Formal:
"Nembrotha kubaryana: This relatively large species, sometimes growing more than 120 mm long, shows a considerable range in colour. Essentially black with green pustules, or green longitudinal ridges, there is a bright orange border to the foot and the rhinophore pockets and also around the oral lappets. In some specimens the rhinophores and gills have orange markings but in others, these are green. In some animals the green markings can be replaced by pinkish orange spots or elongate marks.
This species feeds on ascidians. A similarly coloured species, Nembrotha cristata lacks the orange border to the foot.
Similar in size and colour to Nembrotha kubaryana, its main point of difference is the green border to its foot. It also feeds on a green compound ascidian which Willan & Coleman (1984) identify as Eudistoma olivaceum. Perhaps this is a biological difference from Nembrotha kubaryana, which is shown feeding on a blue solitary ascidian."
From: http://www.seaslugforum.net/
Informal:
"Our top three gastropoda all belong the Nudibranch group, so let's take a moment to
learn about them...
Oh, and weep in awe at nature's Majesty. That too.
There is perhaps no flower that blooms on the land quite so breathtaking as some of the slimy slugs that creep
along the sea floor, whose colors in many cases are too vivid for photography to even reproduce. These
stunning images are only a scaled-down taste of Doug Deep's flickr gallery, with over 70 images that are not
to be missed; nor should you pass up this one. In fact, just put "nudibranch" in any image search engine.
These crawling clowns of the reef are named for their "nude" gills, the flower-like appendages that serve not
only as a breathing apparatus, but in many cases a defense mechanism. The eyes of Nudibranchs are
extremely simple and often invisible, but they navigate with a pair of highly sensitive rhinophores (slug noses)
that we can see as ear-like "antennae."
http://bogleech.com/
Reflection:
The main differences between these texts are the way they describe the snails and how in the informal text it is many times written like speech with short sentences and odd comments like: "Oh, and weep at nature's /.../ That too. These crawling clowns..." Etc. While in the formal text they make use of scientific terms and correct written language. In informal texts spoken language is often used as well as "..." and more visual descriptions like "slimy slugs", "like flowers" etc compared to the scientific descriptions like: "...black with green pustules, or green longitudinal ridges...". There's also usually a larger number of parenthesizes ( ) in informal texts and links that doesn't say what they link to. Like the one above that says "this one" and is a part of the text.
In the formal text they use more scientific language "...feeding on a blue solitary ascidian". Instead of saying "eating on a lonely sea squirt" and the links are names on the topics/pictures they link to as well as no use of normal spoken language.
Formal texts tend to be more informative and doesn't stray from the subject.
Assignment 2.
Informal.
These sea slugs, called Nembrotha cristata which are my favourites, are very beautiful slugs that live in the seas. It's the one I have a picture of at the top of the page. I like them (all sea slugs) mostly because, lets face it, they have amazing colours! :) Also I like sea creatures in general because they are often very odd looking. They eat mainly sea squirts (They look like little transparent sacs sitting in clusters. Like this ---> http://www.starfish.ch/photos/tunicates-Aszidien/Clavelina-moluccensis1.jpg Take a look!) which are some kind of invertebrate filter feeder and anemones. They absorb the poisons and use it to themselves become toxic which is pretty cool. They cannot create their own poisons. They have striking (and very beautiful) colours to ward off predators. I think they are pretty cute. :)
Formal.
The sea slug, Nembrotha cristata is a species of nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk. Nudibranch comes from Latin nudus: naked, and the Greek word brankhia: gills. It has a pair of antennalike organs near the head that are used for sensing touch, taste and smell and several feathery gills called cerata near the rear section that discharge nematocysts ingested from cnidarian prey. Nudibranches are common in all salt seas, but become larger and more numerous in warm shallow waters. It lives under rocks and on ledges where it feeds on various kinds of ascidian, like the green colonial tunicate, sponges and anemones. Their often extraordinary colors and striking forms is a warning to predators that they are poisonous or distasteful.
END.
There, I hope that was good enough and that I made it in time? When is the deadline?
Splendid job Marika!
SvaraRaderaVery interesting examples of formal and informal writing! You are right that the formal one is more correct and "more scientific", but even the informal one requires the reader to have a fairly large scientidic vocabulary: "gastropoda" "appendages" and so on.
Some of your sentences are quite long and complicated. Perhaps rephrase a little for clarity and simplicity: "The main difference between these texts is the way in which they describe the snails. The informal text is often written like speech..."
"parentheses"
"links that don't..." (plural verb form)
"Formal texts... don't stray from the subject." (plural subject = plural verb form)
Your own informal and formal texts on sea slugs are great! It is obvious that you know how to create a personal address in the informal text, and how to follow the conventions of "impersonal" scientific writing in the formal one.
Great work!