Language Lab: Clear Communication in the Workplace
As an advanced English learner working on a global stage, you may be tempted to speak and write in long, complex sentences to sound more professional (and intelligent 😊). However, in real-life business settings, partners will not appreciate fluff or redundancies. While in some languages, proficient professionals do indeed craft sentences of more than 30 words, English-speaking professionals seek clear and concise language. So, how do you master the art of clear communication in the workplace?
Check out our language lab feature below to discover ways of shortening sentences yet come across as smart and succinct when speaking and writing.
Shorten Your Sentences
If at all possible, get straight to the point. Use conjunctions and adverbs instead of conjunctive or adverbial phrases:
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| Due to the fact that | Because |
| In spite of the fact that | Although, Despite |
| At this point in time | Now |
| In order to | To |
| It is important to note that | (Delete or just state the point) |
Example:
❌ “In spite of the fact that she had a headache, she went to work.”
✅ “She went to work despite her headache.”
Replace Noun Phrases with Verbs
If you can get the same idea across with one single verb, do!
| Weak (Noun-Based) | Strong (Verb-Based) |
|---|---|
| Make a decision | Decide |
| Conduct an analysis | Analyse |
| Provide assistance | Help |
| Have a discussion | Discuss |
Example:
❌ “We must conduct an analysis of the results.”
✅ “We must analyse the results.”
Delete All Unnecessary Words
Some words do not add any information or value to a sentence. Delete them!
❌ “She was very tired after the business trip.”
✅ “She was exhausted after the business trip.”
❌ “The visit was really quite surprising.”
✅ “The visit was surprising.”
Use Participle Phrases to Reduce Your Wordcount
The following examples illustrate how particle phrases are clear, concise, and elegant.
Full Clause: The woman who is talking is my boss.
Reduced: The woman talking is my boss.
Full Clause: The data, which was gathered by Sam, was outstanding.
Reduced: The data gathered by Sam was outstanding.
Original: Because he felt sick, he went to bed early.
Reduced: Feeling sick, he went to bed early.
Original: Since she didn’t have the information, she stayed silent.
Reduced: Lacking the information, she stayed silent.
Eliminate the Passive Voice
The passive voice doesn’t belong in any professional English communication. It is awkward and lengthy. Check out these examples:
❌ “The building was constructed by our team.”
✅ “Our team constructed the building.”
Exception: Use passive where the instigator is unknown/unimportant.
✅ “The reports were lost.” (Who lost them doesn’t matter.)
Gerunds or Prepositions for More Brevity
Original: Because of the fact that it was sunny, we went to the beach.
Improved: Because of the sunshine, we went to the beach.
Even better: Due to the sunshine, we went to the beach.
Original: After he had completed the assignment, he made coffee.
Improved: After completing the assignment, he made coffee.
Two Sentences into One
Short sentences about the same topic blend beautifully into one:
❌ “She finished the application. She sent it off immediately.”
✅ “She finished and sent off the application immediately.”
❌ “The meeting was interesting. It was also productive.”
✅ “The meeting was interesting and productive.”
Don’t Use There Is or There Are
❌ “There are many people who love chocolate.”
✅ “Many people love chocolate.”
❌ “There is a possibility that it will snow.”
✅ “It might snow.”
