Business English Tip of the Week

Use numbered lists when working with instructions that are to be carried out in sequence. If the sequence of items is not essential, use bullets.

Example of a Numbered List:

Example of a Bulleted List:

When agreeing to a request, agree to it in a positive manner. Don't just say 'Ok' or 'All right.' Use these positive phrases:

Sometimes, you may be undecided and unable to give a definite answer at that moment. In such cases, use these phrases to buy yourself a little time:

At other times, you may agree to a request but with certain conditions. Then you can use these phrases:

Declining a request is more difficult. Don't decline a request directly. Use one of tentative the phrases below and follow it up with a good reason:

There is something about writing that makes us express ourselves more formally than we would do in speech. For example, you might chat with a co-worker about how you are going to evaluate a marketing campaign. But when you sit down to write a report about it, for some reason you find yourself writing about "the evaluation of the marketing campaign".

This habit, which we call nominalisation, is very common in all areas of government and the business world. What happens is that instead of using a verb, for example, to evaluate, the writer uses the related noun, evaluation.

You're probably thinking that there's nothing wrong with that, but nominalisations appear all over our writing. They lengthen our sentences and make the writing less lively, less human and more official. They prevent our writing being clear as actions are hidden in the nouns.

Here's an example:

Of the verb-noun problems the "made" trap stands out as the most common:

• made a suggestion (suggested)
• made a recommendation (recommended)
• made a choice (chose)
• made an agreement (agreed)
• made a presentation (presented)
• made a proposition (proposed)
• made a decision (decided)
• made a revision (revised)

Other common verb-noun problems include:

• gave an explanation (explained)
• submitted a resignation (resigned)
• expressed opposition (opposed)
• took under consideration (considered)
• provided maintenance (maintained)
• reached a conclusion (concluded)
• provided information (informed)
• provided a quotation (quoted)
• came to a realization (realized)
• conducted an investigation (investigated)
• put on a performance (performed)
• led to a reduction (reduced)
• had a suspicion (suspected)
• had an expectation (expected)
• used exaggeration (exaggerated)
• gave authorization (authorized)

When you are asking someone to do something for you or trying to influence their actions, you can often show that you want to be polite by saying things in an indirect way:

Generally speaking, the more indirect the expression you use, the more polite you will seem. If you are too direct you may be considered impolite. However, the more indirect expressions can sound "too polite". When deciding which expressions are suitable for which situations it is useful to ask certain questions.

1. What is the relationship between the speaker and the listener? More direct expressions are often used between friends or when the speaker is in a position of authority.

2. How important is the action to the speaker? Usually, the more important the action, the more indirect the expression.

3. How much inconvenience will the action cause for the listener? If, for example, the listener is being asked to make a lot of effort or do something which they do not usually do, the speaker will probably use a more indirect expression.

¹ Note that 'but' and 'and' do not take a comma when both clauses are relatively short.
² restrictive relative clauses = they tell us which person or thing, or which kind of person or thing, is meant;
non-restrictive relative clauses = they tell us more about a person or thing that is already identified.
³ When an appositive is only one word, no comma is needed.

There are a number of ways of making a self introduction. It usually needs to be on a case-by-case basis; however, here's some more basic advice and sample dialogues to get someone's attention and finally make an acquaintance.

Making a Comment

Make a comment to someone about the situation you're in or the environment. Once they've responded, introduce yourself.

Use a Third Person to Get an Introduction

If the person you want to introduce yourself to is speaking to someone you already know, then take it as a chance to get acquainted. Walk towards them and say hello to your friend or the person you know. An introduction can then follow naturally. This isn't strictly a self-introduction.

When You Know the Person's Name

If you want to introduce yourself to a person you only know by name, you can start a conversation by confirming their name - "Mr Reynolds?' Once you get their attention, continue by stating how you know about them and then introduce yourself.

Many adjectives are followed by a particular preposition. Below is a list of adjectives + preposition combinations that are commonly used in business.

Some of these adjectives can be followed by either of two or more prepositions, sometimes resulting in a slight change of meaning. In other cases, the preposition which follows the adjective is determined by whether a person or a thing follows.

Now read through the following list of combinations and example sentences. Then try completing the exercise that follows by clicking the 'Next' button at the bottom of the page.

affiliated to / with

angry about something

angry with someone

associated with

aware of

bad / good at something

concerned / worried / anxious about

concerned with (= involved with)

confident of

different from / to something / someone

disappointed in a person / by something

familiar with

happy / pleased / satisfied with someone / something

interested in something

involved in / with

open to

ready for something / someone

related to

responsible for something / someone

sensitive to

specialised in

suitable for

typical of someone

There are a number of ways of making a self introduction. It usually needs to be on a case-by-case basis; however, here's some basic advice and sample dialogues to get someone's attention and finally make an acquaintance.

Direct Introduction

The direct approach works for most people who have the confidence to do so. Simply go up to the person whom you want to introduce yourself to. Say "hello,' offer a handshake, and tell them your name.

If, however, it is a group you are approaching, politely ask if you can join them.

Giving a Compliment

Giving a compliment is also a good tactic. Remember to give a compliment that you really mean. Sincerity is the key here. You can start the conversation with a statement like, "I like your shirt' or "You have a nice watch'. The other party can reply with a "Thank you'. From that point, be prepared to talk about the object you are complimenting on to prove that you really admire it. After a minute or two, or when appropriate, start introducing yourself.

Whether you're describing yourself during an interview, writing a resume/CV, or talking about the personality of a subordinate or colleague being considered for promotion, you'll find it useful to familiarize yourself with the 20 common adjectives below. All these adjectives describe specific aspects of someone's personality, specifically the areas of someone's personality that determines their suitability for a particular job or type of work.

Some of the adjectives below have similar meanings. It's important, therefore, that you learn the minor differences in meaning if you are to use them accurately. If you are unclear about the differences, consult a good monolingual advanced learner's dictionary.

Note: When attending a job interview or writing a resume/CV, make sure you choose the adjectives that best suit your potential position. "Aggressive" might catch the eye of a law firm, but would likely scare an employer in the customer service field.

Useful Phrases:

Below are some useful phrases in which the above adjectives could be used:

1. Listen Positively and Empathise

Don't try to defend yourself or the company. Allow the customer to let off steam. Show understanding.

2. Admit the Mistake and Apologise

Don't put the customer on the defensive or question his judgement. Admit mistakes immediately.

3. Accept Personal Responsibility

For customers, you are the company. They don't care whose fault it is. You have to deal with it. If the problem can be dealt with only by someone higher in the hierarchy, stay with the customer until it is clear that the problem is being resolved.

4. Act Immediately

Show customers that you are taking their complaints seriously.

5. Offer Compensation (if possible)

Demonstrate your concern practically if you are able to. Often, the form of compensation is less important than the thought.

6. Thank the Customer

We should be grateful for complaints. It's one way we can find out how to improve our service. Remember, too, that it costs five times as much to gain a new customer as to keep an old one.

1) -or and -our

British English tends to use -our in adjectives,whereas American English uses -or:

For example: colour (GB) and color (US); neighbour (GB) and neighbor (US)

 

2) -er and -re

Some noun endings are -re in British English, but -er in American English:

For example: centre (GB) and center (US)

 

3) -ice and -ise

Some words have -ice ending for the noun and -ise ending for the verb in British English. For example: practice (noun) and to practise (verb). However, in American English both noun and verb are spelled practice.

4) -l and -ll

In British English, when a word ends in a single consonant, it is doubled when we add a suffix beginning with a vowel:

For example: traveller; levelled

However, in American English the 'l' is not doubled:

For example: traveler, leveled

 

5) Other common words

British English and American English have different spellings for certain words:

For example: cheque (GB) - check (US); programme (GB) - program (US)

The Knowledge Question

Make sure you answer the question clearly and thoroughly. Be concise, clear and organized.

The Human Question

These questions are asked to get a sense of who you are. Now is not the time to talk about how you are a recovering alcoholic or have been proud of staying out of prison. Something which makes you sound interesting, intelligent and reliable. Remember that if they ask about personal things, keep it brief and always try, if you can, to tie everything back to your professional life.

The "What if" Question

The rule of thumb is the boss is always right, always discuss problems with your superiors and that you are always flexible.

The "Tell Me" Game

Again, be clear, concise and organized.

Your Turn

Yes, you always need to ask at least one or two questions. Show that you've done your homework: ask about the company, its structure. Now is not the time to ask about the salary or whether you can have a company car!

Reflective Answering

If you deliver your answers straight, they may not sound completely natural. You don't want the interviewer to think that you've memorised them.

Before answering certain questions, pause for a moment to show that you're thinking, then start your answer with one of the following phrases:

I guess...

I guess the biggest achievement would be my employee of the year award; I'm very proud of that.

I feel...

I feel that I've learned a large amount in this job and I'm glad for the opportunity.

I suppose...

I suppose that when I think about it, the hardest part of my job is dealing with customers.

I would say...

I would say that trust is a very important part of a relationship with a co-worker.

Note: these phrases can also be used in combination:

I guess I would say that morale in Reception could be improved and that I feel our hours are too long.

There is logic to English spelling and there are also some useful rules to follow.

Some General Advice

• One of the best ways to improve your spelling is by reading. Seeing words in print helps fix the spelling in your mind. Read as much as possible and as widely as possible. When you read aloud to yourself, you will also become more aware of how words are spelled and how they look on the page.
• Use a spell checker to help you identify - and correct - the words that cause you problems. Some words are always going to be difficult to spell correctly, whether you are a native speaker of English or not. If you always have spelling doubts about a particular word, make sure that you run the spell checker and that you pay special attention to the "difficult" word.
  
• Practise writing the words that you have difficulty spelling. Try not to avoid using the word altogether, but use either a spell checker or a dictionary to help you get the spelling right. If you use this word regularly, after a while you will start to write it correctly.
  
• If you have difficulty with a word that you have to write often, you may want to write the word out on a card and keep the card by your desk for reference.
  
• Use a dictionary. Good dictionaries will show you how to spell the word in other grammatical forms, as well as giving you an example of the word in context.

1) i before e except after c (when the word rhymes with c)

Examples: believe, niece, piece, achieve.

After c: receive, perceive, deceive

There are some exceptions to this rule:

Example: seize

Some first name exceptions: Sheila, Keith

You can also see "ei" combinations when the word rhymes with the letter 'i':

Examples: height, heist

Additionally, when the rhyme is with the letter 'a':

Examples: freight, weight

2) When you use 'full' at the end of an adjective, drop one 'l'

Examples: wonderful, tasteful, grateful

Note that when you turn the adjective into an adverb by adding -ly, use both 'l'.

Examples: careful - carefully; grateful - gratefully

3) The letter 'e'

Words that end with the letter 'e' lose the 'e' before a suffix beginning with a vowel:

Examples: require - requiring; state - stating

But before a suffix that begins with a consonant, they keep the 'e':

Examples: state - statement; require - requirement

4) Using -our and -orous

In British English, when a word ends in -our and we add -us, the -our becomes -or:

Examples: humour - humorous; glamour - glamorous

5) Using -y

When a word ends with a consonant and 'y', change the 'y' to 'i' before adding a suffix:

Examples: hungry - hungrier; try - tried; baby - babies

But if the word ends with a vowel and 'y', keep the 'y' before adding a suffix:

Examples: lay - layer; pay - payment

6) Single and double consonants

When a word ends in a single consonant, it is doubled when we add a suffix beginning with a vowel:

Examples:

get - getting;

travel - travelled / travelling (In American English, the 'l' is not doubled);

admit -admitted; admit - admittance

ship - shipping

but

 

ship - shipment (the suffix begins with a consonant)

In today's high-paced and competitive business environment, good jobs are hard to find. Sharpening your job hunting and, particularly, interviewing skills is a great way to keep yourself in the competition. One of the most important things to keep in mind when being interviewed is that you should try to relax. If you feel nervous and uncomfortable, your interviewer will also feel uncomfortable. So it's important to smile and try to be as natural and friendly as you can.

The good news is that while part of the interview is to test your actual answers, much of it is done to simply get a sense of you as a person. That means that while it is important to answer in a certain way, it's perhaps more important to be friendly, confident and natural.

Here are some tips:

• Smile as much as you can. Smiling breaks down barriers and will make you and your interviewer feel more relaxed.
• Be confident - this doesn't mean brag or show off, but an interview is not the time to be humble or downplay your experience or accomplishments. If there is only one time in your life when it's good to tell someone how great you are, the interview is that time!
• Don't lie but don't sell yourself short: don't talk about what experience you don't have! Always turn these kinds of questions into positives. For example, if an interviewer asks if you have any experience in bookkeeping, you never want to simply say "No."  Instead, think about any connection that might relate: "Well, I don't have any direct bookkeeping experience, but I often helped the bookkeeper so I'm familiar with the terms and I feel I could learn it quite quickly." Or: "I never did any bookkeeping myself but I took two accounting courses in college and feel that I understand the basics of it."
• Dress the part: there is an old saying that people should dress like the position they want to get. That means a professional appearance is very important. Much of this will depend, of course, on what country you are in, but don't ever worry about being too smart for an interview!
• Be as detailed as possible: often interviewers will ask you "hypothetical" problem questions (for example, "What would you do if your boss asked you to do something that you didn't know how to do?"); it's important in questions like these to be as detailed as possible.

Which and that are difficult to learn for anyone studying English as a second language because no one, not even people who should know better, gets it right!

It all has to do with restrictive (or defining) phrases and clauses.

You use that to introduce a restrictive phrase or clause that describes a place or thing. Another term for restrictive is "defining". "Defining" is an easier way to remember the rule. Defining phrases and clauses add ESSENTIAL detail to a sentence. They are never introduced with a comma, because they are essential to the description.

For example:

Note: "that is marked" describes the briefcase.

Which introduces unrestricted or undefining phrases and clauses. These phrases add EXTRA detail that you can omit without changing the sentence. They are introduced and concluded with commas.

For example:

Note: "which I got from the library" is an unnecessary detail.