Which excerpt from a lab report is more formal?
We did this experiment so we could try and figure out how things like temperature and wind end up affecting transpiration. This experiment was conducted to show how variables such as temperature and wind affect transpiration.
Informal writing is typically used in casual situations or when communicating with someone you know well. Informal language often expresses familiarity and tends to sound more like speech. It uses more conversational language, such as slang, idioms, abbreviations, imprecise language, and contractions.
Formal writing is typically used in academic and business writing or when writing directly to an authority figure. It tends to be more courteous and impersonal, avoiding overly familiar or conversational language.
Compare the following sentences.
Informal: Yeah, ostriches can't fly, but I think they're awesome.
More formal: Ostriches may be flightless, but they're remarkable runners.
Most formal: Though flightless, ostriches are remarkable runners.
The first excerpt from a lab report is more formal. It uses more elevated language (was conducted, different variables). The other excerpt uses imprecise and conversational language (try and figure out, things like, end up).