Say(to express something with words)

Tell(to give information to a person) (must have a person following the verb)

He told me to do it

Q: Where are they going?

A: they didn’t say
A: they didn’t tell me

Q: what did he say?

Q: what did he tell you? (what information did he give you?)

Say hi to Paul for me!

Tell Paul I said hi!

I want to say something about our teacher

I want to tell you something about our teacher

Speak - Talk

To(someone)
With(someone)
About(something)

I speak to you now

I talk to you now

I spoke to my manager yesterday (speak irr. Verb.)

I talked to my manager yesterday (talk reg. verb. You must add ed)

I will speak about medical treatments

I will talk about medical treatments

Languages: they speak French(not “they talk French”)

How many languages do you speak?(not “How many languages do you talk?”)
 Business Meetings in English
Starting the Meeting
Typically it takes a while for everyone to arrive at the meeting room. During this time, attendees usually make small
talk.

If you are chairing (hosting) the meeting, it’s a good idea to tell the attendees a bit about what you are planning to
discuss so that everyone has an idea of what to expect.

In a more formal meeting—which may include business people from other companies and countries—you might begin
by welcoming the attendees. Here are some phrases you can use to welcome everyone:

1. Welcome, everyone. The purpose of today’s meeting is to discuss…

Good morning and welcome, everyone. The purpose of today’s meeting is to discuss ways to improve customer service
in our smaller stores.

If a meeting has been called at short notice (with little time to prepare), you should thank everyone for taking the time
out of their busy work day to attend.

2. Thank you all for coming at such short notice. Let’s start with item number one.
Thank you all for coming at such short notice. We have a number of important matters on the agenda today. So let’s
start with item number one.

In a less formal meeting, you might begin in a more casual manner.

3. Now that everyone’s here, let’s get started…

Now that everyone’s here, let’s get started with today’s agenda.

4. The first item on the agenda that we need to discuss today is…
The first item on the agenda that we need to discuss today is increasing our cooperation on a global level and how we
can achieve that in the short-term.

You can use the word “discuss” interchangeably with the phrase “talk about” in this, and other instances.

In a meeting with peers, it is all right to be less formal.

5. Let’s look at the first item on the agenda.

Let’s look at the first item on the agenda and figure out why our new sportswear line isn’t performing as well as
expected.

In an even less formal meeting or discussion, you might even omit (skip) mentioning the item number and jump straight
into the first topic on the agenda.
6. First, let’s talk about…
First, let’s talk about how we can use social media to promote our new product.

Asking for Clarification

if you have questions or don’t understand what someone has said, you could ask them to clarify (explain). Naturally, it’s
polite to begin your request with “I’m sorry” or “Excuse me.”

In a formal meeting, you might say:

7. Could you please clarify…?

Excuse me, could you please clarify what you said about the new travel policy?

You could use the word “explain” instead of “clarify.” If you’d like more detailed information about the topic, you
could use the word “elaborate.”

In less formal meetings, you could say:

8. I’m not sure I understand what you mean by…

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by letting the new staff handle these reports.

Saying that you’re “not sure you understand” rather than saying you “don’t understand” makes your tone softer and
friendlier.

9. I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow…

I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow the calculation you just showed us.

Here too, the word “quite” has a softening effect and makes your request sound a little less blunt (abrupt).
Stalling the Discussion
There are times when someone may need to stall the meeting to bring up a point that has been missed or that needs
further discussion.

To stall a discussion simply means to interrupt the meeting and bring it to a temporary stop before the chairperson
introduces the next item on the agenda.

This can happen at any time during the meeting when someone wants to raise a point or ask for a more in-depth
(detailed) discussion.

10. Before we move on, I think we need to look at…

Before we move on, I think we need to look at how we can ensure this sort of production delay does not happen again.

In a very formal setting, you might say “Before we move on, we need to look at…” But adding the phrase “I think” is a
good way to soften the tone.

11. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve talked about…

I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve talked about how we’re going to resolve the issue of manpower shortage.

To sound more formal, you might say “I’m sorry, but we haven’t talked about…” Adding the phrase “I don’t believe”
will help you achieve a softer tone, though.

12. One minute please, it seems we haven’t discussed…

One minute please, it seems we haven’t discussed the individual project deadlines.

Here too, you can see how including the phrase “it seems” gives the statement a much friendlier tone.

Moving On
If you are ever the chairperson, you must also watch the time and keep the agenda rolling (moving). When you’re done
discussing each item on the agenda, lead into the next item with these phrases.

13. Let’s move on to [item], which is the next item on the agenda.
Let’s move on to the status of our contract negotiation with DC International, which is the next item on the agenda.

14. Moving on, let’s take a look at item [number] on the agenda…
Moving on, let’s take a look at item three on the agenda, the problem we had with suppliers who haven’t been on time
with their deliveries.

You can also suggest to look at “the second/third/fourth/etc. item” on the agenda.

15. Now we’ve come to the final item on the agenda…

Now we’ve come to the final item on the agenda: the redesign of our retail website.

You could also use the word “last” instead of “final.”

Summarizing the Discussion
At the end of a discussion, the chairperson may summarize the main action points that have been decided. This is a
great way to ensure everyone knows what action is expected of them.

16. In summary, we’re going to…

In summary, we’re going to check those shipping dates again and Sarah will contact the suppliers to ensure we have
everything ready for the launch.

17. This is what we’ve agreed on:

This is what we’ve agreed on: The sales team will take charge of this project. The other departments will update the
sales team with their weekly progress.

18. So we’ve decided to…

So we’ve decided to let Mark take care of designing and printing the promotional flyers.

Note that “we’ve decided to” is always followed by a verb. The similar phrase “we’ve decided on” is followed by
someone or something, and is used when you’ve chosen between two or more options. For example, “We’ve decided on
cinema as the theme for next month’s magazine.”

Closing the Meeting

A commonly used phrase for closing a formal meeting is:

19. The meeting is adjourned. Thank you all for attending.

Oftentimes, in less formal meetings, you could simply close by saying:

20. I guess that will be all for today. Thanks for coming.
With that, you’re now ready to lead and participate effectively in any business meeting. These phrases and expressions
are a great starting point for you. I hope you will put them to good use in your next meeting.

By listening and paying attention to the language used at meetings that you attend, you will even be able to add to this
list. Good luck!
What you shouldn’t say at a business meeting

1. Bro, Dude or “hey man”

this isn’t fraternity row. Instead of addressing your male colleagues as ‘bro’ consider simply using first names. You’ll
still be likable and cool, we promise.

2. Trust me

Business is based on mutually beneficial relationships and trust. However, using the phrase ‘trust me’ either in
negotiations or when taking on a difficult project can make you sound the opposite of trusted. In fact, those who use this
phrase are often not to be trusted to deliver on their promise. 

3. That’s crazy

Beware of snap judgments or potentially offensive remarks like this one. Whether directed at a person or an idea
brainstormed in a meeting, ‘that’s crazy’ reeks of discrimination and makes you look extra ‘judgy’. According to
Taylor, using phrases like ‘that’s crazy,’

4. That’s not my job

Last but not least, this is a phrase you should never, ever utter at work unless you’d like to be unemployed. Sure, it can
be dreadful to be assigned a task that isn’t technically in your ‘wheelhouse,’ however, answering your manager or the
team with the response ‘that’s not my job’ is not a smart move.

5. I already sent you an email

Face-to-face discussions are invaluable, so letting someone know you already communicated by email is not that
effective. Instead of implying the person should read their email more closely, just go ahead and summarize the topic
right then.

6. No one agrees with you on that

A meeting isn't supposed to be a playground tussle. When someone uses this phrase in a meeting, be on your guard.
While it may be true, it's possible that the person who came up with the idea is actually onto something.

7. I’m in charge here

I've heard this one more than a few times. It's a way to exert control over the attendees, dismiss ideas, and maybe try to
get things back on track. Yet it's a major red flag. It means the person uttering that phrase is feeling out of control, or
that the meeting isn't really intended as an open forum for discussion.

8. let’s find a real expert

Meetings are for open dialogue. Insisting that no one present is qualified enough to provide the right perspective almost
immediately shuts down discussion. Sure, you might have some scenarios in which it would be helpful to have an
outside perspective, but announce this at your own risk. It's easy to sound like the jerk who doubts everyone's
credentials.
 Even if and even though
These two expressions are often confused but they are not interchangeable. Even though means ‘despite the fact that’.
It shows contract. It is more emphatic than although and though.

 Even though I didn’t know anybody at the party, I had a nice time. (= Despite the fact that I didn’t know
anybody at the party, I had a nice time.)
 I bought that necklace even though it was expensive. (= I bought that necklace in spite of the fact that it was
expensive.)
 Even though she was angry with him, she said nothing. (= Although / though she was angry with him, she
said nothing.)

Even if means ‘whether or not’. It is mainly used to talk about unreal or imaginary situations.

 Even if I become a millionaire, I will always lead a simple life.

Here the speaker is not a millionaire at the moment. He is merely saying what would happen if he were a millionaire.
Here we are talking about an unreal situation and its probable result.

 Even though he is a millionaire, he leads a simple life. (= Although he is a millionaire, he leads a simple life.)

Here we are talking about a real situation. The person is a millionaire.

 I will not be able to finish that assignment even if they extend the deadline by a few weeks.

Here the reference is to an imaginary situation.

 I could not finish that assignment even though they extended the deadline by a few weeks. (= Although they
extended the deadline by a few weeks, I could not finish that assignment.)

More examples are given below.

 Even though she passed the test, she didn’t get admission to the college of her choice.
 Even if she passes the test, I don’t think she will get admission to the college of her choice. (I am merely
guessing.)