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Pay down the debt: diplomatic language for talking about technical debt

Hard messages at work need diplomatic language, and this B2 English for IT lesson plan teaches it in talks about technical debt.

Grammar
Softeners (I'm afraid…, To be honest, slightly), might and could for distance, It might be worth + -ing, not ideal, and negative questions: Wouldn't it be better to…?
Topic
A request for one cleanup sprint at a fictional payments startup and the debt metaphor behind it, with shortcut, interest, refactor and maintainable.
Activities
The story of the debt metaphor and an email to read, a call to hear, self-checking drills, a chat with sales, a softening wheel, and a message to write and an explanation to record.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Warm-up: Shortcuts We Took

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and talk about your workOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the debt vocabularyVocabularyTry it
    • Choose the word for each pictureChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2The Story: Borrowing Time

    • Read the story of the debt metaphorArticleUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer about the storyQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3At Work: One Sprint, Please?

    • Read Tom's email to BeatrizReal-life documentTry it
    • True or false? Check Tom's emailTrue or falseUnlock
    • Choose the message that is polite and clearQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Listen: Features or Cleanup?

    • Listen to Beatriz and Tom's callListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer about the callQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Grammar: Soft Words, Clear Message

    • Study the scheme: diplomatic languageGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the correct option to complete each sentenceChoose the optionUnlock
    • Make each message more diplomatic: fill in the gapsFill in the gapsTry it
    • Sort the sentences: direct, diplomatic or too soft?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps in Kenji's messageDrag and dropUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Speak Up: Bad News, Nicely

    • Choose the right replies: give bad news diplomaticallyChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel: soften the hard messageSpin the wheelUnlock

  7. Chapter 7Homework: Ask for Time

    • Read your phrase bankReal-life documentUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: Beatriz writes to DanielChoose the optionUnlock
    • Match the sentence halvesMatchUnlock
    • Write a diplomatic message asking for timeWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record an explanation of technical debtSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

24 exercises in 7 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

12 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+9 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • refactor
  • a rewrite
  • a hack
  • a quick win
  • a long-term cost
  • cut corners
  • put off
  • diplomatic
  • maintainable

Grammar: diplomatic language for hard messages

Diplomatic language changes how a message sounds, not what it says: the listener must still understand the problem. Following an on-call lead's request for a cleanup sprint, learners soften the tone of bad news but keep the facts, with the same tools people use to say no politely at work: softeners, modals, It might be worth + -ing and negative questions.

Diplomatic language for hard messages

Soften how you say it, not what you say: the other person must still understand the problem.

Seven tools for a hard message

I'm afraid and To be honest soften the start, slightly and a bit shrink a problem, and might, could and may add distance. Not ideal replaces a harsh adjective, and a negative question turns an order into a suggestion: Shouldn't we test it first?

ToolPatternExample
SoftenersI'm afraid (that) + clause · I'm afraid so / not · To be honest, + clauseI'm afraid we can't start this sprint.
Downtonersslightly / a bit / a little + adjective or comparativeThe new build is slightly slower.
Modals for distancemight / could / may / would + base verbThat could be a problem. We may need to wait.
It might be worthIt might be worth + -ingIt might be worth refactoring it first.
not + positive adjectivenot ideal · not (very) stable · not (very) easyThat's not ideal. The tests are not very stable.
Negative questions as suggestionsWouldn't it be better to + base verb? · Shouldn't we + base verb?Wouldn't it be better to fix it now?
I'm not sureI'm not sure (that / if) + clauseI'm not sure we can add it safely.

From direct to diplomatic

Each blunt line has a softer twin: The code is a mess becomes The code is not very easy to change, and Refactor it first becomes It might be worth refactoring it first. The facts stay the same; only the pressure drops.

DirectDiplomatic
The code is a mess.The code is not very easy to change.
We can't do it this sprint.I'm afraid we can't do it this sprint.
Refactor it first.It might be worth refactoring it first.
Fix it now.Wouldn't it be better to fix it now?
That's a problem.That could be a problem.

Softener, problem, reason, question

A complete hard message runs in four steps: I'm afraid the tests are not very stable because they fail on older phones. Shouldn't we fix them before the release? Then stop, because piling on softeners hides the message.

A hard message that is soft and clear

softenerthe problem, softenedthe reasona suggestion as a question

I'm afraid the tests are not very stable because they fail on older phones. Shouldn't we fix them before the release?

To be honest, the release date is not ideal because the cleanup isn't finished. Wouldn't it be better to wait a week?

Too soft = no message

Diplomatic language softens the tone, not the facts. ✗ Maybe it could possibly be a tiny bit worth perhaps looking at the code at some point? ✓ I'm afraid the code needs a sprint of cleanup. Could we plan it for the next sprint? Use one or two softeners, then say clearly what you need.

Worth refactoring, wouldn't it be

Worth takes -ing (worth refactoring, not worth to refactor), Wouldn't it be better to…? keeps its be, and Shouldn't we takes a bare verb. I'm afraid is followed by a clause; afraid of + a noun means real fear.

Typical mistakes

  • It might be worth to refactor the code.

    It might be worth refactoring the code.

    worth + -ing

  • Wouldn't it better to wait a week?

    Wouldn't it be better to wait a week?

    don't drop “be”

  • I'm afraid of we can't finish it.

    I'm afraid (that) we can't finish it.

    I'm afraid + clause; “afraid of” + a noun means scared of something

  • Shouldn't we to test it first?

    Shouldn't we test it first?

    shouldn't / wouldn't + base verb, no “to”

From today's lesson

  • I'm afraid the code that sends notifications has become a real problem.
  • To be honest, that was the right call at the time.
  • It might be worth giving the team one sprint to refactor it.
  • That's not ideal for a feature merchants check every day.
  • Wouldn't it be better to clean up before we build on top?
  • We could try, but I'm not sure that's realistic.

Try the diplomatic language exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 12 auto-checked exercises
  • 2 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 2 real-life documents
  • 1 article
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 1 picture
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • soften bad news without hiding it: I'm afraid we can't start refund notifications this sprint.
  • suggest instead of ordering: It might be worth refactoring it first. Wouldn't it be better to fix it now?
  • name a problem gently with not + a positive word or a downtoner: That's not ideal. The new screen is slightly slower.
  • write a product owner a message asking for time to pay down technical debt, and explain the debt to someone outside IT

Pay down the debt is lesson 16 of English for IT B2 · Beyond the Code and opens unit 6, Stakeholders and scope, on explaining trade-offs to non-technical colleagues and negotiating scope. It builds on the soft frames of English for IT B1 lesson 11, Could we maybe…?, now for harder news; lesson 17 adds as long as, provided and unless for offers, and lesson 18 ends the unit with a negotiation in roles.

The warm-up opens boxes about shortcuts and hard messages at work, then teaches twelve words with pictures and audio, from a shortcut and interest to cut corners, with a picture quiz. The story explains Ward Cunningham's 1992 comparison of first-version code with going into debt. Tom's email asks the product owner for one sprint and opens with his blunt first draft; a true-or-false check and a choice of polite, clear messages follow. In the AI-voiced call, Beatriz pushes for features until they agree on a plan. Four self-checking drills come after the scheme, one of them sorting lines into direct, diplomatic and too soft. In the chat, students tell sales a feature will be late, and a wheel brings more hard messages to soften.

The homework's phrase bank comes with a choose-the-option drill on Beatriz's email to Daniel and sentence halves to match, which check themselves. Then students write a message asking for time to fix a problem and record an explanation of technical debt for someone outside IT; the teacher reviews both.

Grammar:
diplomatic language · softeners · negative questions as suggestions
Topic:
technical debt · refactoring · stakeholders

Teaching tips

  • Start from Tom's first draft: read the blunt one-liner aloud, then the email he sent, and let students underline every softener he added and say what each one changes.
  • Score messages on two scales, polite and clear: the too-soft column of the sort drill shows that a line can score high on one and zero on the other.
  • In company classes, use the group's real backlog: each learner names one piece of debt from their own work and asks a colleague, playing product owner, for time in four steps: softener, problem, reason, question.
  • One-to-one, play the stakeholder who pushes back: answer every request with Couldn't the team just skip the cleanup? and let the learner hold the line politely, as in the sales chat.

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The whole course: English for IT B2 · Beyond the Code

24 lessons at B2 for software teams, in American English. A year on at Kestrel Cloud, a fictional payments startup, Iryna and her team estimate work, write docs and postmortems, argue trade-offs, give demos and negotiate scope. Each lesson starts from a real case, from the Apollo 11 alarms to Conway's law.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Planning and estimates

    estimates and deadlines: approximating numbers, the future continuous and perfect, likelihood

    1. Lesson 1It always takes longerApproximating numbers in estimates
    2. Lesson 2By New Year's Eve, we'll have fixed itFuture continuous and future perfect
    3. Lesson 3Let's play planning pokerLikelihood with bound to, likely to and may well

  2. Unit 2 Docs people read

    specs and design docs: modals for requirements, participle clauses, plain English

    1. Lesson 4MUST, SHOULD or MAY?Modal verbs for requirements in specs
    2. Lesson 5Four kinds of docsParticiple clauses in documentation
    3. Lesson 6Just a request for commentsPlain English for design docs

  3. Unit 3 Incidents and postmortems

    telling an incident without blame: narrative tenses, the passive, the third conditional

    1. Lesson 7The 1202 alarmNarrative tenses for incident stories
    2. Lesson 8Blameless by designActive vs passive voice in a postmortem
    3. Lesson 9If we had had an alert…The third conditional: a different past

  4. Unit 4 Architecture and trade-offs

    comparing options and recording decisions: contrast linkers, modals of deduction, mixed conditionals

    1. Lesson 10Your system copies your org chartContrast linkers for comparing options
    2. Lesson 11It's always DNSModals of deduction for troubleshooting
    3. Lesson 12Write down the whyMixed conditionals for looking back on decisions

  5. Unit 5 Demos and tech talks

    a clear structure on stage: signposting, cleft sentences, describing trends

    1. Lesson 13The mother of all demosSignposting language for demos
    2. Lesson 1420 slides, 15 secondsCleft sentences for emphasis
    3. Lesson 15Numbers that tell a storyDescribing graphs and trends

  6. Unit 6 Stakeholders and scope

    saying no and finding yes: diplomatic language, as long as and unless, negotiating

    1. Lesson 16 · you're herePay down the debtDiplomatic language for hard messages
    2. Lesson 17Why meetings argue about the bike shedAs long as, provided, unless and otherwise
    3. Lesson 18Yes, if…Negotiating language for scope and deadlines

  7. Unit 7 AI, security and ethics

    AI tools, passwords and team rules: be used to and get used to, past modals of deduction, purpose linkers

    1. Lesson 19Your new pair programmerUsed to, be used to and get used to
    2. Lesson 20Change your password? Maybe notPast modals of deduction
    3. Lesson 21Rules for AI at workPurpose linkers for rules with a reason

  8. Unit 8 Growing your career

    feedback, retros and goals: phrasal verbs, reporting verbs, wish and if only

    1. Lesson 22Your next levelCareer phrasal verbs and goal frames
    2. Lesson 23Feedback that helpsReporting verbs and their patterns
    3. Lesson 24Start, stop, continueWish and if only for wishes and regrets

Questions about this lesson

How do you say no politely at work?
Say no politely by softening the start, giving a reason and a way forward: I'm afraid next month isn't realistic. The team needs one sprint to clean up the code first. I'll confirm the exact date after Wednesday's review. Avoid a bare No, but don't blur the answer: the other person must still know it's a no. The B2 English for IT lesson Pay down the debt on edio.ai practices this in a chat with sales.
What are softeners in English?
Softeners are words and phrases that make a message less direct without changing its facts. Common ones are I'm afraid, To be honest, slightly, a bit, a little, modals such as might and could, and not + a positive adjective: That's not ideal. Compare The new build is slower with The new build is slightly slower: the same news, with less pressure.
How do you use negative questions to make suggestions?
A negative question offers your idea as something the listener can agree with: Wouldn't it be better to fix it now? Shouldn't we test it first? Shouldn't we takes a bare verb (never Shouldn't we to test), and Wouldn't it be better to…? needs its be. Tom's email in Pay down the debt, an edio.ai lesson for B2 software teams, makes its case with one.
What is diplomatic language?
Diplomatic language is wording a hard message so it stays polite and clear. Instead of Your estimate is wrong, say Shouldn't we check the estimate together? Instead of The code is a mess, say The code is not very easy to change. In Pay down the debt, a B2 lesson on edio.ai, students sort sentences into direct, diplomatic and too soft.
How can I make my English more diplomatic?
Build each hard message in four steps: softener, softened problem, reason, suggestion: To be honest, the release date is not ideal because the cleanup isn't finished. Wouldn't it be better to wait a week? Swap harsh words for not + a positive one (not very stable) and add distance with could or might: That could be a problem.
Is it "worth refactoring" or "worth to refactor"?
It's worth refactoring: worth is followed by -ing, not by to. It might be worth refactoring the payout code first. It might be worth checking with me before you give a date. The phrase makes advice sound optional, which helps with managers and clients. A chat in Pay down the debt on edio.ai sets worth to check as the trap.
What does "I'm afraid" mean in a work email?
In a work email, I'm afraid softens bad news; it doesn't mean you're scared: I'm afraid we can't start this sprint. Follow it with a clause, with or without that, not with of: I'm afraid of we can't finish it is wrong, because afraid of + a noun is about real fear. It works in short answers too: Is the list long? I'm afraid so.
Can diplomatic language be too soft?
Yes: soften the tone, never the facts. Maybe it could possibly be a tiny bit worth perhaps looking at the code at some point? gives the listener nothing to act on, while I'm afraid the code needs a sprint of cleanup. Could we plan it for the next sprint? is polite and clear. Use one or two softeners, then say exactly what you need.
What does technical debt mean?
Technical debt is the extra work that builds up after a quick shortcut: the team gets something sooner, then pays interest, extra time on every later change, until it pays down the debt by refactoring. Ward Cunningham compared shipping first-version code to going into debt in 1992, though his report never used the words technical debt. At work: We took shortcuts to meet the launch dates, and now we pay interest on every change.
How do you explain technical debt to a non-technical person?
Compare it to a loan: you borrow to get something sooner and pay interest every month until the loan is paid back. Then make the interest concrete: A small change takes four days instead of two, and those two extra days are the interest. End with a suggestion, not a complaint: It might be worth giving the team one sprint to refactor it. On edio.ai, this explanation is the recording task of Pay down the debt.
How do I teach diplomatic language to B2 professionals?
Start from direct lines your learners really hear at work, such as The deadline is unrealistic, and rebuild them: I'm not sure the deadline is realistic. Then sort examples into direct, diplomatic and too soft, so learners see that over-softening fails too. Finish with a real stakeholder, as in this lesson's chat with sales and its wheel of hard messages.
Are there interactive exercises for diplomatic language?
Yes: message-rewriting gap-fills and reply-choice chats show whether a softened line is still correct. On this page, four parts of Pay down the debt, a B2 English for IT lesson on edio.ai, play without an account: an on-call lead's email asking for a cleanup sprint, his call with the product owner, a gap-fill that makes messages more diplomatic and a chat in which students give sales bad news. The other exercises are locked.
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