Welcome back. In our previous lesson, we established the importance of choosing the correct register—formal, semi-formal, or informal—for your audience. You learned to assess the context of your communication and select a tone that ensures your message is received appropriately, a crucial first step for anyone in a company secretarial role.
Today, we will build directly upon that foundation by zooming in from the overall tone to the level of individual words. Our goal is to address one of the most common challenges in professional writing: "finding the right words." This lesson will equip you to identify and replace informal or vague words with the precise, professional alternatives that create the "polish" you're aiming to achieve in your board and shareholder communications.
From Vague to Precise: Identifying Informal Language
Before you can replace informal words, you first need to develop an eye for spotting them. Informal language often includes vague nouns, casual verbs (especially phrasal verbs), conversational fillers, and shortened words. While perfectly fine for internal chats with close colleagues, these can undermine the authority and professionalism of formal documents like board notices or regulatory filings.
The following video provides an excellent breakdown of a formal and an informal email, highlighting the specific word choices that define their tone. As you watch, pay close attention to the substitutions the speaker points out.
Formal versus Informal Emails: Email Writing Tips for Business English
This video from Kara Ronin's channel clearly demonstrates the impact of individual word choice. Please watch the following two segments.
First, watch the analysis of the formal email. Note how words like "thank you," "discussed," and the phrase "Could you please give me" create a polite and professional tone. Next, watch the contrasting breakdown of the informal email. Observe how "thanks," "spoke to," and "let me know" make the message more casual and direct. This comparison will help you start to recognize these patterns in your own writing.
The key takeaway is that professional polish is often achieved through small but significant upgrades in vocabulary. Swapping a casual word for a more formal one instantly elevates the tone of your message.
Building Your Professional Word Bank
The next step is to build your own "word bank" of professional alternatives. Having a ready supply of formal words allows you to write with more confidence and precision, especially when drafting important communications.
This infographic provides a fantastic visual reference, listing 100 common informal words and their formal counterparts.
As you can see, simple swaps can make a big difference. For example, in a formal context:
- Instead of "tell," use inform or advise.
- Instead of "get," use obtain or receive.
- Instead of "need," use require.
While the infographic is a great overview, it's useful to explore these replacements in more detail. Let's focus on two common areas where informal language creeps in: phrasal verbs and abbreviations.
The next short video from BBC Learning English clearly shows how to upgrade these elements.
Formal English and informal English - BBC English Masterclass
This video offers a concise demonstration of making an informal email more professional.
First, watch the segment on upgrading vocabulary, where the presenter replaces the phrasal verb "find out" with "enquire" and the common word "jobs" with "vacancies." Then, watch the following section on avoiding shortened forms, which shows why "at the mo" and "uni" should be replaced with "currently" and "university" in formal writing.
To expand your word bank even further, the following resource contains detailed tables of formal and informal words. It's a valuable document to bookmark for future reference.
Formal & Informal English · engVid
This resource from engVid is a practical reference guide. You don't need to memorize it, but familiarize yourself with the types of words you can easily upgrade.
Please review the three tables under these headings: Verbs: Focus on replacing common phrasal verbs like 'go up' (increase), 'put off' (postpone), and 'deal with' (handle). Emphasis Words: Note how vague terms like 'a lot of' can be replaced by the more precise 'much' or 'many'. Slang: This table lists everyday words like 'kids' or 'smart' and their formal equivalents, 'children' and 'intelligent'.
Your Turn: Putting It into Practice
Now it's time to apply what you've learned. You have the tools to both identify informal language and replace it with professional alternatives.
The following resource contains a short, poorly written business email. Your task is to rewrite it to be suitable for a professional context.
16.8 Slang and Idioms – Business Writing for Success
This exercise from Business Writing for Success will test your ability to spot and correct informal language.
Find the section titled "EXERCISES". Read the sample email from M. Ernest Anderson to Ms. O'Connor. As you read, identify the words and phrases that are too informal for a job application follow-up (e.g., "awesome," "cool lady," "stuff," "workaholic," "take care of business").
Take a few minutes to rewrite the email in your own words. Aim to preserve the original meaning while elevating the tone to a professional standard. How would you rephrase it to make a better impression?
Click to see a suggested rewrite and analysis
Here is one possible way to revise the email:
Dear Ms. O’Connor,
I am writing to follow up on my interview from last week for the [Job Title] position. It was a pleasure to meet you and learn more about the role.
Based on our discussion, I am confident that I possess the skills required for the responsibilities you outlined. I am a dedicated employee who is committed to delivering high-quality work.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
M. Ernest Anderson
Analysis of the changes:
- "awesome to meet you" was replaced with "it was a pleasure to meet you," which is more formal and standard in business etiquette.
- "You are a really cool lady" was removed entirely as it is unprofessional and overly personal.
- "a pro at all the stuff you mentioned" was upgraded to "I am confident that I possess the skills required for the responsibilities you outlined." This is more specific ("responsibilities" instead of "stuff") and sounds more competent ("possess the skills" instead of "a pro").
- "I am not a workaholic, but I do work hard and 'take care of business'" was replaced with "I am a dedicated employee who is committed to delivering high-quality work." This conveys the same positive message without using slang or clichés.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have moved from theory to practice, focusing on the specific word choices that distinguish functional writing from polished, professional communication. This skill is at the heart of your goal to draft more effective and impressive emails.
Here are your key takeaways:
- Precision is Professional: Vague or casual words like 'stuff', 'get', and 'nice' can weaken your message. Opt for more precise alternatives like 'tasks', 'obtain', and 'beneficial'.
- Upgrade Your Verbs: Replacing phrasal verbs (e.g., 'find out', 'put off') with their single-word equivalents ('ascertain', 'postpone') is a quick way to increase formality.
- Eliminate Slang and Abbreviations: Words like 'awesome' and shortened forms like 'info' have no place in formal communication, such as board correspondence.
- Build Your Word Bank: Actively collecting and using formal alternatives will make professional writing feel more natural over time.
You now have a solid framework for choosing stronger, more appropriate words. In our next lesson, we will continue to refine this skill by looking at how professional words naturally fit together. We'll explore how to apply commonly used professional collocations correctly, such as 'convene a meeting' or 'submit a proposal', to make your writing sound even more fluent and authoritative.