What changes in the formal register
In formal writing—a research article, report, official letter, or application—English sounds more restrained than in conversation. Two of the most noticeable conversational features that are easy to edit are apostrophe contractions (don't, it's, we'll) and phrasal verbs (find out, put off, look into).
This is a matter of style, not automatic correctness. Some academic genres and editorial requirements prefer full forms; others allow contractions. Phrasal verbs also vary in register: carry out, point out, and set out are common in formal writing.
The rule applies “where possible”: not every verb with a particle should be changed mechanically, and contractions can be appropriate (in a quotation or personal message). The goal is therefore to choose a form according to the reader and genre, not to substitute words according to a table.
The department did not receive the funding it had requested.
The department did not receive the funding it had requested.
The department did not receive the funding it had requested.
Researchers discovered that the compound degrades at high temperatures.
Did not instead of didn't; the rest of the sentence is already neutral, so nothing else needs to be changed.
Researchers discovered that the compound degrades at high temperatures.
I cannot attend the hearing on 12 May.
Researchers discovered that the compound degrades at high temperatures.
Discovered replaces the conversational found out; the one-word verb sounds more formal and concise.
I cannot attend the hearing on 12 May.
I cannot attend the hearing on 12 May.
Cannot is the full form instead of can't; it is written as one word.
Contractions: what to expand
Negative contractions are easy to expand: do not, does not, did not, is not, has not, would not, should not, must not. Special cases are won't (the full form is will not, not “willn't”) and can't (cannot, written as one word).
Contractions with pronouns are expanded according to their meaning: I'm → I am, we're → we are, they've → they have, we'll → we will. In formal writing, let's becomes let us.
We have collected the samples and will publish the results in June.
The contraction ’s can mean is or has, while ’d can mean had or would. Check both the verb form and the context: she’s ready → she is ready; they’d finished → they had finished. She’s gone can mean she has gone or she is gone, depending on the meaning. In should’ve, ’ve always corresponds to have, not of.
The possessive 's (the committee's decision) is not a contraction: do not expand it.
Let us now consider the second objection.
n't → not | 've → have | 'll → will | 'd → had / would | 's → is / has (but a possessive 's remains unchanged)
We have collected the samples and will publish the results in June.
The test results should have been verified before publication.
We have collected the samples and will publish the results in June.
We've → we have has been expanded; will is already in its full form.
She has already submitted the form.
Let us now consider the second objection.
Let us now consider the second objection.
Let's → let us; consider is a one-word verb, so no second replacement is needed.
The test results should have been verified before publication.
The test results should have been verified before publication.
Should've → should have; after a modal verb, the form is always have, not of.
She has already submitted the form.
She has already submitted the form.
The ministry will examine the proposal before the end of the term.
Here 's would be has because it is followed by the past participle submitted.
Phrasal verbs and their formal equivalents
The board has deferred its decision until further evidence becomes available.
Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a particle, for example find out or put off. Many of them are common in conversation, but formal writing does not require every one to be replaced by a one-word equivalent. Replacement is useful when it makes the meaning or tone more appropriate.
Typical equivalents: find out → discover, determine, establish; put off → postpone, defer; give up → abandon; look into → investigate, examine; turn down → reject, decline; bring about → cause; go up → rise, increase; put up with → tolerate; point out → indicate.
Waiting times rose sharply after the reform.
The choice depends on the meaning. Find out meaning “discover by chance” is discover; meaning “determine as a result of checking” is determine or establish. So learn meanings in context, not just pairs of words.
Not every combination needs to be changed. Established expressions such as consist of and be based on are common in academic writing and are not considered conversational errors. Carry out also occurs in academic texts, although conduct often sounds more precise, so it is not considered an error in exercises.
The analysts established that the error originated in the software.
find out → discover / determine / establish | put off → postpone / defer | give up → abandon | look into → investigate / examine
The ministry will examine the proposal before the end of the term.
The ministry will examine the proposal before the end of the term.
Examine is a formal equivalent of look into; the particle into is no longer present.
The board has deferred its decision until further evidence becomes available.
The board has deferred its decision until further evidence becomes available.
International students constitute roughly a third of the cohort.
Deferred is an equivalent of put off; the meaning “move to a later time” has been preserved.
Waiting times rose sharply after the reform.
The authors abandoned the pilot design after the first trial.
Waiting times rose sharply after the reform.
Rose replaces went up; the verb rose does not need an additional particle.
The firm ceased production of the older model in 2019.
The analysts established that the error originated in the software.
The analysts established that the error originated in the software.
The committee raised the issue of data protection at the first meeting.
Establish that is a formal alternative to find out that when the source has been identified through checking.
One phrasal verb—several meanings
The engineers installed a second sensor.
Give up, set up, bring up, and make up have several meanings. This does not automatically make them imprecise: the context is often clear. If a replacement is needed, identify the meaning of the whole expression.
Give up a plan → abandon a plan; give up control → relinquish control. Set up an organisation → establish an organisation; set up equipment can mean install or configure. Bring up an issue → raise an issue. Make up part of a whole → constitute; make up a story → invent; make up for a loss → compensate for a loss. When it means compensation, the expression must be make up for.
A practical rule: first identify the meaning of the expression, such as “stop,” “install,” or “raise an issue,” and then look for the one-word equivalent for that meaning.
International students constitute roughly a third of the cohort.
International students constitute roughly a third of the cohort.
Make up meaning “form part of a whole” → constitute.
The agency is investigating the incident.
The authors abandoned the pilot design after the first trial.
The authors abandoned the pilot design after the first trial.
The proposal was rejected by the committee.
Give up a plan or project → abandon.
The firm ceased production of the older model in 2019.
Several teams participated in the trial.
The firm ceased production of the older model in 2019.
For stopping an activity or practice, cease is suitable, not abandon.
The panel devised a new scoring method.
The committee raised the issue of data protection at the first meeting.
The committee raised the issue of data protection at the first meeting.
Bring up a topic → raise; the same expression, bring up, used for a child would be rear.
The engineers installed a second sensor.
The engineers installed a second sensor.
Set up equipment → install; set up an organisation → establish.
Grammar after replacement
In the interview, the manager said, "We don't have final figures yet."
The new verb has its own pattern. Investigate the incident and discover the cause do not need the into from look into or the out from find out. However, not all one-word verbs are transitive: participate, for example, retains in. Check the specific word.
The grammatical form is preserved: put off → postponed in the past tense, was put off → was postponed in the passive, are putting off → are postponing. The replacement changes the word, not the tense or voice.
The committee's recommendations were published in May.
Sometimes the word pattern also changes: find out that → establish that or discover that; deal with the issue → address the issue; come up with a plan → devise a plan. Keep a preposition only where the new verb requires it: take part in → participate in.
The agency is investigating the incident.
The panel consists of six independent experts.
The agency is investigating the incident.
Is looking into → is investigating; the particle into has disappeared, while the Present Continuous form is preserved.
The proposal was rejected by the committee.
The proposal was rejected by the committee.
Was turned down by → was rejected by; the passive is preserved.
Several teams participated in the trial.
The results were not clear, so the team postponed the announcement.
Several teams participated in the trial.
Took part in → participated in; the preposition in remains because participate requires it.
The laboratory could not continue and abandoned the project.
The panel devised a new scoring method.
The panel devised a new scoring method.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:The inspectors will investigate into the incident.
Correct:The inspectors will investigate the incident.
Came up with → devised; with disappears together with the phrasal verb.
Incorrect:The figures should of been checked before the report was sent.
Correct:The figures should have been checked before the report was sent.
When to leave the form unchanged
Incorrect:The ministry is decision was announced on Friday.
Correct:The ministry's decision was announced on Friday.
A quotation is reproduced word for word: if someone said don't, don't remains inside the quotation marks. Titles and established texts are reproduced in the same way. A reviewer who corrects a respondent's speech distorts the source.
Incorrect:The team could not discover out the cause.
Correct:The team could not discover the cause.
The possessive 's (the committee's recommendations) is not a contraction, so it is left unchanged. Expanding it as is is a typical case of hypercorrection.
Incorrect:The device do not meet the safety standard.
Correct:The device does not meet the safety standard.
Established combinations (consist of, be based on) do not need to be replaced: accuracy should not be sacrificed for the sake of a rare word. The best replacement is one that preserves the meaning and does not make the text artificially difficult.