Lily
Is this OK to use “You know” in informal email in an English exam? I know it’s possible to use “You know” in spoken language, but in an official English test, such as FCE, PET or TOEIC, IELTS ... and they asks us to write informal email. Is this still OK? Thank you very much!
2016년 5월 11일 오후 3:24
답변 · 5
2
This is not a question of formality or 'officialness' - it's about the difference between spoken and written language. In spoken English, the two syllables 'You know' are a meaningless filler which we use to avoid silences while we're thinking. Instead of saying 'umm' or 'err', we say 'You know', or 'I mean'. You wouldn't put 'umm' or 'err' in an email, would you? Well, you shouldn't fill your emails with 'You knows' either. We need meaningless sounds to stop the gaps in our spoken language, but we don't use them in written language in the same way.
2016년 5월 11일
Things are certainly more flexible when they ask you to write informally, however the excessive use of " you know" is almost slang, so you should probably avoid it.
2016년 5월 11일
아직도 답을 찾지 못하셨나요?
질문을 남겨보세요. 원어민이 도움을 줄 수 있을 거예요!