The Grammar Rules You Can Break in Business Writing (And Still Sound Professional)

“Sometimes I just can’t get my English tutor’s words out of my head!”

Shan is a marketing manager who first came to the United States from Taiwan as a university student. By that point, Shan could speak English fluently, thanks to the classes she had taken in secondary school—and the strict tutor her parents hired to give her an edge over her classmates.

“That tutor made sure I learned to speak English properly,” Shan emphasized. “I wasn’t allowed to make mistakes in my writing, either. Everything I wrote in English had to follow the rules at all times, or else the tutor would make me go back to the beginning and write the entire paper all over again. Then I came to America and I found out that native English speakers break the rules all the time!”

Although Shan has been in the United States for over a decade, she still feels uncomfortable about breaking traditional grammar rules. “Native English speakers seem to automatically know which rules they can break and which ones they cannot,” said Shan. “This is something I never really learned. It does not feel natural to me. I also worry about undermining my credibility.”

At the same time, one of Shan’s teammates at work has mentioned that Shan’s writing is too formal and that it does not flow naturally. Her level of formality also makes her seem cold and distant when she writes emails or notes to her teammates. Shan realizes if she wants to communicate with ease—and fit in better with her teammates—then she needs to learn how to start breaking the rules.

If you are in a similar situation, below are some of the grammar rules that you can bend or break if you want to sound more natural and engaging in your informal or “business casual” communications such as text messages, business emails, notes, and memos.

Starting sentences with conjunctions

If you had an English teacher or tutor like Shan’s, you probably learned never to start sentences with conjunctions like “and,” “but,” or “so.” But sometimes if you start a sentence with a conjunction, it can make your writing sound more conversational and easier to read. A conjunction can also be used at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis.

For example, here is a text message exchange between two of Shan’s colleagues:

David: We need to send these templates to Tania.

Adam: And Maurizio needs to see them as well.

David: You’re right. So I’ll send them to both Tania and Maurizio.

Ending sentences with prepositions

You may have been taught not to end sentences with prepositions. But in informal and “business casual” writing, it often sounds more natural to end sentences this way.

Let’s look at two similar sentences:

Are these the templates for which Tania has been waiting?

Are these the templates Tania has been waiting for?

The first sentence is grammatically correct, but it sounds too formal and stuffy. This level of formality might be necessary in certain contexts, but the second sentence is the one you’re most likely to see in an everyday business email.

For more details about when and how to end a sentence with a preposition, click here.

Using contractions

Technically, contractions like “isn’t”, “can’t”, and “shouldn’t” are grammatically correct, even though their use is discouraged in formal contexts. However, using contractions can give your writing a more relaxed and approachable tone.

After evaluating some of her old business emails with the help of a teammate, Shan realized that she wasn’t using contractions, giving her writing a pedantic, and occasionally even a harsh tone. Here is an excerpt from an email that Shan once sent to a colleague:

I have not received your update. I cannot proceed with the report for Tania until it is on my desk.

“When I wrote that email, I had no idea that it sounded harsh,” Shan explained. “Now that I have given it some thought, it does sound like I was scolding my teammate. That was not what I meant to do.”

Of course, that email has already been sent. But Shan wrote a new version, just to see if using contractions would significantly change the tone.

I haven’t received your update. I can’t proceed with the report for Tania until it’s on my desk.

Shan’s teammate reassured her that the email sounds much less harsh with the contractions. “I definitely need to start working on this!” Shan agreed.

You can find a full article about using contractions here.

Sentence fragments

Although complete sentences are usually preferred, sentence fragments can be effective for emphasis or to convey a casual, conversational tone. Sometimes, you just want to send someone a quick message and you only need to use a handful of words:

Email sent.

Done. Now what?

No problem.

No worries. See you tomorrow.

Got it. Thanks!

How TextRanch can help

Finding a good balance between professional and approachable language can be tricky, especially if English isn’t your first language. Our TextRanch editors can help you fine-tune your business emails, text messages, and other communications to ensure that your writing is clear, effective, and appropriate for that particular context. We can also help you figure out how to bend and break the right rules to enhance your messages without compromising your professionalism. To get started, just click the blue box below.