British English · C1 · Unit 4
Diplomacy
Diplomacy
By the end you can
- Give bad news tactfully
- Disagree and criticise diplomatically
- Understand what indirect language really means
Words and phrases
| British English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I'm sorry to have to tell you | a polite way to begin bad news | I'm sorry to have to tell you that we'll miss the deadline. |
| behind schedule | later than planned | We're running slightly behind schedule. |
| not ideal | bad (said in a softer way) | The timing is not ideal, I admit. |
| perhaps we could | a polite suggestion | Perhaps we could look at this another way. |
| I'm not sure that's entirely accurate | I think that's wrong (polite) | I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. |
| I hear what you're saying | I've listened (often means: I don't agree) | I hear what you're saying, but the budget is fixed. |
| it may be worth | it might be a good idea to | It may be worth reviewing the timeline together. |
| that's an interesting idea | often means: I don't like it (British understatement) | Hmm, that's an interesting idea. |
| read between the lines | understand the hidden meaning | With British emails, you have to read between the lines. |
| tactful | careful not to upset people | She was very tactful about it. |
| sugar-coat | make bad news sound better than it is | I won't sugar-coat it, we're three weeks late. |
| the bottom line | the most important fact | The bottom line is that it won't be ready until May. |
Then talk it through
Telling a client their project will be late. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.