Which sentence conveys the most conversational yet professional tone? I knew he wouldn't tell her what he really thought about her idea -he's like that. It seems that he was unwilling to denigrate her point of view on the matter until she had left the office. He didn't have the guts to badmouth her 2 her face. He didn't have the nerve to criticize her to her face.

The most conversational yet professional option is: "He didn't have the nerve to criticize her to her face."<br /><br />Here's why:<br /><br />* **"I knew he wouldn't tell her what he really thought about her idea - he's like that."** This is very informal and relies on implied shared knowledge ("he's like that"). It's gossipy and unprofessional.<br /><br />* **"It seems that he was unwilling to denigrate her point of view on the matter until she had left the office."** This is overly formal and uses unnecessarily complex vocabulary ("denigrate"). It sounds stiff and academic, not conversational.<br /><br />* **"He didn't have the guts to badmouth her 2 her face."** This uses slang ("guts," "badmouth," and the numeral "2") which is inappropriate for a professional context.<br /><br />* **"He didn't have the nerve to criticize her to her face."** This sentence is direct, clear, and uses commonly understood vocabulary. It expresses the same core idea as the other options but does so in a way that is both conversational and professional.<br />