How would you rank the following phrases, which more or less describe the same thing, from most to least formal/precise (the chosen term will be used to describe the residents of a city):
- London/New York people
- Londoner/New Yorker
- the people of London/New York
- London/New York's populace
My ranking
Formality: 4 >= 3 >> 1 = 2; Precision: 4 >= 2 >= 3 >= 1
I've seen many instances of officials referring to residents of a city as Londoner/New Yorker. I suppose such use is recognised as semi-formal in the least?
Also, could someone explain if there's any differences in using these phrases?
Thank you for your attention!