Some everyday phrasal verbs have a formal single-word twin that fits a report better: 'put off' and 'do away with' are two of them. This is about these particular verbs, not about phrasal verbs as a class — carry out a study, point out a flaw and give rise to a problem are all standard academic English. To postpone something is to reschedule it to a set later time, and it usually implies somebody decided to (formal, neutral). To delay something is simply to make it happen later than planned; it is the default when circumstances are the cause, and it takes a length ('delayed by a week'). To abolish a rule or system is to end it formally and completely, for good — not just push it back, but remove it.
Delaying and ending things formally
postpone /poʊstˈpoʊn/ — The board decided to postpone the vote until the external review was complete.
abolish /əˈbɑlɪʃ/ — The ministry plans to abolish the outdated licensing rule next year.
delay /dɪˈleɪ/ — Continued travel disruption could delay the conference by several weeks.
Not ""The strike will postpone deliveries by a week." (a strike is a circumstance, not a deliberate reschedule)" — say ""The strike will delay deliveries by a week."". Use delay when something is pushed back by circumstances; save postpone for a decision to move an event to a chosen later time.
Try it: In a formal report, which verb best replaces 'do away with' in: 'The reform would ______ a complex appeal system that few residents understand.'? (abolish / postpone / delay) Answer: abolish — "Abolish" means to formally and completely end a rule or system, which is exactly what 'do away with' conveys here. "Postpone" and "delay" only push something to a later time; they do not end it, so neither fits a sentence about removing an appeal system entirely.
Try it: The organizers made a deliberate decision to move the launch to a chosen later date. Which verb reports that most precisely in a formal notice: 'The committee has agreed to ______ the launch until March.'? (postpone / delay / abolish) Answer: postpone — "Postpone" is right because the sentence describes a deliberate reschedule to a set later date, which is exactly its meaning. "Delay" would suggest the slippage was caused by circumstances rather than chosen, and "abolish" means to end the launch altogether, not move it — so both misreport what the committee did.
Investigating and producing results
Where casual English uses 'find out' or 'come up with', formal writing prefers precise single verbs. To determine something is to establish a fact through investigation (formal, neutral). To ascertain something is also to find it out — but with the stress on careful, exact checking, so it is the more precise and even more formal of the two; the contrast is that you determine a general result but ascertain an exact detail. To generate something is to produce or cause it (formal, neutral) — a different action entirely, about creating a result rather than uncovering a fact.
determine /dɪˈtɜrmɪn/ — Researchers must determine the cause of the equipment failure before recommending changes.
ascertain /ˌæsərˈteɪn/ — The auditors worked to ascertain the exact amount that had been misreported.
generate /ˈdʒɛnəˌreɪt/ — The announcement is expected to generate significant public debate.
Not ""The study will generate whether the treatment is safe." ("generate" means produce, not find out)" — say ""The study will determine whether the treatment is safe."". Use determine or ascertain to find out a fact; generate is only for producing or causing a result, so it cannot report an investigation.
Try it: Which verb best replaces 'come up with' in: 'A clearer application process could ______ more interest from local employers.'? (generate / ascertain / determine) Answer: generate — "Generate" means to produce or cause something, so it captures 'come up with' when the result is interest or debate. "Ascertain" and "determine" are about finding out or establishing a fact through investigation, which is a different action; you cannot 'ascertain interest' from a process.
Try it: A formal sentence needs the verb for finding out facts with care and precision: 'Before publishing, the team must ______ whether the data was collected lawfully.' Which fits best? (ascertain / generate / abolish) Answer: ascertain — "Ascertain" stresses establishing facts carefully through checking, which suits verifying whether data was collected lawfully. "Generate" means to produce something new rather than confirm a fact, and "abolish" means to end a system, so neither matches the careful checking the sentence describes.