Often the problem isn’t having nothing to say — it’s not knowing how to say it well. Messaging your boss feels too casual, a business email feels unprofessional, a formal notice still reads like a chat. You agonise, rewrite, and it still feels off.
Polishing is one of AI’s most reliable uses: write what you mean in plain words and let it swap in more formal, tactful phrasing. The meaning stays yours — only the delivery levels up. It’s easier than writing from scratch: you make the meaning clear, AI makes it sound good.
When to use it
Messaging a boss or client, writing emails, drafting notices, polishing a résumé or application — any time your wording feels too casual or unprofessional.
How to do it
- First write your meaning in plain words — don’t worry about how it sounds
- Open DeepSeek or Doubao, paste the prompt, and tell it the audience and tone
- Pick a version you like; if it feels stiff, ask it to be “more natural / half as long”
- Read it once and fix anything that doesn’t sound like you; for Chinese, run a final proofreading pass in Xiezuocat
Weak vs strong
The left just says “make it formal” and often gets stiff officialese; the right spells out audience, tone and setting, so the result is tactful without being pompous.
Copy-paste prompt
Rewrite the text below to be more【formal / professional / tactful】, for【a message to my boss / a business email / a formal notice】, with a【polite / concise】tone — same meaning, not stiff, and smooth out any awkward phrasing. Original:【paste your plain words here】
Worked examples
You get：A send-ready leave message that gives a reason, an apology and a handover note — far more polished than the original.
You get：It swaps the emotional venting for objective phrasing like “a few parts need refining / suggest adding …”, raising the issue without bruising anyone.
Level up
- Pick a register: besides “formal”, ask for “warmer / more concise / more written” — many tones from one line
- Give a reference: paste writing you admire and say “match this style and tone”
- Reverse it: when stuck on convoluted officialese, ask it to “put this in plain words” instead
Common mistakes
- Sending without reading — AI sometimes over-elevates or adds promises you didn’t make; always reread before sending
- Chasing “fancy words” — piling on jargon sounds pompous; tactful beats ornate
- Letting AI invent the facts — dates, numbers and names are yours to get right; it doesn’t know the truth
FAQ
Won’t it stop sounding like me?
Can I use this for official documents or contracts?
Pro tip：For Chinese, finish by running the result through Xiezuocat for one more proofreading pass — punctuation, typos and grammar all cleaned up at once.