Page 89 - How to write effective business English your guide to excellent professional communication by Fiona Talbot

78 How to Write Effective Business English

● ● over-complicated or incorrect messages;
● ● focusing on the specific words rather than the overall meaning;
● ● losing sight of the business need: for example, to write an
essential call to action (what to do next).
We all need to take note that choosing unnecessarily complicated
words rarely sits well in the modern workplace. For example, ‘eru-
dite’ may be a ‘correct’ word but it’s not a clever word if your read-
ers don’t understand it! Similarly, why write verbose sentences
such as: ‘the information we have assembled leads us to believe
that…’ over the more accessible: ‘we find that’.
Also, don’t make assumptions when you translate a word such
as actualmente from Spanish to English that it will be the similarly
sounding English word ‘actually’. The correct word would be ‘cur-
rently’. Don’t guess at meanings, or make your readers do the same.
Regularly ask yourself:

● ● Will my readers recognize the words I use?
● ● Will they understand their meaning?
● ● Will these words attract and continue to engage their attention?
● ● Am I easily enabling the response I need?

Better to ask if you don’t understand
something

Problems that can arise from non-native English (non-NE) writing
affect non-NE and native English readers alike. You’ll see scenarios
like this:

● ● we can’t understand some or any of the non-NE writer’s writing;
● ● we almost understand what is meant but don’t ask questions as
we should (either out of goodwill – or because we can’t be
bothered!);