Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Finding the Common Touch with a Common Phrase

At the following link, you will find listed many idioms, expressions, and sayings that (if used well) add life and personality to business writing. If over-used, these same phrases can make your writing seem hackneyed and trite.

Two student groups in particular will find this phrase list useful:

1. Students who want to add an executive touch to their business prose. Executives in our day are always striving for the "memorable phrase" and "the common touch" in their speeches and writing. An old saying, if not over-used, can be just the right addition to make a point in a persuasive, somewhat creative way.

2. Students who are learning standard American English. The phrases listed here cannot easily be looked up in most dictionaries. By getting to know these phrases over a period of time, these students will find that business lectures, readings, and advertisements become much easier to understand. Their own efforts to write and speak in standard American English for internal and external business audiences will also improve dramatically as these phrases are mastered. (If you manage non-native speakers, you may want to pass this list along to them.)

Click here for list of common idioms, expressions, and sayings in American business writing and speaking

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