Communicating
diplomatically in
professional English
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4 useful rules
to remember
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1. Use modal verbs ('would', 'could', 'might', 'may'): these change an otherwise
aggressive command into a polite request.
• Send the coffee to table 5.  Could you send the coffee to table 5, please?
2. Alter your grammar by changing the present tense to the past or progressive ('-
ing'). This has the effect of softening the verb, and is often done with verbs like
'think', 'hope', 'want', 'feel' or 'wonder'.
• What is your name?  What did you say your name was?
3. Make your language more vague, through expressions like 'bit', 'around', 'a few', 'a
little', 'quite', 'slightly', 'kind of', '-ish'. These qualifiers are often used when you
want to provide less direct information.
• We’ll have this ready for you in around 5 minutes, sir.
4. Negative questions are polite, because they make your language less direct: use
these to be diplomatic, give your opinion or recommendation, or ask a question.
• Yes, we’ve met before.  Haven’t we met before?

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