In business emails, reports, and official documents, everyday verbs get swapped for more formal ones. You purchase rather than buy, a meeting commences rather than starts, and you inform someone rather than tell them. The meaning is the same, but the formal choice matches a professional context.
Formal verbs in professional writing
purchase /ˈpɝtʃəs/ — I would like to purchase three licenses for the software.
commence /kəˈmɛns/ — The training session will commence promptly at nine.
inform /ɪnˈfɔrm/ — Please inform the committee of any change to the schedule.
Not ""I would like to buy this item." (too casual for a formal business email)" — say ""I would like to purchase this item."". In professional writing, purchase signals the right level of formality; 'buy' is correct English but reads as too casual for business correspondence.
Try it: You are writing a formal email to a supplier. Which verb fits the register best? (We would like to purchase 200 units for delivery next month. / We wanna get 200 units for delivery next month. / We'd love to grab 200 units for delivery next month.) Answer: We would like to purchase 200 units for delivery next month. — 'Purchase' matches the formal, professional tone a supplier email needs. 'Wanna get' uses a casual contraction and a neutral verb that is far too informal, and 'grab' is slang that would sound out of place in business correspondence.
Formal nouns and fixed phrases
Formal register also reshapes nouns and whole phrases. On official documents you give your residence rather than your home, you offer assistance rather than help, and you write "please be advised" rather than "just so you know." Keep these for applications, legal texts, and formal notices.
residence /ˈrɛzɪdəns/ — Applicants must provide proof of their current residence.
assistance /əˈsɪstəns/ — Thank you for your assistance with the visa paperwork.
assist /əˈsɪst/ — A colleague will assist you with the application.
obtain /əbˈteɪn/ — You can obtain a copy of the report from the front desk.
Not ""What's your current residence?" (said to a friend over coffee)" — say ""Where do you live?"". Residence belongs on forms and official documents; drop it into casual conversation and you sound stiff. Match the noun to the setting, not just the meaning.
Try it: You are texting a close friend about a favor. Which sounds natural? (Thanks so much for your help with the move! / I appreciate your assistance regarding the relocation. / Your assistance with said relocation is noted.) Answer: Thanks so much for your help with the move! — With a close friend, the neutral noun 'help' and a casual tone fit perfectly. 'Assistance regarding the relocation' is far too formal for a text, and 'said relocation... is noted' borrows official-document language that would sound cold and odd to a friend.
Stating an obligation
An official notice states what people must do with required, not with "supposed to" or "have to": staff are required to wear ID at all times. The pattern is fixed, be required to plus the base verb, and it is the wording a rule itself uses because it leaves no room for negotiation.
required /rɪˈkwaɪərd/ — All visitors are required to sign in at reception.
Not ""Staff are supposed to complete the form by Friday." (in a formal notice)" — say ""Staff are required to complete the form by Friday."". Supposed to reports an expectation and leaves room to ignore it. Required states an obligation, which is what an official notice means.
Try it: A safety notice needs the formal wording: "All contractors ___ wear a helmet on site." (are required to / are supposed to / have got to) Answer: are required to — If you chose are supposed to, that reports an expectation and quietly allows exceptions, which is not what a safety notice means. Are required to states the obligation. Have got to is spoken English and too casual for a posted notice.
Formal verbs in recruitment
Hiring documents have their own set of formal verbs. A company acquires talent, meaning it gains people or assets deliberately rather than just getting them. It advertises a post rather than putting it up. A candidate submits an application rather than sending it in. Each one is the verb the document itself would use.
acquire /əˈkwaɪər/ — The firm hopes to acquire three senior engineers this year.
advertise /ˈædvərtaɪz/ — We will advertise the vacancy on the company website.
submit /səbˈmɪt/ — Please submit your application before the deadline.
Not ""Please send in your application before the deadline." (in a job advertisement)" — say ""Please submit your application before the deadline."". Send in and submit mean the same thing here. Only the register differs, and a job advertisement is a formal document, so it takes submit.
Try it: A job advertisement needs the formal verb: "Candidates must ___ their application through the online portal." (submit / send in / hand in) Answer: submit — If you chose send in or hand in, both are correct English but belong in speech and informal notes. A job advertisement is a formal document, and the verb it uses for delivering an application is submit.