Workplace English is full of phrases that sound important but say… very little.
Here are five that could happily disappear.

ASAP
Too vague.
Say when you actually need it. “Please send it by Friday afternoon.”

Keep me in the loop
Say it simply. “Keep me updated.”

Team player
Be specific. “She’s supportive.” “He’s collaborative.”

Give 110%
No one can.
Try “Do your best.”

Back to square one
Clearer version. “Let’s start over again.”

When you remove jargon, everything gets easier.
People understand you faster.
Meetings get shorter.
Stress drops.

Which jargon phrase would you love to delete from the workplace?

Today let’s look at a tiny word with many faces.
“Zero” sounds simple, but English has plenty of alternatives.

Nil. Often in football. “Two–nil.”
Nought. British English. “Nought point five.”
Zilch. Slang for “nothing.”
Nada. Borrowed from Spanish.
Goose egg. A funny way to say someone scored nothing.
Oh. Used in phone numbers. “Five–oh–five.”
Love. Tennis scoring.
Zip. American English. “I know zip about chemistry.”
Not a dicky bird. Old-fashioned British. Means “nothing.”

Fun to know. Nice to recognise.
But if you want to be understood everywhere, “zero” is still your safest choice.

Your turn.
Does your language also have different words for “zero”?

Today’s adventure: simple past vs. present perfect.
Sara arrived on my screen with coffee. Frank arrived with confidence.
I arrived with patience.

We started simple.

Simple past
For things that are finished.
“I bought new shoes yesterday.”

Sara nodded.
“Yes. That one I like. It’s clear. It’s done. Finished. Like my last diet.”

Then we moved on.

Present perfect
For life experience or results that still matter now.
“I’ve bought too many shoes this year.”

Frank smiled.
“Oh yes. Very easy.”
Of course he did.

Sara looked at him as if he’d just claimed he invented the tense.

So we tried real-life examples.

“Sara, you learned English at school.”
Simple past. A finished event.

“But you’ve forgotten most of it.”
Present perfect. The result is still visible today. Very visible.

She rolled her eyes.
“Thanks, Christine.”

Then Frank stepped into it.

“I visited London last year.”
Correct.

“But I’ve never understood the Tube map.”
Also correct.
Finally, something he struggles with.

Sara lit up.
Her moment.

“I learned English years ago… but I’ve improved a lot these days.”
Boom.
Both tenses.
Perfectly used.

Frank blinked.
Sara grinned.
I celebrated quietly.

English tenses.
One small example can change everything.

Which one confuses you more? The simple past or the present perfect?

Welcome to this week’s Sparks Plus – your quick, practical boost for clearer, more confident English.
Six short sections, all easy to read and use right away.

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1️⃣ Quick Win

Should you say write to me or write me?

Both exist, but the difference is context.

✔ Write to me when you arrive. → (neutral, used everywhere)
✔ Write me soon! → (more common in American English, informal)

If you’re unsure, “write to me” is always safe.

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2️⃣ Real-World English in Action

Denglish rescue:
A client said: I’ll make you aware about the changes.

In English, we say:
✔ I’ll make you aware of the changes.
Or even simpler:
✔ I just wanted to let you know about the changes.

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3️⃣ Christine’s Pick

Teach Us About Ukraine (VOA Learning English)
A special series of essays and lessons written by English teachers in Ukraine — sharing stories about life, culture, and history.
It’s a wonderful way to learn English and discover more about the people behind the language.
Explore it here.

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4️⃣ Reader Question

Q: Should I write Please find attached or Please find enclosed in an email?
A: Use attached for emails, enclosed for letters.

✔ Please find attached the updated file.
✔ The signed form is attached.

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5️⃣ AI Prompt to Test

Try this in ChatGPT:

“I’m a German professional speaking English at work. List 5 typical mistakes I might make – and show me the better version for each one.”

Builds awareness gently, without correction stress.

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6️⃣ Spotlight

Need help writing LinkedIn posts faster. without sounding like a robot?

I use MagicPost to plan, create and manage posts about 10x faster.
It helps you stay consistent, save hours every week and keep your real voice.

Why I recommend it
– No more blank-screen panic or writer’s block
– Ideas and structure appear instantly
– Keeps your tone natural – not “AI-generated”
– Great if you want to post regularly but still sound like you

Try MagicPost here. (affiliate link – it’s what I use myself!)

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I want to say the German word for “quotation marks”… and my brain suddenly packs its bags and leaves the room.

It happens to me all the time.

In my panic, I usually reach for Gänsefüßchen or Tüddelchen. They’re adorable. Maybe that’s why I never remember the official term (Anführungszeichen!).

And here’s something fun.
German and English quotation marks don’t even look the same.

German starts at the bottom (99) and ends at the top (66).
English keeps both at the top. First 66. Then 99.

Take a really close look… „this“ rather than “this.”

Cute detail. Many people don’t know it.

And if you want to impress your English-speaking friends, drop “quotation marks” or “inverted commas” into the conversation.
Works like a charm.

As a trained bilingual secretary, I’ve always had a soft spot for punctuation.
What about you? Do these tiny marks matter to you too?

If you’ve ever tried to say Ich drücke dich ganz feste in English, you’ve probably noticed it sounds a bit strange.
“I press you very tightly” is not quite the cosy message you want to send.

What you mean is simple.
A warm hug.
A squeeze full of care.
A little “I’m with you.”

English just doesn’t have the same sweet phrase.
So people usually say:

“I’m sending you a big hug.”
or
“A big hug to you.”

And honestly, the real thing speaks for itself.
Next time you see your English-speaking friend, just give them that proper squeeze. They’ll get it.

Small note for today.
Not everything translates.
But warmth always does.

Is there another phrase in your language that never quite works in English?