Lesson 90

FROM CASUAL TO PROFESSIONAL

When we write to our friends, family and social media followers, we usually use casual (informal) English. But when you write to people at work, casual English will probably sound too informal.

For you to be able to sound more professional and business-like, here are some formal versions of some useful words

   Casual     –     Formal

• help –     assist
• see –     observe
• answer –     reply
• ask –     inquire
• say sorry –    apologize
• talk about –     discuss
• say –     express
• make sure –     ensure
• let someone know –     inform
• At first –     initially

 

Examples:

Casual: I need you to help your sister with her homework.

Formal: I need you to assist the customer with new our product.

 

Casual: You should say sorry for being late.

Formal: We should apologize for making their department staffs wait.

 

Casual: At first, I felt very angry about my friend’s reaction.

Formal: Initially, they refused to sign the agreement, but we managed to convince them.