语言有书面语和口头语之分，语体有正式和非正式之别。前者修辞讲究，具有书卷气；后者用词简朴，但生动活泼，而且句子一般比较简短，结构形式不象书面语那么严谨。在此拟从词汇和句型的角度，列举一些最为常见的英语句子和句型，供读者比较和甄别书面英语与口头英语在语体色彩上的不同。以下各组中的第一句为书面用语（正式文体），第二句为口头用语（口语体）：

一、形容词

    (1) I have little time for reading English novels.

       I don't have much time for reading English novels.

       我没有什么时间看英语小说。

    (2) There are few students on the campus.

    There’re not many students on the campus.

校园里的学生并不多。

二、副词

  Hangzhou is so beautiful a city!

  Hangzhou is such a beautiful city!

  杭州是座多美丽的城市啊！

三、冠词

    (1) A veteran worker is respected everywhere in New China.

       Veteran workers are respected everywhere in New China.

       在新中国老工人到处受尊敬。

(2) The horse is a very useful animal.

    Horses are very useful animals.

马是很有用的动物。

四、连词

    (1) Neither Tom nor John could do it.

    Tom couldn't do it, and John couldn't do it either.

   汤姆和约翰都不会做它。

(2) He cannot do it, nor can I.

    He can’t do it, neither can I.

他不会做这件事，我也做不来。

五、代名词

    (1) Would you mind my smoking here?

    Would you mind me smoking here?

我可以在这儿抽烟吗？

(2) Excuse my rushing in like this.

    Excuse me rushing in like this.

请原谅我这么鲁莽地冲了进来。

六、分词

 (1)The question being settled, we went home.

    When the question was settled, we went home.

    问题解决之后，我们就回家了。

 (2) Other things being equal, iron heats up faster than aluminium.

    If other things are equal, iron heats up faster than aluminium.

    如果其他情况相同，铁比铝热得快。

 (3) Weather permitting, the football match will be played tomorrow.

    If weather permits, the football match will be played tomorrow.

    假如天气好的话，足球赛将在明天举行。

 (4) Arriving at the railway station. I found the train gone.

      When I got to the railway station, I found the train had already gone.

   到达火车站时，我发现火车早已开走。

七、不定式 

    (1) There is much work to be done tonight.

    There is a lot of（或lots of）work to do tonight. 

今天晚上有许多工作要做。

    (2) They think it better to start earlier.

    They think it will be better to start earlier.

    他们认为还是早一点启程为好。

(3) To melt the metal at a high temperature is not necessary.

    It is not necessary to melt the metal at a high temperature.

用高温去熔化这种金属是没有必要的。

八、关系代词

    (1) He invited me to dinner, which was very kind of him.

    He invited me to dinner. It was very kind of him to do so.

他请我吃晚饭，他待我真好。

(2) Here is the garden about which I told you yesterday.

    Here is the garden that I told you about yesterday.

我昨天对你谈起的那个花园就是这个花园。

    九、虚拟语气

    (1) It is important that the physical model of the structure be completely specified before any analysis is attempted.

   It is important for us (或you) to specify completely the physical model of the structure before we (或you) make any analysis.

   在进行分析之前，首先要弄清楚结构的物理模型。

(2) Had there been no electronic computers there would have been no artificial satellites or rockets.

   If there had been no electronic computers there would have been no artificial satellites or rockets.

   如果没有电子计算机，就不会有人造卫星或火箭。

十、主从复合句

    (1) That the winding was burnt seems tolerably certain.

    It seems tolerably certain that the winding has burnt.

绕组已烧毁，看来是确信无疑的。

    (2) He was so angry that he could not speak.

    He couldn't speak; he was so much (或very ) angry.

他非常生气，连话都说不出来了。