Use this cheat sheet to recognize things to avoid when writing formal documents. Avoid Replace with The ampersand symbol: & The word “and” Yeah Yes Slang words and colloquialisms, such as “cool” and “dude” (see additional colloquialisms cheat sheet below) More formal language Contractions, e.g. “can’t,” “don’t,” “won’t,” etc. The words’ full forms: “cannot” for “can’t,” “do not” for “don’t” Personal pronouns: “You should sleep eight hours each night”; “I think Professor James is correct.” Impersonal pronouns: “One should sleep eight hours each night”; “Professor James is correct.” Starting a sentence with coordinating conjunctions (“and,” “so,” “but,” “or”) Compound sentences or transitional adverbs, such as “additionally,” “therefore,” “alternatively,” and “nevertheless” Clichés or overused phrases (“as strong as an ox,” “as pretty as a picture,” “bought for a song,” etc.) Literal descriptions Starting a letter or document by giving commands or telling what the paper will discuss (“This paper is going to talk about global warming.”) An intro to your topic: “Global warming can now be described as a 21st century problem.” Vague words, such as “a few,” “enough,” or “a little” More specific descriptions. How many is a few, or how much is enough? Colloquial Word/Phrase More Formal Alternative Anybody Anyone Because As Big Large or great Fellow Person For sure With certainty Get Receive; understand (depending on usage) Got Have Introduce Present Kind of/sort of Type of Let Allow, permit Ma’am Madam Most Almost On the other hand Conversely, by contrast So Because, very (depending on usage)