How to Write Polite Phrases in English at Work
ESL English learning: Master polite phrases for discussions, reminders, and apologies in tech workplace emails and Slack messages.
Why Polite Phrases Matter in Tech Communication
In tech workplaces, much of your communication happens in writing—Slack messages, emails, code review comments, and design docs. Using the right phrases helps you sound professional without being stiff, and polite without being passive-aggressive.
This article covers five essential phrase sets that tech professionals use daily: opening discussions, requesting reviews, apologising for delays, sending reminders, and describing current status. You'll learn alternatives for each phrase and when to use them.
Cultural Note
In international tech teams, direct communication is valued, but softening phrases prevent misunderstandings. Native English speakers often interpret blunt requests as rude, even when you don't intend them that way.
Five Essential Phrase Sets for Tech Professionals
| Base Phrase | Alternatives | Tech Context Example |
|---|---|---|
| on the table | under discussion, negotiable, up for discussion | The API design is still on the table—we haven't finalised the endpoint structure yet. |
| take a look at | review, look through, give it a once-over | Could you take a look at my PR when you have a moment? |
| thank you for your patience | apologies for the delay, sorry for the inconvenience | Thank you for your patience while we resolved the outage. |
| friendly reminder | gentle reminder, just to reiterate, just to let you know | Friendly reminder that the RFC deadline is tomorrow at 5pm. |
| at this moment | currently, as of today, at this stage | The feature flag is currently disabled in production. |
Each phrase set lets you adjust your tone depending on the situation. 'On the table' sounds more casual than 'under discussion,' while 'apologies for the delay' is more formal than 'sorry for the wait.'
Scenario 1: Opening a Negotiation or Discussion Professionally
When proposing ideas in design reviews, RFCs, or sprint planning, you need phrases that invite discussion without seeming pushy. The phrase 'on the table' signals that something is open for debate.
Use 'put something out there' when you want to propose an idea tentatively. This shows you're open to feedback and not attached to a specific solution.
| Slack (Informal) | Email/Doc (Formal) |
|---|---|
| Just putting this out there—what if we use GraphQL instead? | I'd like to put forward an alternative approach for discussion: migrating to GraphQL. |
| Is the deadline still negotiable or is it locked? | Could you confirm whether the timeline is still under discussion? |
| All options are on the table at this point. | All architectural options remain up for discussion at this stage. |
- Use 'on the table' to indicate something is still being discussed
- Use 'put out there' to propose ideas without pressure
- Use 'negotiable' when asking if terms can change
Scenario 2: Asking a Colleague to Review Something
Requesting code reviews, document feedback, or design input requires politeness. The phrase 'take a look at' is softer than 'review,' making it ideal for peer requests.
For quick checks, 'give it a once-over' works well. It implies a light review rather than a deep dive, setting appropriate expectations.
| Heard at Work (Weak) | Better English (Strong) |
|---|---|
| Review my code. | When you get a chance, could you take a look at my PR? |
| Check this document. | Would you mind looking through the design doc before tomorrow's meeting? |
| See if there are bugs. | Could you give the test cases a once-over to catch any edge cases I might have missed? |
Grammar Tip
Always use 'could you' or 'would you mind' before review requests. 'Can you review this?' sounds like you're questioning their ability, while 'Could you review this?' is a polite request.
Scenario 3: Apologising for a Delay Professionally
Tech work involves delays—incidents happen, reviews take longer than expected, and deadlines slip. Knowing how to apologise professionally maintains trust with stakeholders and teammates.
Use 'thank you for your patience' in customer-facing or stakeholder communications. For internal messages, 'apologies for the delay' is more direct and equally professional.
| Slack (Informal) | Incident/Status Page (Formal) |
|---|---|
| Sorry for the slow response—was deep in debugging. | Thank you for your patience while our team investigated this issue. |
| Apologies for the delay on the review, got pulled into an incident. | We apologise for the delay in resolving this matter. Your patience is appreciated. |
| Thanks for waiting—here's the update. | Thank you for your time. Please find the incident report attached. |
- Use 'thank you for your patience' for external/stakeholder communication
- Use 'apologies for the delay' for internal team messages
- Use 'sorry for the inconvenience' when users are affected by an outage
Scenario 4: Sending a Polite Reminder Without Sounding Passive-Aggressive
Reminders are tricky—you need to prompt action without sounding annoyed. The phrase 'friendly reminder' has become so common that some people find it passive-aggressive. Alternatives like 'just to reiterate' or 'just to let you know' can feel more natural.
The key is context: use 'friendly reminder' for genuine first-time reminders, and switch to 'just to reiterate' when you've already mentioned something and need to emphasise it.
| Potentially Passive-Aggressive | Genuinely Polite |
|---|---|
| As per my previous email... | Just to reiterate from last week's standup... |
| Friendly reminder that this was due yesterday. | Quick heads-up: the deadline was yesterday. Let me know if you need more time. |
| Not sure if you saw my message... | Just to let you know, I'm still waiting on the API specs when you have a moment. |
Culture Tip
In async-first teams, a second reminder after 48 hours is normal and expected. Frame it as helpful context ('bumping this up in your inbox') rather than a complaint.
Pronunciation Guide for Key Phrases
Several of these phrases contain sounds that ESL speakers often mispronounce. Pay attention to stress patterns and common errors below.
negotiable /nɪˈɡəʊʃiəbl/
ne-GO-shee-uh-bl
Saying 'ne-go-TEE-able' instead of 'ne-GO-shee-able'
reiterate /riːˈɪtəreɪt/
ree-IT-uh-rayt
Saying 'REE-iterate' instead of 'ree-IT-erate'
patience /ˈpeɪʃns/
PAY-shns
Adding an extra syllable: 'pay-shee-ence'
inconvenience /ˌɪnkənˈviːniəns/
in-kun-VEE-nee-uns
Stressing the wrong syllable: 'IN-convenience'
currently /ˈkʌrəntli/
KUR-unt-lee
Pronouncing as 'cur-RENT-ly' with stress on second syllable
Practice Exercises
Multiple choice
Choose the best answer.
A PM asks you: 'Is the Q3 deadline still flexible?' Which response uses 'on the table' correctly?
Multiple choice
Choose the best answer.
You want a teammate to quickly check your code before you merge. Which request sounds most natural and polite?
Multiple choice
Choose the best answer.
You need to remind your team that the RFC deadline is tomorrow. Which phrasing avoids sounding passive-aggressive?
Complete the sentence
Type the missing word or phrase.
Complete the incident update: '______ while we work to restore service. We expect resolution within the hour.'