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10 Ways to

Sound More Polite
when speaking English!
a workshop by

English with Kim!

ENGLISHWITHKIM
...

And who might you be?
ENGLISHWITHKIM
...

Using these strategies can help you sound more tactful and
diplomatic if you pay attention to stress and intonation
...

Creating distance helps ensure that your listener will be more
receptive to what you have to say
...
When speaking,
focus on how you can emphasize the modal verb and its feeling
of possibility using more expressive, less flat intonation
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You could revise the report
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I wouldn’t agree with that
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We might need more time to
decide
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They could practice speaking more
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This softens the impact of critical feedback
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Use negative contractions with
positive adjectives
more direct

more polite

That’s a horrible idea
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That looks ugly
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That’s a waste (bad use) of our time
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This project will be unsuccessful
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#3
Use “not very”

Use “not very”
Combined with the previous strategy, using “not very” enables
you to state your honest opinion by distancing yourself from
the language that may be received poorly by your listener
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Use “not very”
more direct

more polite

The report was poorly written
...


The sales figures are terrible
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Your timeline is inconvenient for us
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I am pessimistic about the outcome
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#4
Use qualifiers

Use qualifiers
When you give someone feedback that might not be welcome,
you can use one of the following qualifiers to reduce the
critical impact of your words
...

The advantage of using qualifiers to state your opinion is that
you’re still clear about what the problem is, but the qualifier
shows that it is something that can be fixed or adjusted
without extreme effort
...


That looks a bit too tight on you
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There’s going to be a slight delay
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I have one or two suggestions
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We have a minor problem
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You can combine this strategy with the others we have
already looked at to create more distance from your request
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3PM is better for me
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It is wiser to take this opportunity
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This option is less expensive
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We need to see more research
before deciding
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By asking a question that includes your preference, you are
showing that you are open to negotiation, but you’ve already
suggested what works best for you
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Does 3PM work for you?

We need to meet again soon
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Should we reschedule the meeting?

Revise the offer
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Softening your language in this way helps you sound more
tactful and diplomatic while leading the other person right to
where you want them to be
...


Shouldn’t we reschedule the
meeting?

Revise the offer
...


Isn’t Friday too late?

I would like some more time to
consider
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Indirect questions create distance from what you want or
need from the other person, which makes requests more
polite, observations less confrontational, and suggestions
more of a strong nudge than criticism
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Present your idea as an indirect question
more direct

more polite

We should reschedule the
meeting
...


Have you decided yet?

I was wondering if you’ve decided
yet
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I’m not sure if Friday is too late
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#9
Use past and past
continuous expressions

Use past and past continuous expressions
These special expressions show consideration of the other
person’s feelings and demonstrate our own flexibility
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Native speakers don’t actually hear the past tense when you
use these expressions; instead, they hear the polite distancing
of the request
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Use past and past continuous expressions
more direct
What time is your appointment?
Are you going to accept the job?
We already discussed your
proposal
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more polite
I wanted to check what time your
appointment is
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We were discussing your proposal
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#10
Use the plural “we” instead
of “I” or “you”

Use the plural “we” instead of “I” or “you”
As you have noticed from the previous strategies, sounding
more polite involves being inclusive and involving the other
person’s feelings and perspective in the way you present your
feedback, opinion, suggestion, or request
...
” This indicates that you are considering the other
person as much as yourself
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We need to cancel the meeting
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We should take some time to think
about it
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We have some suggestions
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We should be more positive
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Use modal verbs

6
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Use negative contractions
with positive adjectives

7
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Use “not very”

8
...
Use qualifiers
5
...
Use past and past continuous
expressions
10
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As you continue to study the anatomy of a conversation, you
will learn more communication strategies
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http:/
/conversationanatomy

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