This article is part of our Business English Guide — explore every workplace English topic with interactive exercises.
Few situations test your English more than a fast-moving business meeting. You may understand every word individually, yet still struggle to jump in, disagree without sounding rude, or summarise the decisions at the end. The good news is that meeting English is highly formulaic: the same ready-made phrases come up again and again.
This guide gives you the essential vocabulary for every stage of a meeting — from opening and setting the agenda to interrupting, clarifying and closing — along with the meeting nouns you need to follow what is going on. Learn the phrases in functional groups and you will sound far more fluent and professional.
Key Takeaways
- Meeting English is formulaic — learn ready-made phrases by function, not as single words.
- Know the core meeting nouns: agenda, minutes, AOB, chairperson, attendees and apologies.
- Soften disagreement and interruptions with phrases such as I take your point, but… and Could I just come in here?
- Choose formal or neutral register depending on your audience — both are professional.
- Always close by summarising decisions and confirming action points.
Essential Meeting Vocabulary & Nouns
Before the phrases, you need the key nouns. These words appear on every agenda and in every set of minutes, so recognising them instantly is the first step to following a meeting.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Agenda | The list of items to be discussed, usually circulated in advance. |
| Minutes | The written record of what was discussed and decided. |
| AOB | Any Other Business — the slot for points not on the agenda. |
| Chairperson / chair | The person who leads the meeting and keeps it on track. |
| Attendees | The people present at the meeting. |
| Apologies | A formal note that someone is unable to attend. |
| Action points | Tasks assigned to specific people after a decision. |
We say to take the minutes, to chair a meeting, to set the agenda, and to send apologies. Learning these verb-and-noun pairings together helps you sound natural without thinking about each word separately.
Opening a Meeting & Setting the Agenda
A clear opening signals that the meeting has begun and tells everyone what to expect. The chairperson welcomes attendees, states the purpose, mentions any apologies and introduces the first item.
| Function | Useful phrases |
|---|---|
| Welcoming | Thank you all for coming. / Shall we make a start? |
| Stating the aim | The main aim today is to… / The purpose of this meeting is to… |
| Setting the agenda | There are three items on the agenda. / Let’s look at the agenda. |
| Noting apologies | We’ve received apologies from Sara. / Tom can’t join us today. |
| Starting the first point | So, let’s get started with the first item. / Let’s begin with… |
Giving Opinions, Agreeing & Disagreeing
Most of a meeting is spent exchanging opinions. To give yours, use a clear opener; to respond, agree warmly or disagree politely. The secret to professional disagreement is to soften the message and acknowledge the other person first.
opinions — agreeing — disagreeing
| Function | Useful phrases |
|---|---|
| Giving an opinion | In my view… / It seems to me that… / I’d say that… |
| Agreeing | That’s a good point. / I completely agree. / That makes sense. |
| Partly agreeing | I see what you mean, but… / I take your point, however… |
| Disagreeing politely | I’m afraid I can’t quite agree. / I’m not sure that would work. |
Never start with You’re wrong or That’s a bad idea. Instead, lead with partial agreement: I take your point, but I wonder whether it might cause delays. Acknowledging the other view first keeps the tone collaborative and makes people far more willing to hear your concern.
Interrupting, Clarifying & Making Suggestions
In a busy discussion you often need to jump in, check that you have understood, or propose a way forward. Each of these has its own polite formulas.
| Function | Useful phrases |
|---|---|
| Interrupting | Sorry to interrupt, but… / Could I just come in here? / Can I add something? |
| Asking for clarification | Could you clarify what you mean? / Just to check I’ve understood… |
| Making suggestions | Why don’t we…? / How about…? / I suggest we… / Perhaps we could… |
| Managing the discussion | Let’s come back to that later. / Can we stay on topic? / Moving on… |
| Handing back the floor | Sorry, please carry on. / Anyway, back to you. |
The little word just does a lot of work here. Could I just come in here? sounds far gentler than Could I come in here?, because it makes the interruption seem smaller and more reasonable.
A short meeting exchange:
Chair: “So, the main aim today is to agree the launch date. Maya, would you like to start?”
Maya: “Thanks. In my view we should launch in October.”
Tom: “Sorry to interrupt, but could I just come in here? I take your point, however I’m not sure marketing will be ready.”
Chair: “Good point. Just to check — are you suggesting we delay to November?”
Summarising, Action Points & Closing
A meeting only succeeds if everyone leaves knowing what was decided. Before closing, the chair summarises the key points, confirms the action points, and arranges the next meeting.
So, to sum up, we’ve agreed to delay the launch to November. (summarising)
Let me just recap the action points: Tom will brief marketing, and Maya will update the timeline. (action points)
Is there any other business? (inviting AOB)
I think that covers everything. Thank you all for coming — we’ll meet again next Thursday. (closing)
Formal vs neutral register
Use formal language with clients or senior management, and neutral everyday business English with colleagues you know well. Both are perfectly professional.
Formal phrases
- Might I suggest that we postpone?
- I would be inclined to disagree.
- May I propose that we revisit this?
- I’m afraid I must raise a concern.
Neutral phrases
- How about we postpone it?
- I’m not sure I agree.
- Can we come back to this?
- I’ve got a slight worry about that.
Practise Meeting Vocabulary
Memorise meeting phrases with flash cards and get instant feedback on every answer.
Flash CardsExercises to Practise on LexFizz
- Flash Cards — memorise meeting nouns and key phrases with spaced repetition
- Quiz — multiple-choice questions on meeting vocabulary and register
- Complete the Sentence — choose the right phrase for each meeting situation
- Cloze Dropdown — pick the correct meeting expression from a dropdown
- True or False — decide whether each phrase is polite and appropriate
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Frequently Asked Questions
You need three kinds of vocabulary: meeting nouns (agenda, minutes, AOB, chairperson, attendees, apologies), functional phrases (for opening, giving opinions, agreeing, disagreeing, interrupting, clarifying, suggesting and closing), and signposting words that show structure (firstly, moving on, to sum up). Learn the phrases in functional groups rather than as isolated words, because in a meeting you usually need a whole ready-made expression such as Could I just come in here? rather than a single vocabulary item.
Begin by welcoming people and stating the purpose: Thank you all for coming. Shall we make a start? Then set the agenda: The main aim today is to agree the budget. There are three items on the agenda. If someone is missing, mention apologies: We’ve received apologies from Sara, who can’t join us today. Finally hand over to the first point: So, let’s get started with the first item. This sequence signals that the meeting has formally begun and keeps everyone oriented.
To agree: That’s a good point, I completely agree, You’re absolutely right, or the more neutral That makes sense. To disagree politely, soften the message first: I see what you mean, but I’m not sure that would work, I take your point, however… or I’m afraid I can’t quite agree with that. Avoid blunt phrases like You’re wrong or That’s a bad idea. Starting with partial agreement before raising a concern keeps the discussion respectful and collaborative.
Use a softener and ask permission: Sorry to interrupt, but…, Could I just come in here?, Can I add something? or If I could just say one thing. The word just makes the interruption sound smaller and more polite. After speaking, hand the floor back: Sorry, please carry on. These phrases let you contribute without sounding rude, which is especially important in formal meetings where turn-taking matters.
AOB stands for Any Other Business. It is the agenda item near the end of a meeting where attendees can raise points that were not on the official agenda. The chairperson usually asks, Is there any other business? before closing. AOB is typically reserved for short, minor items; bigger topics are usually added to the next meeting’s agenda rather than discussed at length under AOB.
Be polite and specific: Sorry, could you clarify what you mean by that?, I’m not sure I follow — could you give an example? or Just to check I’ve understood, are you saying we should delay the launch? Repeating back the point in your own words (So if I understand correctly…) is a professional way to confirm meaning and shows you are listening carefully rather than simply not understanding.
Formal language uses fuller, more cautious structures: Might I suggest that we postpone the decision? or I would be inclined to disagree. Neutral language is everyday business English suitable for most internal meetings: How about we postpone it? or I’m not sure I agree. Use formal phrasing with clients, senior management or in writing the minutes; use neutral phrasing with colleagues you know well. Both are professional — the choice depends on audience and context.
Common suggestion phrases include: Why don’t we…?, How about…?, I suggest we…, Perhaps we could… and the more formal May I propose that we…? Tentative language (we could perhaps consider…) is often preferred because it invites discussion rather than imposing a decision. Following a suggestion with a reason (…because it would save time) makes it more persuasive and easier for others to support.
To summarise, signal it clearly: So, to sum up…, Let me just recap the main points, or The key decisions are as follows. Then confirm action points: So, Tom will draft the report and Maya will book the venue. To close: I think that covers everything. Thank you all for coming, and confirm the next meeting: We’ll meet again next Thursday. A clear summary ensures everyone leaves knowing what was decided and who is responsible for what.
Practise by: (1) Learning phrases in functional groups (opening, agreeing, interrupting, closing) rather than one at a time. (2) Using LexFizz’s Flash Cards and Quiz to memorise meeting nouns and phrases. (3) Role-playing a short meeting and trying to use one phrase from each function. (4) Recording real or practice meetings and noting useful expressions. (5) Using Complete the Sentence and Cloze exercises to test which phrase fits each meeting situation.
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