Grammar: Professional Communication
C1 Lesson 3: The Three C's (Clear, Concise, Courteous)
Why It Matters: Informal vs. Professional
In a professional setting, your language choices create an impression. Using precise, professional grammar is essential for effective communication.
Just a heads-up, the meeting's off 'cause the director's sick.
Please be advised that the meeting has been cancelled due to the director's illness.
The Three C's of Business Writing
Use the active voice to show who is responsible for an action. Use strong, direct verbs.
Passive (Less Clear): "The decision was made." (By whom?)
Active (Clear): "The management committee made the decision."
Noun-heavy: "We will conduct an investigation."
Verb-strong: "We will investigate."
Communicate your message in as few words as possible without losing meaning. Avoid filler words and redundancy.
| Wordy Phrase | Concise Alternative |
|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because / since |
| at this point in time | now / currently |
| in the event that | if |
| a large number of | many |
Your grammatical choices can make a request sound like a demand or a polite inquiry.
Use Polite Modals:
→ Instead of: "I need that report by 5 PM."
→ Say: "Could you please send me that report by 5 PM?"
Use the Passive Voice to Soften Bad News:
→ Direct/Blaming: "You made a mistake on the invoice."
→ Polite/Passive: "It seems a mistake was made on the invoice."
Practice Your Skills 🎯
Quiz: Professional Phrasing
1. Which sentence is more concise?
a) In light of the fact that sales are down, we must develop a new strategy.
b) Because sales are down, we must develop a new strategy.
→ Answer: b. It replaces a long phrase with a single, clear word.
2. You need your assistant to book a hotel in Siem Reap. What is the most courteous request?
a) Book the hotel for me now.
b) Would you please book a hotel for me in Siem Reap?
→ Answer: b. It uses a polite modal question structure.
3. Which sentence uses the active voice for clarity?
a) The new marketing plan was approved.
b) The Marketing Director approved the new plan.
→ Answer: b. It clearly states who performed the action.
Your Grammar Mission ⭐
Writing Task: Make it Professional
Rewrite these informal sentences to make them more clear, concise, and courteous for a business email.
- Informal: I need you to finish the presentation by tomorrow.
→ Professional: Could you please ensure the presentation is finished by tomorrow? - Informal: We gotta look into why we lost that client.
→ Professional: It is important that we investigate the reasons for losing that client. - Informal: Just a heads-up, the meeting's off 'cause the director's sick.
→ Professional: Please be advised that the meeting has been cancelled due to the director's illness.
Key Vocabulary
- Business CommunicationThe sharing of information within and outside an organization for commercial benefit.
- Concise Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief.
- Redundancy The use of words that could be omitted without loss of meaning.
- Courteous Polite, respectful, or considerate in manner.