Is "this practice" used only in formal registers?

[Molly]

Is “this practice” used only in formal registers?

Would you recommend using it here, for example?

He had never lifted one finger to help his mother, and this (practice) made him a poor flatmate.

Their main activity is in acquiring land. This (practice) has grown with the company.

[Mister_Micawber]

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See my post in EF.
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[Ralf]

Wow, how did you do it? You look like a simpsonised version of a warrior here

[Molly]

@Mister Micawber

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See my post in EF.
.

OK, thanks for the input. One thing:

And one problem with your example is that practice is normally a habit we do, not one we don’t do.

Then why do we hear She/He had the practice/habit of not wanting to + verb?

[Molly]

@Ralf

Wow, how did you do it? You look like a simpsonised version of a warrior here

One might say he looks like a simpsonised version of an American male in the photo here.