4.2 Business English

The Language of Global Commerce

English is the dominant language of international business. Whether you are writing a proposal, running a meeting, or negotiating a deal, the ability to use English professionally and persuasively is a critical skill. English is the official or working language of most multinational corporations, over 1.75 billion people use it at a professional level, and poor communication costs businesses billions every year in lost deals and misunderstandings.

In this chapter we will master the building blocks of business English: understanding formal register and when to use it, writing professional emails, using the right language for meetings and presentations, and applying negotiation vocabulary and strategy. The throughline is that business English is not about big words for their own sake -- it is about clarity, courtesy, and precision in high-stakes situations where the wrong phrasing can cost real money.

Formal Register and Professional Emails

Register refers to the level of formality in language, and business English typically demands a more formal register than everyday conversation. The contrast is clear: "Thanks for getting back to me" becomes "Thank you for your prompt response"; "I need this ASAP" becomes "I would appreciate receiving this at your earliest convenience"; "Sorry about the mix-up" becomes "I apologize for the misunderstanding"; "Can't make it" becomes "I regret that I am unable to attend."

The key principles of formal register are worth memorising. Avoid contractions -- use "I would" instead of "I'd," "cannot" instead of "can't." Use the passive voice strategically -- "The report was completed" sounds more formal than "I finished the report." Choose Latinate vocabulary -- "commence" rather than "start," "terminate" rather than "end," "require" rather than "need." Hedge appropriately -- "It would appear that..." rather than "Obviously..." And avoid slang and idioms, since not everyone shares the same cultural references.

These principles come together in the professional email. A good business email has a clear, specific subject line ("Q3 Budget Proposal -- Review Requested by 15 March"), a professional greeting ("Dear Ms. Tanaka"), the purpose stated early, numbered action items where appropriate, and a polite closing with full contact information -- and no contractions, slang, or emojis. For example, after a meeting you might write: "Thank you for taking the time to meet with our team on 12 February... Following our discussion, I am writing to confirm the key points we agreed upon..." followed by a numbered list and "Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions." The structure does the heavy lifting: it makes your message clear, professional, and easy to act on.

The Careful Language of Meetings and Negotiations

Meetings and negotiations have their own specialised vocabulary, much of it built around diplomacy and hedging. To open a meeting you might say, "Thank you all for being here. Shall we begin?" or "The purpose of today's meeting is to..." To ask for opinions: "What are your thoughts on this, Ms. Chen?" or "Could you elaborate on that point?" When agreeing or disagreeing, register matters enormously: full agreement is "I fully support that proposal"; partial agreement is "I see your point, however..."; and polite disagreement is "With respect, I see this differently" -- never a blunt "No, you're wrong."

Negotiation language leans even harder on hedging and conditionals. Making proposals: "We would like to propose..." or "What if we were to...?" Bargaining: "Would you be willing to consider...?" or "If we agree to X, would you be open to Y?" Closing: "I believe we have reached a consensus on..." or "The next steps will be..."

Watch this play out in a real exchange. A Norwegian seafood company (NordFish) negotiates with a British distributor (FreshUK). NordFish: "We believe a three-year contract... would benefit both parties. Could you share your initial thoughts?" FreshUK: "We appreciate the offer. However, we have some concerns about the pricing structure..." NordFish: "I understand your concern... However, we would be willing to discuss volume-based discounts." FreshUK: "If we were to commit to a 15% larger order, what kind of discount could you offer?" Notice that both sides use hedging language ("we would be willing," "could you share"), conditional structures ("if we were to commit"), and polite formulations throughout -- and crucially, no one ever says "no" directly. A few useful terms round this out: a call to action is a clear request for the recipient to do something, consensus is general agreement among a group, and a counterproposal is an alternative offer made in response to an initial one.

Summary

Business English is the language of global commerce, and mastering it is a critical professional skill. Formal register -- avoiding contractions, using Latinate vocabulary, hedging assertions, and maintaining a respectful tone -- distinguishes professional writing from casual speech. Professional emails follow a clear structure: a specific subject line, formal greeting, purpose stated early, action items, and a polite closing with contact information. Meetings and negotiations rely on specialised, diplomatic vocabulary for opening discussions, expressing agreement or disagreement politely, making proposals, bargaining with conditionals, and reaching consensus -- with heavy use of hedging so that no one ever has to say "no" directly. The unifying goal is clarity, courtesy, and precision in situations where word choice can make or break a deal.