Feel like You’re Speaking Too Formally in English?

I see this sentence everywhere: 

❝If the attached files will suffice, please advise. Thank you.❞

Polite? Sure. But in most U.S. workplaces, it sounds… stiff. Maybe even a little 1998. Now, let’s modernize that vibe.

 Try these instead:

 ✔️ “Confirming receipt—thanks! I’ll take a look.”

 ✔️ “Sounds good. I’ll review and check back next week.”

 ✔️ “All set on my end—let me know if there are any changes.”

See the difference?

It’s still professional, but you sound human. Approachable. Efficient.

⚡ TL;DR version for Slack/Teams:

Looks good! TYSM. LMC. Will send by 5pm tmrw.

What you actually mean:

"Looks good! Thank you so much! Let me check on this please. I’ll send it back to you by no later than 5pm tomorrow."

And guess what?

Most of us prefer this style—because it feels like messaging a work friend. (Which, let's be honest, they are.)

But is the TL;DR style "okay" at work?

 🔑 Here’s the trick: Ask your teammate if you can keep it short.

Chances are, they'll thank you for saving them 3 paragraphs. Speaking naturally doesn't make you less professional. It makes you more relatable, faster.

So unless you’re writing a legal contract…

you can skip the “Kindly note…” and just say what you mean.

What’s your go-to shorthand? Drop it in the comments below! We’d love to learn how you communicate or hear the communication that keeps you engaged at work! 

💬 Want more tips on how to sound natural (and human) at work? Visit www.AurumBorealis.com