In academic and professional writing, everyday verbs like get and start sound too casual. Swap them for precise formal verbs: obtain (get through a formal process), acquire (gain gradually or through effort), and commence (begin, in official notices).
Casual words, formal replacements
obtain /əbˈteɪn/ — Participants must obtain written permission before entering the archive.
acquire /əˈkwaɪər/ — Students acquire new skills through guided practice over the term.
commence /kəˈmɛns/ — The trial will commence next Monday once the paperwork is filed.
Not ""Students obtain new skills through practice." (obtain implies a one-off formal request, not gradual growth)" — say ""Students acquire new skills through practice."". Use acquire for something gained gradually or through effort; save obtain for permission, funding, or consent you request formally.
Try it: In a formal report, which verb best completes: "Researchers must ______ consent before testing begins." (obtain / acquire / commence) Answer: obtain — "Obtain" is right because consent is granted through a formal request or process, which is exactly what obtain covers. "Acquire" suggests gaining something gradually, like a skill, so it misfits a one-time permission. "Commence" means to begin, which does not fit an object like consent at all.
Phrasal verbs, tightened up
Some casual phrasal verbs have a formal single-word twin that suits a report better. Replace look into with investigate (examine a problem or claim carefully) and come up with with devise (create or plan a method or solution). Facilitate works the same way for make easier, but only in front of a process word: you facilitate access, learning, discussion, reporting. For a physical thing you still say made it easier ('the handle makes the box easier to carry'). Note that many phrasal verbs are fully at home in formal writing — carry out, point out, account for, rule out — so this is a choice about particular verbs, not a rule against the whole class.
investigate /ɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪt/ — The panel will investigate the complaint before announcing a remedy.
devise /dɪˈvaɪz/ — The team devised a new screening method for the trial.
facilitate /fəˈsɪləˌteɪt/ — Clear templates can facilitate accurate reporting across departments.
Try it: Rewrite "We need to figure out a solution ASAP" formally. Which verb replaces "figure out"? (devise / investigate / facilitate) Answer: devise — "Devise" fits because figuring out a solution means creating or planning one, which is exactly what devise means. "Investigate" means to examine something that already exists, not to build something new. "Facilitate" means to make a process easier, so it describes helping, not creating the solution itself.
Try it: Which sentence uses the formal verb correctly? (The platform facilitates faster communication between clinics. / The platform investigates faster communication between clinics. / The platform commences faster communication between clinics.) Answer: The platform facilitates faster communication between clinics. — "Facilitates" is correct because the platform makes communication easier, which is what facilitate means. "Investigates" would mean the platform examines the communication as a problem, which is not the point. "Commences" means to begin, so it would claim the platform starts the communication rather than smoothing it.