English for Professional Purposes

Culture and ethics

Ben Stanley

Department of Social Sciences, SWPS University

June 22, 2026

Importance in ethical discussions

Modal verbs play a crucial role in navigating discussions about ethics in business for several key reasons:

  • Nuance and degrees of obligation:
    • Ethical issues are rarely black and white
    • Modal verbs help express varying degrees of obligation, allowing for a more nuanced conversation
  • Diplomacy and avoiding absolutes:
    • Ethical discussions can be sensitive
    • Modal verbs can help soften statements and present ideas in a more diplomatic way

Key functions of modals in ethics

  • Expressing degrees of certainty:
    • Ethical dilemmas often involve incomplete information and potential solutions
    • Modal verbs can convey the speaker’s level of certainty, allowing for a more measured and open-minded discussion
  • Building consensus and negotiation:
    • Modal verbs can be used to frame proposals and create space for negotiation on ethical issues

Benefits of modal verbs

Overall, modal verbs empower effective communication in business ethics by enabling individuals to:

  • Express varying degrees of obligation and responsibility
  • Navigate sensitive discussions with diplomacy and respect
  • Convey certainty or tentativeness based on available information
  • Facilitate collaborative problem-solving and ethical decision-making

Obligation and expectation

Must and should: These verbs express strong obligation or expectation.

  • “Companies must uphold ethical standards in all their operations.” (Strong obligation)
  • “We should strive to build trust with our international partners.” (Expectation)

Possibility and permission

May and could: These verbs express possibility, permission, or a suggestion.

  • “There may be cultural differences in negotiation styles.” (Possibility)
  • “We could explore alternative sourcing options.” (Suggestion)

Necessity and ability

Had to and could (have): These verbs express past necessity and ability (or lack thereof).

  • “We had to adapt our marketing campaign due to cultural sensitivities.” (Past necessity)
  • “Perhaps with more time, we could have found a mutually agreeable solution.” (Lack of past ability)

Advice and recommendation

Should and ought to: These verbs offer advice or recommendations.

  • “You should consider offering cultural competency training to your employees.” (Advice)
  • “It ought to be a priority to build sustainable partnerships.” (Recommendation)

Scenario 1: Potential supplier issue

Situation: Your company discovers that a low-cost supplier might be using child labour.

Dialogue:

  • “We must investigate this immediately. Child labour is absolutely unacceptable.” (must - strong obligation)
  • “Could there be other explanations? We should gather more information before taking action.” (could - suggests possibility, need for caution)

Scenario 2: Marketing campaign debate

Situation: Your team proposes a marketing campaign that could be seen as culturally insensitive.

Dialogue:

  • “This might offend some audiences. We should tread carefully.” (might – signals potential risk)
  • “Could we adapt the campaign to be more inclusive?” (could – explores possibilities)

Scenario 3: Addressing environmental concerns

Situation: A shareholder meeting discusses investing in more sustainable practices despite the added costs.

Dialogue:

  • “We should prioritise long-term sustainability, even with short-term cost implications.” (should – recommendation with consideration of consequences)
  • “Could we implement these changes in stages to mitigate the financial impact?” (could – suggests a compromise solution)

Scenario 4: Bribery situation

Situation: A potential business partner in a foreign country hints at the need for “facilitation payments” (bribes) to secure a contract.

Dialogue:

  • “We can’t engage in unethical practices, that’s non-negotiable.” (can’t - expresses prohibition)
  • “Perhaps there are other ways to build a mutually beneficial relationship?” (perhaps - seeks ethical alternatives)

Scenario 5: Whistleblower protection

Situation: An employee expresses concern about potential internal misconduct, but fears retaliation.

Dialogue:

  • “You must report this through the proper channels. We have a responsibility to protect whistleblowers.” (must – highlights strong obligation)
  • “Could we offer you support or alternative reporting options to ensure your safety?” (could – suggests options, conveys concern for the employee)

Sentence 1

Companies ________ disclose all potential conflicts of interest to their stakeholders.

Sentence 1

Companies must disclose all potential conflicts of interest to their stakeholders. (This creates a strong ethical obligation with no exceptions, suggesting this is a non-negotiable requirement.)

Alternatives:

  • should: Creates a strong recommendation but implies some flexibility
  • ought to: Similar to “should” but with a stronger moral dimension
  • could: Merely suggests disclosure as one possible course of action, significantly weakening the ethical imperative

Sentence 2

Managers ________ consider the environmental impact of their decisions, even when not required by law.

Sentence 2

Managers should consider the environmental impact of their decisions, even when not required by law. (This indicates a professional expectation or best practice without being overly prescriptive.)

Alternatives:

  • ought to: Emphasises the moral dimension of environmental responsibility
  • might want to: Creates a very weak suggestion that reduces the ethical importance
  • must: Could seem too prescriptive since the sentence acknowledges it’s not legally required

Sentence 3

The board of directors ________ have known about the accounting irregularities before they were made public.

Sentence 3

The board of directors should have known about the accounting irregularities before they were made public. (This suggests the board was negligent or failed to fulfil their duty of oversight.)

Alternatives:

  • might have: Indicates possibility without asserting certainty
  • could have: Suggests it was possible but not certain they knew
  • must have: Implies strong certainty that they knew (potentially accusatory)

Sentence 4

Employees ________ report suspicious activity without fear of retaliation.

Sentence 4

Employees should be able to report suspicious activity without fear of retaliation. (This indicates an important ethical standard that organisations ought to uphold, recognising an ideal that might not currently exist everywhere.)

Alternatives:

  • must be able to: Creates a stronger imperative for the organisation to ensure this protection
  • could: Merely suggests this as a possibility rather than a necessity
  • might: Similar to “could” but even more tentative

Sentence 5

Our company ________ adopt a more comprehensive code of ethics to address emerging challenges.

Sentence 5

Our company should adopt a more comprehensive code of ethics to address emerging challenges. (This recommends a beneficial course of action without making it seem absolutely mandatory.)

Alternatives:

  • could: Presents it as one option among many possibilities
  • might need to: Suggests a potential future necessity based on circumstances
  • must: Presents this as an immediate and non-negotiable requirement

Sentence 6

We ________ disclose this information to regulators even though it’s not explicitly required.

Sentence 6

We ought to disclose this information to regulators even though it’s not explicitly required. (This emphasises the moral dimension of transparency, suggesting it’s the right thing to do despite lack of explicit requirements.)

Alternatives:

  • should: Similar but slightly less emphasis on the moral dimension
  • could: Presents it as an optional action without ethical imperative
  • might want to: Weak suggestion that undermines ethical importance

Sentence 7

The CEO ________ be held accountable for ethical breaches that occur under their leadership.

Sentence 7

The CEO should be held accountable for ethical breaches that occur under their leadership. (This indicates a standard expectation of leadership responsibility without being excessively forceful.)

Alternatives:

  • must: Creates a stronger, non-negotiable principle of accountability
  • could: Weakens the statement by suggesting accountability is optional
  • might: Even weaker than “could,” suggesting accountability is uncertain

Sentence 8

Companies ________ prioritise profit over ethical considerations in competitive markets.

Sentence 8

Companies should not prioritise profit over ethical considerations in competitive markets. (This creates a clear ethical position against placing profits above ethics.)

Alternatives:

  • must not: Strongest prohibition, suggesting this is absolutely unacceptable
  • cannot: Suggests an impossibility (either practical or moral)
  • might not want to: Weak suggestion that fails to assert ethical importance

Sentence 9

Our suppliers ________ adhere to the same ethical standards we set for ourselves.

Sentence 9

Our suppliers should adhere to the same ethical standards we set for ourselves. (This creates a clear expectation while acknowledging potential practical challenges in implementation.)

Alternatives:

  • must: Creates a non-negotiable requirement for suppliers
  • might: Suggests this is merely desirable rather than expected
  • ought to: Similar to “should” but with stronger moral emphasis

Sentence 10

You ________ consult with the ethics committee before proceeding with this decision.

Sentence 10

You must consult with the ethics committee before proceeding with this decision. (This makes consultation a mandatory requirement that cannot be bypassed.)

Alternatives:

  • should: Strongly recommends this as the proper procedure, but implies some flexibility
  • might want to: Suggests this as helpful but optional
  • could: Presents it as one possible option without strong recommendation

Sentence 11

The board ________ have investigated these allegations more thoroughly before dismissing them.

Sentence 11

The board should have investigated these allegations more thoroughly before dismissing them. (This implies the board failed in its duty and contains an element of criticism.)

Alternatives:

  • could have: Indicates a missed opportunity without strong criticism
  • might have: Even milder than “could have,” suggesting it as a possibility
  • would have: Creates a hypothetical situation rather than direct criticism

Sentence 12

Employees ________ feel comfortable raising ethical concerns with management.

Sentence 12

Employees should feel comfortable raising ethical concerns with management. (This indicates an important organisational goal and good practice in ethical governance.)

Alternatives:

  • must: Creates a stronger imperative for management to ensure this
  • would ideally: Softens the statement, acknowledging current reality might differ
  • might: Very weak; suggests this is merely one possible state

Sentence 13

We ________ ensure our marketing materials accurately represent our products.

Sentence 13

We must ensure our marketing materials accurately represent our products. (This creates a non-negotiable ethical and legal requirement related to truthful marketing.)

Alternatives:

  • should: Strong recommendation but slightly less forceful
  • need to: Similar to “must” but with practical rather than moral emphasis
  • might want to: Inappropriately weak for an ethical requirement

Sentence 14

The management team ________ reconsider their approach to work-life balance.

Sentence 14

The management team might want to reconsider their approach to work-life balance. (This offers a diplomatic suggestion that allows for discretion while still indicating a recommendation.)

Alternatives:

  • should: Creates a stronger recommendation, less diplomatic
  • could: Suggests this as a possibility without clear recommendation
  • must: Very strong; implies current approach is completely unacceptable

Sentence 15

Our company ________ tolerate discrimination in any form.

Sentence 15

Our company will not tolerate discrimination in any form. (This is a definitive policy statement rather than an ethical obligation, showing the company’s stance.)

Alternatives:

  • should not: Strong ethical statement against discrimination
  • must not: Strongest prohibition, making this absolutely unacceptable
  • cannot: Similar to “must not” but emphasises impossibility