you could..."

Both are polite, but "please could you" is more formal than just "could you".

But actually, "I was wondering if you could..." is often used in place of "Could you please..." in formal writing.

And "I would be grateful if you could..." is even more formal.

But both are acceptable.

Let’s compare:

- #6: "Could you" → probably best with J ("I would be grateful...")
- #11: "Please could you" → might still go with J, but then duplicate.

Wait — perhaps #6 and #11 both point to J?

But we must assign unique letters.

Let’s re-express:

- "Could you" → J: "I would be grateful if you could..." ✔
- "Please could you" → E: "I was wondering if you could..." ✔

Yes! Because "I was wondering if you could..." is a softer, more indirect way of asking, which fits well with "Please could you".

So:
- #6 → J
- #11 → E

But wait — earlier we said #1 → D: "I was wondering if you could let me know your requirements."

That uses "I was wondering if you could...", so E is already used?

No — E is: "I was wondering if you could..." — that’s the full phrase.

So #1 is: "What do you need?" → "I was wondering if you could let me know your requirements." → That’s D, not E.

Wait — let’s look at D and E:

- D: "I was wondering if you could let me know your requirements."
- E: "I was wondering if you could..."

Ah! So E is incomplete — it’s just the beginning.

But in the list, all options are complete phrases.

Wait — let’s check the original:

> A. With regard to
> B. I can assure you that
> C. We note from our records that you have not
> D. Please let us know your requirements.
> E. I was wondering if you could
> F. We would like to remind you that
> G. Thank you for your recent email.
> H. I’m afraid I will not be able to attend.
> I. Would you like me to
> J. I would be grateful if you could
> K. Please accept our apologies for
> L. It is necessary for me to
> M. We regret to advise you that

So E is: "I was wondering if you could" — incomplete.

Similarly, A: "With regard to" — also incomplete.

This suggests that some options are phrases that need to be completed.

But the task says: *"Match each informal statement to its formal (business appropriate) version."*

So likely, some formal versions are fragments, but they are meant to be paired with the informal ones.

Let’s re-evaluate.

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Reassessing the Matching

We need to match the meaning, not necessarily the exact wording.

Let’s try again, focusing on meaning.

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1. What do you need?
→ Ask for information politely.
Best formal version: D. Please let us know your requirements.
(Or possibly E, but E is incomplete)
But D is complete and appropriate.
✔ 1 → D

2. Thanks for your email.
→ Appreciation.
G. Thank you for your recent email.
✔ 2 → G

3. Sorry, I can’t make it.
→ Apology for absence.
H. I’m afraid I will not be able to attend.
✔ 3 → H

4. I’m sorry to tell you that...
→ Bad news.
M. We regret to advise you that...
✔ 4 → M

5. I promise
→ Assurance.
B. I can assure you that
✔ 5 → B

6. Could you
→ Request.
J. I would be grateful if you could
✔ 6 → J

7. You haven’t
→ You haven’t done something.
C. We note from our records that you have not
✔ 7 → C

8. Don’t forget
→ Reminder.
F. We would like to remind you that
✔ 8 → F

9. I need to
→ Necessity.
L. It is necessary for me to
✔ 9 → L

10. Shall I
→ Offer to do something.
I. Would you like me to
✔ 10 → I

11. Please could you
→ Polite request.
Now, J is taken by #6.
Is there another option?

Look at E: "I was wondering if you could" — this is a common polite opener.

"Please could you" = "I was wondering if you could..."
So 11 → E

✔ 11 → E

12. I’m sorry for
→ Apology.
K. Please accept our apologies for
✔ 12 → K

13. About
→ Starting a topic.
A. With regard to
✔ 13 → A

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Final Matching:

| Informal | Formal |
|--------|--------|
| 1. What do you need? | D. Please let us know your requirements. |
| 2. Thanks for your email. | G. Thank you for your recent email. |
| 3. Sorry, I can’t make it. | H. I’m afraid I will not be able to attend. |
| 4. I’m sorry to tell you that | M. We regret to advise you that |
| 5. I promise | B. I can assure you that |
| 6. Could you | J. I would be grateful if you could |
| 7. You haven’t | C. We note from our records that you have not |
| 8. Don’t forget | F. We would like to remind you that |
| 9. I need to | L. It is necessary for me to |
| 10. Shall I | I. Would you like me to |
| 11. Please could you | E. I was wondering if you could |
| 12. I’m sorry for | K. Please accept our apologies for |
| 13. About | A. With regard to |

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✔ Answer Key:

```
1. D
2. G
3. H
4. M
5. B
6. J
7. C
8. F
9. L
10. I
11. E
12. K
13. A
```

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Explanation Summary:

- Formal language in business avoids contractions, uses polite expressions, and maintains professionalism.
- Common replacements:
- "Thanks" → "Thank you"
- "Sorry" → "We regret to advise", "Please accept our apologies"
- "Could you" → "I would be grateful if you could" or "I was wondering if you could"
- "I need to" → "It is necessary for me to"
- "Don’t forget" → "We would like to remind you that"
- "What do you need?" → "Please let us know your requirements"
- Fragments like "With regard to" or "I was wondering if you could" are acceptable in formal writing when followed by context.

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✔ This completes the matching exercise correctly.