Adaptation in

Business
Communication

- Fitting The Message To
A Specific Reader
Business Grammar

Dos &
Donts

Golden Rules
Choose Short Words
Short words communicate better exceptions
exist
The antiquated merchandising strategy is
ineffectual in contemporary business
operations
The old sales strategy will not work in todays
business
They acceded to the proposition to terminate
business
They agreed to quit business
Select Stronger Words
Verbs -- Action Words --
Strongest
Nouns -- Doers Of Action --
Are Second
Adjectives And Adverbs --
Weak Words -- Add Length
And Distract
Illustrations of
Stronger Words
Strong Weak
Slump Period Of Decline In Market
Boom Period Of Business Prosperity
Tycoon Eminent, Successful Businessman
Use Concrete Words
Concrete Words -- Form a
Sharp and Clear Meaning In
Mind

Abstract Words -- Give a Vague
Or a General Meaning
Illustrations of Concrete Words
Abstract Concrete
A Substantial Gain A 60% Profit
A Piece Of Art A Painting
Administration Managing Director

Avoid Legal Words Like Thereto,
Therein, Herein, Ipso Facto, Etc
The Land Adjacent Thereto Can
Be The Adjacent Land
Avoid We Beg To State
Replace a stroke with a
cerebral vascular accident
Replace ultimo with of the
previous month
Replace proximo with of the
next month
Replace Formal and Stiff Words
With Simple and Preferable
This is to acknowledge Thank you for your
We acknowledge Thanks for your letter
Attached herewith Attached
Would you be good enough Would you please
Instant, inst (of the same
month)
Write the month
We hand you our latest
quotation enclosed herein
Enclosed is our latest
quotation
Use Appropriate Synonym
Differences In The Finer Shades Of
Meaning Has Its Effect On Writing

E.G. Beautiful And Magnificent
Convey The Same Meaning, Yet
Beautiful Is More Appropriate For A
Lady
And Magnificent For A Building
Use Technical Words and
Acronyms With Caution
Use Only When Readers Know
Them
Use Initials Carefully, Define And
Spell Out
Acronym Is A Word Formed From
The Initial Letters Of A Multiword
Name.
WAC Is Womens Army Corps
Gender Bias
Replace authoress, actress with
author, actor
Avoid using he for everyone,
use he or she

Racial bias
Age Bias
Do not include age when irrelevant
e.g. Mr X, 56, has just joined our
company
Disability Bias
Replace Crippled workers face
difficulties in their work place
with Workers with physical disabilities
face difficulties in their work place

You Attitude
Avoid I, Me, Mine, We, Ours
Use You And Yours
We attitude You attitude
We have four
different savings
schemes in which
our customers can
invest their savings.
You have a choice of
four savings
schemes in which
you can invest your
savings
You Attitude
But Avoid It If It Makes You
Sound Dictatorial Or When
Someone Makes A Mistake

e.g. Say We Have A Problem
Instead Of You Caused The
Problem
Emphasize the Positive
Explain What You Have Done,
What You Can Do, And What You
Will Do
Avoid Saying What You Havent
Done, Cant Do Or Wont Do
Negative Positive
It is impossible to
repair your computer
today
Your computer would
be ready by Friday
Emphasize the Positive
Avoid referring to failures, problems,
shortcomings
Focus on what the person can do to
improve
Negative Positive
The problem with this
department is a failure
to control costs
The performance of this
department can be
improved by tightening up
cost controls
Establish A Good Relationship
With Your Audience By
Using You Attitude, Bias-free And
Positive Language
Establishing Your Credibility
Being Polite By Expressing Yourself
With Courtesy, Kindness, Tact
Being Prompt In Your
Correspondence
Projecting The Companys Image
Misplaced Modifiers
Modifying words or words that describe.
Keep them near the noun

Mr Jones is the person speaking to
Susan with the grey moustache
Mr Jones is the person with the grey
moustache speaking to Susan
Misplaced or Dangling
Modifiers
Walking to the office, a red sports
car passed her

A red sports car passed her while
she was walking to the office
Unparallel and Parallel
Sentences
To waste time and missing
deadlines are bad habits

Wasting time and missing
deadlines are bad habits
Unparallel and Parallel
Sentences
To reduce expenses the company
will have to cut salaries, closing the
canteen and slashing travel
expenses

To reduce expenses the company
will have to cut salaries, close the
canteen and slash travel expenses
Unparallel and Parallel
Sentences
Two new duties for the job are
making phone calls and to call on
clients

Two new duties for the job are
making phone calls and calling on
clients