An expansion of the above, an effective way to avoid stilted, indirect or overly formal writing is to learn to write in the active voice, rather than the passive voice.
Very simplistically, this is the difference between:
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall (active), and
The wall was sat on by Humpty Dumpty (passive).
It’s the passive voice that conveys the formality.
Further examples:
Active
“Identifying one instance of the species would allow the environmental team to confirm it does, in fact, exist within the project footprint.”
Passive
“The identification of the species by environmental management personnel would allow confirmation of its existence within the area allocated for the construction of the buildings and infrastructure.”
Active
“It may be advisable for us to employ a dedicated stakeholder manager to ensure we liaise effectively with the community.”
Passive
“The employment of a dedicated stakeholder manager may be advisable, in order to ensure effective liaison between the consortium and community groups.”
The passive voice is indirect, where the active voice is direct. It suggests and implies, it doesn’t command. It’s not authoritative and compelling, as is the active voice.
