business conversation

Example Conversations - 1
This is a discussion about a business matter and the function of this conversation is professional. Personal requests should not be included (i.e. - how about dropping the Mr Peterson and calling me Bob). The informal tone is also inappropriate when discussing a business report.


Mr Peterson is speaking to Ms Bank who is his direct supervisor. He would like to ask Ms Bank to analyze a report he has done. The first conversation has a number of errors in language usage based on the situation. See if you can spot the mistakes:

Mr Petersen: Oh, Anne, come here.
Ms Bank: Yes, Mr Peterson. How can I help you?

Mr Petersen: Well, first of all, how about dropping the Mr Peterson and calling me Bob.
Ms Bank: If you don't mind, I would prefer to talk about why you would like to talk to me.

Mr Petersen: Come off it, don't be such a snob. Anyway, I finished the report you demanded. Wanna take a look at it?
Ms Bank: Yes, I would as a matter of fact.

Mr Petersen: Well, here it is. Give it a good one over and tell me what you think.
Ms Bank: Thank you Mr Peterson. I'll get back to you tomorrow.


Domain Mistakes:

As a subordinate who has been requested to do a report, Mr Peterson is responsible for presenting a report in a positive manner to the supervisor who has asked for the report. The use of 'demanded' is much too strong in this case. Also, supervisors generally set the standard for whether or not first names are used between management and staff. However, it is true that in most business settings in the US today, a more informal environment is preferred and first names are generally used between most employees.


Register Mistakes:

Mr Peterson is clearly not aware of the fact that he is speaking to his boss. His choice of informal language, imperative voice (tell me what you think, etc.) and idiomatic usage (wanna take a look?) are all inappropriate register choices for this conversation.

Urgency Mistakes:

While the message that Mr Peterson wants to get across is very important, his choice of language detracts from the importance of the fact that the report is finished. In this case, the most important business task at hand, i.e. the report, might be ignored because of his improper use of language forMs

Conversation 1 - Corrections Here is the same discussion with a more appropriate approach:

Mr Petersen: Excuse me, Ms Bank. Could I ask you to come over here for a moment?
Ms Bank: Certainly, how can I help you?

Mr Petersen: I've finished the report you requested and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking a look at it.
Ms Bank: That's good to hear. I'd be happy to look through the work you've done.

Mr Petersen: I'd also appreciate it if you could give me any feedback for future reports.
Ms Bank: Certainly, I'll be sure to let you know what I think.

Mr Petersen: Thank you.
Ms Bank: Thank you Mr Peterson.

Explore useful phrases and proper language use in these business English articles