How to be More Polite in the Workplace

How to be More Polite in the Workplace - Indirect Questions

Being professional and polite in the workplace requires mastering both direct and indirect communication. Let's examine how you can transform direct questions into more polite, indirect alternatives to enhance your professional relationships with your boss, colleagues and customers.

Reminder - What are Direct Questions?

Direct questions are straightforward and begin with familiar question words:

• "Where is the quarterly report?"

• "When will the budget meeting start?"

• "Who is managing the new project?"

• "What are the projected sales figures?"

• "Why hasn't the client responded?"

• "How does the new software work?"

• "How many units did we sell last month?"

• "How much revenue did we generate?"

While these questions are clear and precise, they can sometimes appear too abrupt or direct in professional contexts.

Transforming Direct Questions into Polite Alternatives

To turn a direct question into an indirect question we use a polite introductory phrase.

Common Polite Introductory Phrases:

• Do you know...?

• Could/Can you tell me...?

• Would you mind telling me...?

• Would it be possible...?

• Could you let me know...?

• Have you any idea……?

Grammar Rule for Forming Indirect Questions

After your polite introductory phrase, use statement word order (subject + verb for sentences that are not questions) instead of question word order (verb + subject). Look at the example below:

Becomes:

Direct Questions with ‘Does’ and ‘Did’

For direct questions that contain the verbs ‘does’ or ‘did’, we omit ‘does’ or ‘did’ when we convert them into indirect questions.

For example:

Direct Question: “What does the graph show?”

becomes:

Increasing Politeness by Adding ‘Please’

For increased politeness, we can add ‘please’ to the sentence, as follows:

Practice Exercise

Can you transform the direct questions from above into indirect questions?

1. "Where is the quarterly report?"

2. "When will the budget meeting start?"

3. "Who is managing the new project?"

4. "What are the projected sales figures?"

5. "Why hasn't the client responded?"

6. "How does the new software work?"

7. "How many units did we sell last month?"

8. "How much revenue did we generate?"

Transform each direct question into an indirect question using an appropriate introductory phrase. Add 'please' where suitable. Remember the word order.

More than one answer is possible. My suggested answers are below.

This week, we focused on questions that use question words like where, when, and so on. Next week, we will cover questions that require a yes or no response.

Making Presentations Work: Less is More

Using Inversion Theory to Improve Your Business Communications

Have you ever sat through a confusing presentation and thought

Last week, we explored inversion theory - thinking about what could go wrong to find the right solution. Today, let's apply this to giving presentations to international business audiences.

Imagine you're preparing an important presentation. Instead of asking "How can I make this presentation great?", try asking "What would make this presentation fail completely?"

Here are three guaranteed ways to fail:

• Speaking too quickly (leaving your audience behind)

• Using complex vocabulary (making understanding difficult)

• Creating slides full of text (overwhelming your audience)

By identifying these problems, we can develop better presentation strategies:

Speak at the Right Pace
Take your time and pause between important points. This gives your audience time to process information and ask questions if needed.

Keep Language Simple
Choose clear, straightforward words. Remember, even native English speakers prefer simple explanations. Don't try to impress people with complicated language - impress them with clear ideas instead.

Design Clear Slides
Use fewer words and more white space on your slides. Include only key points and use visuals when possible.

Remember this golden rule: In business presentations, clarity always beats complexity. Focus on being understood rather than showing how many impressive words you know.

Next time you prepare a presentation, think about what could go wrong - then do the opposite. Your audience will thank you for it!

Poll - Which English skill do you find most difficult?

Last week, I asked you about the challenges you encounter while learning English. The most common response was the need for more opportunities to practice, particularly in listening and speaking.

This week, I’d like to ask about the four essential English skills: two input skills—reading and listening—and two output skills—writing and speaking.

Idiom of the Day: Less is More

Less is more - idiom - used for saying that a small amount or small changes are more effective than a large amount or big changes.

That is the idea that simplifying or reducing something can enhance its effectiveness or impact.

Practice Exercise - Suggested Answers

These are my suggestions for the indirect questions practice exercise. Other answers are possible.

1. "Where is the quarterly report?"

2. "When will the budget meeting start?"

3. "Who is managing the new project?"

4. "What are the projected sales figures?"

5. "Why hasn't the client responded?"

6. "How does the new software work?"

7. "How many units did we sell last month?"

8. "How much revenue did we generate?"

Do you have any Business English Questions?

Please email me and I will do my best to answer them in future newsletters.

Until next Wednesday - have a great week!

Iain.

www.communicateenglish.com