WORKSHEET 1

1
The language of meetings

Many business people have to participate in business meetings conducted in English.

There are various aspects of language involved in meetings. These range from the formal
language of chairing and controlling official meetings, to the language of opinion giving,
agreeing, disagreeing, persuading, etc.

Here are some useful phrases.

Exercise

Look at sections 2, 3 and 4 below (Giving opinions, Agreeing, and Disagreeing). Some of
the phrases in the boxes are expressed very strongly, some are neutral and others are
rather tentative.

Can you divide the phrases into STRONG, NEUTRAL and TENTATIVE?

1. Asking for opinions

2. Giving opinions
a. What are your feelings on ... ?
a. I'm inclined to think ...
b. What do you think of ... ?
b. I think ...
c. What's your opinion of ... ?
c. My opinion is ...
d. Could we hear your opinion of ... ?
d. It's my feeling that ...
e. I'm absolutely sure that ...
f. I tend to think ...
3. Agreeing
a. I completely agree with you.
b. I agree.
c. Well, yes.
4. Disagreeing
d. That's right.
a. I agree up to a point, but ...
e. I couldn't agree more.
b. I don't agree at all.
f. That seems reasonable.
c. I'm afraid I don't entirely agree
with you.
d. I totally disagree with you.
e. I disagree.
f. That's completely wrong.