{"id":1736,"date":"2019-08-28T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T09:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.kindgeek.com\/?p=1736"},"modified":"2024-03-19T13:40:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T13:40:08","slug":"the-myth-of-business-english-fighting-a-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kindgeek.com\/blog\/post\/the-myth-of-business-english-fighting-a-dragon","title":{"rendered":"The Myth of Business English: Fighting A Dragon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently updated on March 19, 2024<\/p><\/div>\n

Disclaimer: This article is for non-native speakers who use English for business. Fellow language enthusiasts, we are going to fight a dragon here. Not a cute dragon, like Toothless, or an awesome and loyal one, like Drogon, but a ruthless and vile creature that wreaks havoc on the Kingdom, burns villages and wants to eat a princess. So brace yourself, sharpen your sword, and do some stretches.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business English: the Myth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Business English is a strange beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I ask you, what is Business English, you most likely will answer along the lines of, \u201cBusiness English is being straight to the point, clear, and concise.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sounds about right, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do you call sentences that aren\u2019t straight to the point, muddy, and wordy? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emm, Casual English? Relaxed English? Street English? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of your answer, something feels off; it doesn’t do justice to the beauty and accuracy of this ancient language. If a person writes a clear and concise sentence, it doesn’t mean it\u2019s Business English. It simply means that the person values brevity and knows how to handle language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, for the duration of this article, I want you to treat Business English simply as tactful and laconic English without thinking too hard about all that Business side of the question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why so? Because sometimes when we treat Business English as something mythical, we create dragons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business English: the Dragon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Business English is a strange beast: sometimes, it has wings, horns, fire breath, and an urge to eat a princess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please, look at the following pairs of sentences and tell me which one of the two, A or B, is more \u201cbusinessy\u201d to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A<\/strong>: \u201cThe contract is being worked on, and will be sent for you to sign by Friday.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

B<\/strong>: \u201cI will send you the contract to sign by Friday.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

___<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

A<\/strong>: \u201cWe will be happy to assist you in resolving your concern\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

B<\/strong>: \u201cWe will be happy to help you solve this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

___<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

A<\/strong>: \u201cUnfortunately, we weren\u2019t able to finish the estimates in time because of the significant workload and unpredictable circumstances.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

B<\/strong>: \u201cUnfortunately, we haven\u2019t finished the estimates yet because the employee got sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your answer to any of the provided pairs is A<\/strong>, then I\u2019m writing this article for a reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the problem: sometimes, people use the label \u201cBusiness English\u201d as an excuse to write\/say fancy sentences saturated with synonyms from a thesaurus<\/a>, complicated constructions, and unnecessary passive voice. Such sentences create the dragon that kills the liveliness of the language and makes our thoughts clumsy, redundant, and sometimes difficult to understand. It alienates a writer from the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you feel like you\u2019ve already got my point, you can go to the bottom of the article and solve a little task in the P.S. section. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know this issue well because I\u2019ve created the dragons too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Business English: Fighting the Dragon  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know our enemy, and we need to fight it, strip the dragon of its horns, wings, and fire-breathing ability so it runs away and never returns. Only five swings of our mental sword will help us win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Keep it Simple <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the love of the Language, please, keep your wording simple. No need for fancy words in your casual business communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going back to our sentences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A:<\/strong> \u201cWe will be happy to assist you in resolving your concern\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

B:<\/strong> \u201cWe will be happy to help you solve this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, the first one is definitely more exquisite… on top of being extremely awkward. People don\u2019t talk that way in the real world. The second sentence sounds just fine and smoothly delivers the message. Besides, you can easily use a rare word wrong (\u201cUtilize\u201d I\u2019m looking at you<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simpler is usually better. Don\u2019t take my word for it: there are plenty of materials on the beauty of simplicity<\/a> on the Internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, do you want to sound like a down-to-earth human being or as a walking thesaurus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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