Want to Sound More Professional? 10 Key Phrases for Formal English Conversations

Hi there. This is Harry. And welcome back  to Advanced English Lessons with Harry,  

where I try to help you to get a better  understanding of the English language.

In this particular lesson,  this advanced English lesson,  

we're looking at useful phrases that you can  use in discussion but in formal discussions.

So these phrases are going to be more formal, but

you can use them. I'll explain them and  give you a situation when you might use  

them, so we'll go through them  together. There are ten in total.

Number one. If you don't mind me  saying so. So this is us, as I say,  

quite formal and it's polite and it's if you  want to be a little bit more tactful. So all  

of these particular phrases are going to allow  you to be a little bit more tactful. And what  

that really means is that you won't  insult anybody by accident or design.

People will like the sort of English you're using,  and they will see that you've got a good command  

of English. So the first one, if you don't mind  me saying so. So when might you use that? Well,  

you could use it in any situation, if you don't  mind me saying so. I think the presentation is a  

little too long, so it could be in a, a business  meeting in house with your team and somebody doing  

a dry run or a practice of a presentation,  and you're just giving some feedback.

So you might say politely or tactfully,  yeah, if you don't mind me saying so.  

I think the presentation is a little too  long. I think our customers or our clients  

really get a little bit irritated  of a presentation goes on too long,  

so try and reduce it to 15 or 20 minutes.  So if you don't mind me saying so.

Or you could say, if you don't, if you don't  mind me saying so, I think you need to focus  

more on what the product can do for them, rather  than what it can do for us. So you might be just  

highlighting your views, your comments  about something you've heard listen to,  

and you're trying to understand how your  customers or your clients might react to it.

So you would use this sort of expression,  if you don't mind me saying so.

I see where you're coming  from. And again, great tactic.

I can see where you're coming from. Usually we  would use this expression when we're about to say,  

but....Okay. Yeah I can see where you're  coming from. Means I understand your point,  

but I still don't fully accept it. Yeah. So  I can see where you're coming from. Yeah,  

I can see what you're trying to say. I  can see what you're trying to achieve.

So the expression I can see or I see where  you're coming from. I understand exactly  

where you're coming from, but I might do it a  little bit differently. So being quite tactful.

Look, don't take this personally. But again,  here, another tactful way in which you're going to  

disagree with somebody. You're going to challenge  perhaps what they are saying, but you don't want  

them to feel as if this is a personal attack  on them. It's not. It's an observation. It's  

a comment, a criticism, but it's not personal. So  look, don't take this personally, but I think what  

we need to do is this, this and this or look,  don't take this personally, but you need to  

be a little bit more aggressive or you need to be  less aggressive, or you need to be more pragmatic.

So you're going to introduce some criticism of  the way somebody has said something or presented  

or written something, and you're trying to be  tactful. And how you get that across. So look,  

don't take this personally or please  don't take this personally. My comments  

are only about the content. Nothing to  do with you as an individual. Yeah, okay.

I do take your point but and again here we've  got the board. So all of these expressions are  

really being tactful because we are going to  introduce some disagreement. We are going to  

raise an issue about how it's presented  what is in the presentation. So we're  

not going to be in full agreement  with whoever is making the comments.

So things like I do take your point, but  so you understand exactly what they're  

trying to say. I do take your point,  but will our clients understand it?  

Oh, I do take your point.  But will our clients really,  

really be on side with that? Or do we need to  go into it in a little bit more detail? Yeah.

So I do take your point. Meaning. Yeah, I know  I know what you're saying. I understand that  

this is really important to you or to us, but  it may not be so important to the customer.

Number five. Now this is an expression we  will use when we really want to tell the  

person that we don't agree in any shape  or form, with what they say. But again,  

we don't want we don't want to say  it just like I don't agree with that  

or that's rubbish. We can use an  expression like, I beg to differ.

I beg to differ. Now it's very formal. I  beg to differ. What it means is. I'm sorry,  

but I don't agree. I beg to differ.  I'm sorry, but I don't agree. Okay,  

so when you say I beg to differ,  it means okay. Yeah. Point taken.  

That's your view and you're quite entitled  to it. But I'm also entitled to my view.

And I beg to differ with you. I beg to differ.

And if you do like this particular  lesson, then please like the video.

And if you could subscribe to the  channel because it really, really helps.

No offence intended, but so again, hear  criticism coming up at disagreement coming  

up. You're not going to accept everything the  person has said. So you make it very clear at  

the beginning that you're in no way trying to  offend them by saying, I don't like what you  

say or I don't agree with what you say, and  you're trying to sugarcoat it a little bit.

As I said, to be tactful. No offence intended,  but okay, you could quite simply say, I'm sorry,  

I don't agree. I'm sorry. That's complete  and utter rubbish. Yeah. I don't care what  

you think. This is what we should do. But as I  said, this is all about being tactful and these,  

comments and expressions that will help you  to be tactful in those formal discussions.

And what you don't want to do is upset people  

on unnecessarily. So here  what we're trying to say is,

no offence intended, but I have to tell you  that I don't agree. Yeah. I'm not. Again,  

criticising you as an individual. What  I am doing is criticising what you are  

saying or how you're saying it or  how you're putting this across.

So no offence is intended. So I  don't want you to get unduly upset.

Number seven similar expression. With all due  respect. Now this is really, really polite.  

Very very tactful. Yeah. So what it means is,  with all due respect to you as a person who I,

admire and respect, I have to say that I'm not  really on the same page as you are on this.

I don't really see the point you're trying  to make. Or even if I do see the point,  

I don't agree that it should be presented in  such a way. So with all due respect to you,  

I would like to put forward an alternative.  And that's exactly how you will say it. With  

all due respect to you, I think we  are going about this the wrong way.

I think we need to look at this from  the customer's point of view. And if  

you look at the problem from  the customer's point of view,  

you can understand very clearly why they  have a problem. And so, with all due respect.

Number eight. Now, again, going back to  being tactful. I mean this in the nicest  

possible way. So whatever I say, don't  take it up wrongly, don't get insulted,  

don't feel that this is a personal attack on  you because it actually isn't. Yeah, yeah,  

I understand exactly what you're  trying to do. You have a really,  

really difficult job, whether it's in  marketing and finance or human resources.

But I mean, this or that in the  nicest possible way means, yeah, okay,  

whatever I say. You might have a problem with it.  You might take exception with it, but it wasn't  

intended that way. So I mean this in the nicest  possible way, but I really, really believe that  

we've got to take a very, very different approach.  We've tried it before and it never worked.

I want you to look at this. But I mean this in the  nicest possible way. Okay, so been very tactful.

Honest, but also tactful and polite.

Now, here, we're getting a little bit,

more,

or a little bit stronger in our,

opposition to something that somebody  has said. But we're still trying to be  

tactful. I'm afraid I have to say. So this is  really saying, when you introduce the words,  

I'm afraid there's definitely a  negative going to follow this.

I'm afraid I have to say that I disagree.  I'm afraid I have to say that this just  

isn't acceptable. You know, we need  to do better. We need to improve our  

communication with our customers. We  need to improve our level of sales.  

I'm afraid I have to say that this just  isn't going to cut ice with the board.

So perhaps your team is preparing or  has prepared a paper for the board,  

and you're getting the chance to look  at it before it goes to the board. And  

you're trying to be as kind as possible  with your criticism because you know,  

when it's presented to the board, they will  just cut it in pieces if they don't like it.

Yes. So I'm afraid I have to say that this  is not going to do it for the board. We're  

going to have to be a little bit more thorough.  We're going to have to be a little bit more,

detailed, and we're going to  have to be a little bit more  

aggressive with the statements that we make. Okay.

Now number ten. That's not the way I see  it. Okay, so again, here's a very strong,  

but tactful way of telling somebody that you  don't agree with whatever they've put forward,  

whatever they've suggested, whatever  solution they've, come up with,  

it's just not going to work. That's not  the way I see it. This is the way I see.

So if there's a problem that's landed on your  desk and somebody comes to you and says, okay,  

this is what's happened, this is how I see this  situation. And then you sit there, you listen,  

but you have an idea in your own mind that's this  is not really hitting the nail on the head. So  

you have to say, well, that's not the way I see  it, the way I see it is blah, blah, blah, blah.

So you're disagreeing, but in a very tactful way.

Okay, so there are ten.

Expressions or phrases already to use. All.

phrases for you to use in formal discussion  where you can be as tactful as possible.

So let me give them to you one more  time with that sentence at the end,  

just so you can hear them, in  full flow. Okay. Number one,  

if you don't mind me saying so, I think  we need to start at the very beginning.

I see where you're coming from, but I  don't think that the customer will agree.

Look, don't take this personally, but  really, do you think we are going to

achieve a sales using that strategy?

I do take your point, but I think we  have to really be a little bit more  

aggressive with the way we approach  a marketing in the next year because,

we've really got tight

targets to achieve.

Number five, I beg to differ with you. I really  

don't agree with your view on this  particular problem. I beg to differ.

Number six. No offence intended,  

but I really think we need to  take a fresh look at this problem.

number seven, with all due respect to you

this is a slightly different problem. I

With all due respect,

I mean this or that in the nicest possible  

way I can. This is not a reflection. You  personally situation is very difficult.

Number nine. I'm afraid I have to say  that the board are unlikely to accept  

this recommendation. We really need  to go into this in much more detail.

I'm afraid I have to say.

And then finally, number ten. That's not the way  I see it. I understand where you're coming from.

but that's not the way I see it at all.

should look at this again.  That's not the way that I see it

Okay, so ten

useful phrases form of discussions. But all of  them, when you use them and put them into English,  

that'd be quite tactful. They certainly  won't be seen as insulting. And it's a  

good way to lead into any comments or  points of views that you might have.

pick a couple of them. Try to work them into  your written English. Try to work them into your  

spoken English. When you get more comfortable  with them, come back and use a few others.

And if I can help you any further. Well,  

you know the drill by now. Just write to  me at englishlessonviaskype.com. Very happy  

to hear from you. Very happy to help  you with some additional information.

Okay, this is Harry saying  goodbye and thanks for watching.

Thanks for listening and  join me for the next lesson.