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Business English

Running Meetings in English with Confidence

Meetings are where the most important business decisions are made. Whether it's a weekly team meeting, client presentation or online conference: being able to run meetings in English confidently demonstrates competence and leadership. In this interactive lesson, you'll learn the key phrases for opening, facilitation, summarising and action items – with 12 practical exercises at B1 level.

James Simmonds13 February 202630 min
Running Meetings in English with Confidence

Topics

business-englishmeetingsB1intermediatesimmonds-method

Learning Content

Running Meetings in English with Confidence

In international business, meetings are the central place for decision-making and collaboration. For German professionals, an English-language meeting can be challenging – from the opening through facilitation to summarising the results.

This interactive lesson shows you the most important meeting phrases and structures at B1 level. You will learn how to:

  • Open a meeting professionally and present an agenda
  • Take the floor and manage contributions diplomatically
  • Summarise results and assign clear action items
  • Handle disagreements politely

With 12 interactive exercises – from fill-in-the-blank to sentence building and a final quiz – you'll reinforce what you've learned immediately. Also use our AI avatar to simulate meeting situations in a safe environment!

Includes interactive exercises and final test. Duration: approx. 30 minutes.

Email Vocabulary

0/6 learned

I am writing to...

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Please find attached...

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Could you please...

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I look forward to...

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Kind regards

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As discussed...

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FAQ

What is the difference between 'meeting' and 'conference'?

A 'meeting' is a general term for a discussion, usually in a smaller setting (team meeting, one-to-one, board meeting). A 'conference' is larger and more formal – typically an event with many attendees and a programme. In everyday business, people also say 'conference call' or 'video conference' for phone or video meetings. For regular work, 'meeting' is the right term.

How do I say in English that I need to reschedule?

Use 'to reschedule': 'I'm afraid I need to reschedule our meeting. Would Thursday at 2 p.m. work for you?' If you need to cancel: 'I'm sorry, but I need to cancel tomorrow's meeting. Something urgent has come up.' To change the time only: 'Could we push the meeting back to 3 p.m.?' or 'Could we bring the meeting forward to 10 a.m.?' Note: 'push back' = move to later, 'bring forward' = move to earlier.

How can I politely interrupt in a meeting?

In international meetings, interrupting is an art. Use these phrases: 'Sorry to interrupt, but...' (most common), 'Could I just come in here?' (very polite), 'If I may add something...' (formal), 'Can I make a quick point?' (slightly less formal). Avoid: 'Wait!' or 'Stop!' – this sounds rude. In online meetings, you can also use the 'Raise Hand' feature or write in the chat that you'd like to contribute.

How can I practise meetings with the AI avatar on this page?

Simply click 'Talk to AI Expert' on this page. The avatar simulates a meeting participant and practises various scenarios with you: opening a meeting, presenting an agenda, taking the floor, disagreeing politely, or summarising results. It gives you immediate feedback on your phrasing and pronunciation. This way, you can practise in a safe environment before your next real English meeting. The avatar is available 24/7!

What is the 'Simmonds Method'?

The Simmonds Method combines three learning paths: (1) Live training with experienced native-speaker trainers for individual grammar and strategy sessions, (2) daily speaking practice with our AI avatar, available 24/7, and (3) interactive blog exercises like this lesson for vocabulary and revision. Human + AI = faster results. Especially for meeting skills, this combination is ideal: develop strategies with the trainer, then practise repeatedly with the AI avatar until the phrases become second nature.

Tip

The Simmonds Method: Human + AI = Faster Results

At Simmonds Language Services, we combine experienced live trainers with an AI avatar available 24/7 for practice. Simulate a complete English meeting with our AI avatar on this page – it takes the role of a meeting participant and gives you immediate feedback!

Our approach: Individual sessions with real trainers for grammar and strategy + daily speaking with the AI avatar for routine and confidence + interactive blog exercises like these for vocabulary and revision.

Opening and Managing a Meeting

How to Open and Manage a Meeting in English

A successful meeting starts with a clear opening and a structured agenda. Here are the key phrases for each phase:

Opening the meeting:

  • "Good morning, everyone. Let's get started."
  • "Thank you all for joining today's meeting."
  • "Shall we begin? We have a lot to cover."

Presenting the agenda:

  • "The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss..."
  • "There are three items on the agenda today."
  • "First, we'll look at... Then we'll move on to... Finally, we'll discuss..."

Turn-taking – Handing over or taking the floor:

  • "Sarah, would you like to start?" (handing over)
  • "Could I just come in here?" (taking the floor)
  • "Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to add..." (politely interrupting)
  • "If I may, I'd like to make a point." (formal)

Moving to the next point:

  • "Let's move on to the next item."
  • "I think we've covered that point. Shall we move on?"

Disagreeing Politely and Finding Compromises

Handling Disagreements Professionally in Meetings

In international meetings, it is important to express disagreements diplomatically. Germans tend to be very direct – in English, a more diplomatic approach is often preferred.

Disagreeing politely:

  • "I see your point, but I think we should consider..."
  • "That's an interesting perspective. However, I believe..."
  • "I understand where you're coming from, but in my experience..."
  • "I'm not sure I entirely agree. Could you explain further?"

Suggesting compromises:

  • "How about a compromise? We could..."
  • "What if we met halfway and..."
  • "Perhaps we could combine both approaches."

Expressing agreement:

  • "I completely agree with you on that."
  • "That's a great point."
  • "I think that's the right approach."

Summarising and assigning action items:

  • "To sum up, we've agreed to..."
  • "So the action items are: Tom will..., and Sarah will..."
  • "The deadline for this is next Wednesday."
  • "I'll send the minutes by end of day."

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G

Grammar Rule: Key Structures for Meetings

Rule

In meetings, you frequently use certain grammatical structures: (1) 'Let's + infinitive' for suggestions: 'Let's move on to the next point.' (2) 'Could/Would + subject + infinitive' for polite requests: 'Could you share your screen?' (3) 'I'd like to + infinitive' for diplomatic intentions: 'I'd like to suggest a different approach.' (4) Passive constructions for neutral statements: 'It was decided that...' / 'The deadline has been moved to Friday.' (5) 'Shall we...?' for suggestions as questions: 'Shall we take a five-minute break?'

Examples

"Let's start by looking at the agenda for today."

Correct! 'Let's + verb' is the natural form to open a meeting or make suggestions.

"I would to like suggest we postpone the decision."

Wrong! The correct order is: 'I would like to suggest we postpone the decision.'

"Could everyone please mute their microphone?"

Correct! 'Could + subject + please + verb' is a polite request very common in meetings.

"It decided that we launch next month."

Wrong! In passive voice: 'It was decided that we launch next month.' The auxiliary verb 'was' is missing.

Exercise 1: Complete Meeting Phrases

1/50

Let's ______ by reviewing the minutes from last week.

Verb für 'anfangen'

Exercise 2: Meeting Rules – True or False?

1/40

'Let's start the meeting' is a correct way to open a meeting.

Vocabulary: Meeting Terms

8 words

agenda

noun

a list of items to be discussed at a meeting

Let me share the agenda for today's meeting.

minutes

a written record of what was said and decided at a meeting

Who is taking the minutes today?

action item

noun

a task assigned to someone during a meeting

Let's review the action items from last week.

to chair a meeting

to lead or preside over a meeting

Maria will chair the meeting today.

to take the floor

to begin speaking in a meeting or discussion

I'd like to take the floor to present my proposal.

deadline

noun

the latest date by which something must be completed

The deadline for the report is next Friday.

to follow up

to take further action or make further enquiries after a meeting

I'll follow up with the supplier after the meeting.

AOB (Any Other Business)

items not on the agenda that attendees wish to raise at the end

Before we close, is there any other business?

Matching: Meeting Phase → Matching Phrase

0 / 6 pairs

Click on a word on the left and then on the matching translation on the right.

Sentence Builder: Forming Meeting Sentences

0:00
Sentence 1 / 40 correct

Translation: Lassen Sie uns das Meeting beginnen, indem wir die Agenda durchgehen.

Click the words below to build the sentence

Translation: Meeting Phrases German → English

Sentence 1 / 50 correct

German

Lassen Sie uns mit dem ersten Punkt auf der Tagesordnung beginnen.

Let's start/begin with the first item on the...

Word Order: Arrange Complex Meeting Sentences

Sentence 1 / 40 correct

Translation: I suggest we postpone the launch until next quarter.

Click the words to build the sentence

Final Quiz: Meetings in English

Question 1 / 6

Which phrase do you use to open a meeting?