Adaptation and the Selection of
Words
Business Communication
Chapter – 2
Teacher – Shahed Rahman
Important to know



All the people you are
communicating with do
not have the same level of
vocabulary, knowledge,
or values
They don’t have the same
level of knowledge
So you need to know the
person who you want
communicate with.
The Basic Need for Adaptation



For Writing to be clear,
It must be adapted to
the reader
To communicate first
you should know the
person with whom
you wish to
communicate
You should form a
message to fit that
person’s mind
The Basic Need for Adaptation

Visualizing the Reader
◦ Adaptation begins with
visualizing the reader –
imaging what he or she
knows, feels, thinks and such

Technique of Adapting
Often you will need to write at
levels lower than your own
Simplify – you may write
differently for highly educated
people
Adapt the language of the
reader
The Basic Need for Adaptation

Adapting to Multiple
readers
◦ If you write for one
person you may miss the
others
◦ To communicate with all of
them, write of the lowest
member of the group
Governing Role of Adaptation
◦
◦
◦
◦
Using simple words
Short sentences
Short paragraphs
Think of simplicity in
terms of adaptation
◦ Also think what
simple for one may
difficult for others
Suggestions for Selecting Words

Select the right words is the part of
adaptation
◦ Many people tend to write at a difficult level
◦ The writer usually knows the subject better than
the reader
◦ The results of research support simplicity

Use Familiar Words
◦ Familiar words communicate
◦ Use your judgment in determining what words
are familiar
◦ Difficult words are not always bad. Use them
when they fit your needs and are understood
Suggestions for Selecting Words
Use Slang and Popular
Cliches with Caution
 Choose short words

◦ Eg. They accepted to the
proposition to terminate
business or They agreed to
quit the business
◦ During the preceding year
the company operated at a
financial deficit or Last year
the company lost money
Suggestions for selecting Words
Use Technical Words and
Acronyms with Caution
 All fields have technical words
 The words are useful when you
communicate with people in your
field
 Do not use those with outsiders
 Use them with caution
◦ Eg. Annuity,Vascular Accident,
Perpetuity
• Use Initial Cautiously – define as
needed.
- Eg. SARS
Suggestions for Selecting Words

Legal Language has
worked its way into
business writing
◦ Thereto, herewith
and ipso facto
◦ Replace legal language
with plain words
◦ Eg. The land adjacent
thereto or the
adjacent land
Select Words with the Right
Strength and Vigor
Words have personalities
 Select the strong one

◦ Eg. Mother vs female parent

To select words wisely, you
should consider shades of
difference in meanings
Select Words with the Right
Strength and Vigor
Sometimes weaker
words serves your
purpose best
 Verbs are the
strongest words.
Nouns are second
 Adjectives and adverbs
are weak words. They
involve judgment

Use Concrete Language
Use concrete words
 Be more specific – Concrete words
 Concrete is opposite of abstract
 Abstract noun cover broad meanings

◦ A significant loss -----A 53 percent loss
◦ In the near future ----- By noon Thursday
Use the Active Voice
Prefer the active voice to the passive voice
Active voice produce stronger and shorter
writing
Active voice – The subject does the action
Passive voice – The subject receives the
action
Passive – The policy has been supported by
our union
The office will be inspected by Mr Hall
Active – Our Union supported this policy
Mr Hall willl inspect the office
Remember about Active Verbs
Writing in more interesting and
communicates better when it uses active
voice
 Passive is better when the doer of the action
is not important
 Passive help avoid accusing the reader
 Passive is better when the performer is
not known
 It is also better when the writer prefer
not to name the performer

Avoid Overuse of Camouflaged
Verbs
An awkward construction that should be
avoided in the camouflaged verb.
 Eg. An arrangement was made to meet for
breakfast >>> We arranged to meet for
break fast
 Application of the mixture was
accomplished >>> They applied the
mixture
 Control the water was not possible>>>
They could not control the water

Select Words for Precise meanings
Writing requires knowledge of language
 You should study language and learn the
shades of difference in the meaning of
similar words
 You should learn the specific meanings of
other words
Eg. Weary-Tired – Pooped out- fagged out –
Exhausted
Sell – Market – Advertise - Promote

Suggestion for Non Discriminatory
Writing
Avoid words that
discriminate against sex.
Race, nationality, age,
religion, sexual orientation
or disability
Sexist
If customer pay promptly, he
is placed on our preferred
list
When customer needs
service it is his right to
ask for it

Suggestion for Non Discriminatory
Writing
Gender – Neutral
A customer who pays promptly is
placed on our preferred list
A customer who needs service has
the right to ask for it
We can use other option by
making the reference plural
or by giving a neutral
expressions
Neutral expression can be
awkward so use them with
caution
Words Derived From Masculine
Words

Avoid words suggesting male
dominance
◦ Man-made > manufactured or
human origin
◦ Manpower> Workers
◦ Businessman > Business
Executive
◦ Fireman > Firefighter
Words that Lower Statues by
Gender
Do not use that lower someone’s status
Male executives sometimes refer to their
female secretaries as my girl.
I will have my girl to take care of this
matter
So in here secretary will be a better choice
Male nurse , male teacher or lady lawyer
Use just nurse , teacher or lawyer

Avoid words that Stereotype by
Race, Nationality or Sexual
Orientation
Words depicting minorities in a
stereotyped way are unfair and
untrue
 Words that present members of
minorities as exceptions to
stereotypes are also unfair

◦ Italians are Mafia Members
◦ Muslims are arrogant
Avoid Words that Stereotype by
Age
Words that label people as old or young
can arouse negative reactions
 Some don’t mind being called senior
citizens, others do.
 Always be sensitive with terms such as –
mature, elderly, teenager etc
 Young person is a better word than
teenager

Avoid Words That Typecast those
with Disabilities

Disabled people are sensitive to words
that describe their disabilities
◦ Retarded
◦ Deaf and dumb
◦ Use the seizures or epilepsy