l-

i
ls

Could vva meet next week?

Work with a partner" lVlatch the diffenent types of meeting {r-6} with the definitloms (a*8.
@@
r I Prosress
.........,,,,,,
zE brainstottin8.,,,,
6I board ..,,,,.,rt

meeting
I
.,,rii
3 sharehold"r ..,,,,.
5 E team .,.,,,,::::rril

4 ! kick-off

a People who work in the same department have this type of meeting regularly.
b This is a meeting of a company's most senior managers.
c lf you need new ideas, you have this type of meeting.
d This is a meeting for a company's investors.
e At this type of meeting, you tatl< about what has been accomplished on a project.
f This type of meeting is hetd at the beginning of a project.

l\low ask your partner the questions below and

make a note of the answerr. Then tell the ctass
what you have fsund out,
o How often do you have meetings in Engtish?
Which of the meetings above do you attend?
What other types of meeting do you have?
* Are your meetings with colleagues from your
com pany or with contacts from other
companies (customers, suppliers, clients, ...)?

lltDt0
01r)1 listen to the turo telephone dialogues and cornplete the table"
ur
Dialogue 1 Dialogue 2

a Whatwilt the meeting be about?

b When will the meeting take place?

c How long witt the meeting last?

6I UNIT L Could we meet next week?

ATJDIO

4w
or
Catl 1 Catt 2
r Could we a time to meet next week? 8 we could meet and go over the

z How Monday at nine? detaits _?

- _
3 Sorry, I can't -What time _ U
it then. 9 you in mind?

4 How sometime after lunch? 10 Woutd half past five _ you?

5 Shoutd we _ for the whole t7 I'm I have another appointment

aftern oon? th en.

6 Let's leave the length of the meeting 72 Welt, I'tl see you Monday
for now. 7.3o, then.
2
7 So,l't[ _ you on Monday at two. I look _ to meeting you then.

Which sentences (r-rg) can be used:

a to arrange a meeting?

b to discuss the length of a meeting?

5Rr
c to arrange the time of a meeting?

d to say that a suggested time for a meeting i

9.
is not convenient?
''l

I
e to confirm the time of a meeting? (

Put the words in the right order to make typical sentenceE for nnalring arrangements"

r [et's soon meeting a sometime have

Let's have a meetinq sometime soon.

z like to you when meet woutd ?

3 at Thursday how rr.3o about morning ?

4 would for next be Tuesday you how ?

5 fine would yes, that be

6 to forward you I look then meeting

 UNIT I Could we meet next week?
| 7

4 Work with two partners to arrange a suitable time to meet. First look at the Useful Phrases
on this page. Then look at your diary and the instructions in the Partner Files.
Piiliilcr A l'ii+ i 1. p. 19
P.rrini:r il I iir, r. p. 5ri.:

Pnriirtr{- liiit,,10. ii. lil

USEFUL PHRASES

{nsmng tor a meeting 3J Saying that you aren't abte to attend

-Could we schedule a time to meet next week? -Sony, I can't make it then.
-l'd like to schedute a meeting as soon as possible. -l'm afraid I have another appointment then.
- Can we meet and go over this together? -l'm a bit tied up then. How about another time?
- Perhaps we could meet and go over the detaits in
person?
l) Sayingthatyou can attend
- Sounds good.
)suggesting a meeting time -Yes, that works for me.
- How about Monday at nine? -Yes, that would be fine.
-How about sometime after lunch?
5/Confirming the day and time
- Coutd we meet next week?
*See you on Monday at seven.
- Can I suggestT3o on Thursday evening?
- So, I look forward to seeing you on TuesdaV at four.
-Woutd half past five suit you?

5 Read these two emails confirming meetings. Which email is formal and which is informal?

::ti:L 1,.";l
'*..ir__: _._i]-:-G;|L*J".t."i.-.14--

s #lw nraly nrotvl t

m. J
wr+ (9 ,#r ,W. #x ,,+
Delclr qeol/ All Foturjo
Replv p ,nr

To: ian.sweeney@dbd.com To: armitage@lisher-grp.co.uk 'l

From: mark.peters@dbd.com From: caroline@rainbow-search.com I

Subject: Meeting to discuss contract changes Subject: MeetinS

I

Attafnm.nttt l,tay23 Poinrs-to-D,.r.urr.Oo. Dear Mr Armitage I

"..- - - I

It was a pleasure to speak to you today. l'd like to I

Hi lan. take this opportunity to thank you for agreeing to

meet with me next week.
It was nice to speak to you today.Thanks for agreeing I would also like to confirm the date and time of
to meet with me.Just to confirm the date and time of our meeting: 7.30 p.m. on Monday, B September
our meeting: Monday 23 May at 2 p.m. My PA will let in Rainbow Executive Search's offices at 11 Great
you know which meeting room we'll be using later in Russell Street, London WC 1 .

the week.
Should you have any questions in advance of our
meeting, please do not hesitate to get in touch with
I'm attaching a list of points to discuss. Give me a call me.
if you have any questions before the meeting.
I very much look forward to meeting you next
Monday.
Looking forward to seeing you on Monday.
Yours sincerely
Regards,
Caroline Jones
Mark
T: +44 (0)30 44543683
F: +44 (0)30 4454 3680
email: caroline@rainbow-search.co.uk
www.rainbow-search.co. u k
8| UNIT 1 Could we meet next week?

AJDIO
can often say the same thing in either a formal or less formal way.
Vlle 6)
f "ut 7 Caroli
4
Complete the table with sentences from the emails on the previous page. him? !

Formal lnformal
It wao a pleaoure to opeak to you today, It was nice to speak to you today.
" I'n
if we
I'd tike to take this opportunity to thank 2
weel
you for agreeing to meet with me ...

lust to confirm the date and time of our

meeting:

Give me a cat[ if you have any questions before

the meeting.

very much look forward to meeting you ...

I 5
I ilatctr
Yours sincerety, 6
aWc
Cc
GETTING EMAILS RIGHT
b lt's
- Untike most written business communication in English, emaiI offers the chance of communicating using
an informal, friendty styte of written Engtish.

;-You can greet someone in an informal email,using - lt's common to add a friendly phrase before the cSo
phrases like: Hi Martha Hello Paula DearJim close:
to seeing vou soon' (informat)
-very informal emaits can be closed with phrases -:"::':!^!:.'-ard d lre
such as: All the best Cheers I look to our meetingon Mondoy' (formal)
- forward

r-When an email needs to be formal - for instance

- - -
The first letter of an email after the greeting always
:
when it's to a business contact who you oorlt r.r"*
nu:,-u,,t-u:ltl' eWc
'tutt'
' well- then a formal greeting should be used: l':1:??"u'
Just to let you know "'
: Dear Mr simpson f lhr
l-Closing phrases should also be more polite:
Best regards (neutral)
': Yours sincerely (very formal)
USING

: The
6 Write an email confirming the date and time of a meeting using one of the notes mfo*. fftlnf, , ever
about whether the emaiI should be formal or informal.
I Onfi
; by tl"

Rzrvtzvnber! To da
-
Send evnaLL n
Plr
Dawd: Eynail fu\rc Frewkr:
conrtrvw wwetlng Qo t^ Lt, o"
c

), ;;7... 1'-.erylce r7tt

"Y,,:parckage ; Aftet
dir^t vlLth ^i J i mad
Prablevvls ' l-rtday, 12 Septeyuber : mee
cleantvtg contract) ' 3.00 p.rw.
. WedwsdaY, T?thJu'ne r relat
. @ th.eir hrad ano
, 10.70 a.wt. ffice iw BristoL
r with,
, wt vwy offrce
 UNIT 1 Could we meet next week?
| 9

87
AJDIO

Caroline fones is phoning Charles Armitage. Listen to their conversation" Why is she calling
4
him? What do they decide? Then listen again and eomplete the sentences from the dialogue.

,,ii., Do you have another

I'm sorry.' t?
timein .i:i:

I'm _) I have to ask you Sorry to 9

if we can _t our meeting next 'tt you. lt couldn't be l

week. Something has up. lii I'm .r:],
-r
Unfortunately I can't get Could we / a fra i d ' ..., ......,,,,,,1111:lillil:
of it. .,,,i ,{i:r' the meeting untilWednesday ':,

'''""""',,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,r:arl:til]:iiafi::i:r'' at the same time? Would that

-' you?
.,,litl

-to,
-5
I ffiatch sentences from exercise 7 -^ below that have a similar meaning.
with the sentences
a Would it be possible to put the meeting back and meet on Wednesday aI73o7

Could we postpone the meetinT until Wedneeday at the oame time?

b lt's unavoidable, unfortunately.

c Sorry to have to trouble you.

d I reaIty must apologize.

e Woutd you [ike to suggest another time?

f I have to attend to something else.

USING FIRST NAMES

The use of first names in English-speal<ing business environments is common. Though it is not the practice
everywhere, even senior managers are addressed by junior staff using their first names in some offices.

On first meeting someonerit's best to address them You may, however, wish to ask someone's
by their surname: permission before using their first name with
- lt's a pleasure to meet you, Ms Carmichael. phrases Like:
- Pleased to meetyou, Mr Freeman. Do you mind if I call you CarolineT

After that, the changeover to first names is usually This question can be answered with phrases
made quite quickty, either later during the first such as:
meeting or at the second meeting. lf your No, not at all. Please do.
relationship with your business partner is friendly
You can invite someone to use your first name with
and relaxed, you can switch to their first name
phrases [il<e:
without asking their permission.
' Please, call me Carl.
- By the way, it's Paula.
10 | UNITI Could we meet nextweek?

AIJDIO V
q-_J g Listen to Mark Peters' dictaphone message and use it to complete the emaii he writes later 7l Fir
5
to his assistant. as

To: anna.evans@dbd.com
:I
From: mark.peters@dbd.com (

Subject: Arrangements for meeting with sales team

I

:'
Hi Anna, I

I've iust arranged a meeting with lan Sweeney in sales for Monday at 2 p.m. Can you take care
,t
of the preparation, please?
1 2 lan and me the room
Could you a meeting room and
.3
number? Also, can you : the agenda to lan and the consultants? And we'll need (

AV- can you + a data projector and an overhead projector for us? Don't forget to
s some coffee and biscuits. 2
6
Fin a tty , can you the meeting, ptease? The discussion is importantrso l'lt need
you to z the minutes.
M
Thanks for your help.

Best,

Mark

d
1O Work with a partner and choose one of the'to do' lists below. Your partner is your executive
assistant. Tatk about the planned meeting and what you would like your assistant to do.
Then switch roles and do the same with the other list.

'vj
Mezttn4 to dtscuss aulvtww
J pradutiLow schedules-WedwsdaY' _*I::llgj, plan this year,, stand Nr

*th Avgu'st, 3 '45 P'w'

at AilA frade fair - _y office
.*} _

Ask Sara ta arravge:

_
- !_":!:y: 1j!!e-b-:o ;

Meeing roaw
9:'!:,!j.;;;i:
Data Proiutor Overhead proi""i*
Tett and bLscnits
fl.inutes
lvllwttes
"nd ronjiin
Coffee
) _ .;
! coptet of designey's drawings lo
) 1
t
;ke Conrad i"i.,
J *-f "na
S"fly

I
I

{
t
,t

*
d
3
{
f
 UN|T r. Coutd we meet next week? | 11

Voe*b,.,/..y
11 Find slx ygrbs often used with a meeting to make useful phrases" looh frorn left to right as well
as up and down. Write the verbs into the spaees below. The first example is done for you.

D E 4I} K E S FB t to hold
C 'H O L D X X NW T 2to
F C S JW N C WD c
3to a meeting
K D T GQ E E KA C

U R P NA 5{- H
6A I R
4to
A I
n XG E B TC N 5to
lf A N CE L M TN H 6to
n K E SN K EH W

L R S VG D L NT R

,A R R AN G E DD F

ftlatch the verbs (*-6) with the phrases (a-f).

a Il to hotd a meeting at a later time or

date than originalty planned

b n to have a meeting

. L-l to organize a meeting

d ;_ toleadameeting

e I to decide not to hotd a meeting and

to tell people this

f t l to go to a meeting

ilow use the verbs (r-6) to complete the sentences.

r lf Peter can't get here by five, couldn't we just our meeting and have it early
next week instead?

z Could you a team meeting for next Wednesday at 4 p.m.? Ask Neit Cross if he
can attend and book one of the large meeting rooms.

)) We've decided to the meeting. lnstead, could you just emaiI me your comments?

4 I have to a lot of meetings and spend a lot of time talking about worl<.
Unfortunatety, I often don't have enough time to actuatly get on with my worl<.

5 lt's important that the team l<nows about these changes. Let's a meeting and
give everyone the detaits.

6 I'm going to our meeting this morning.so I'll be making sure that we sticl< to
the agenda and that we finish on time.
12 | UNIT 1 Could we meet nexl week?

*2 [Jse the ([ues to (omplete the erossword.

Across
4 She's ill so we have to ... the meeting.
@ n*l
6 Could I ... that we meet and go over the
detaiLs?
0
7 Would next Tuesday at four ... you?
ro The list of topics in a meeting.

Down
t We need some new ideas. Let's
have a ... meeting.
z I'll ... the minutes in today's
meeting.
3 To change a meeting to a later date
5 Please ... the agenda to the other
team members.
B Let's call a ... meeting for everyone
in the department.
an(
9 To lake the leading role in a
meeting. ba<

col

'It
an(
*3 Put tlae words im the right order to nnake semtemces with expnessioms frorn this unit. bus

r time meet couLd weel< a schedute we to next ? ,A

Th
2 meet go detaits person and over perhaps could we in the ?
bet

3 meeting then forward to I you [ool< Sor

pet
questions call if meeting give a me
Ly'
before any have you the

appointment time I'm have that afraid

,ffiffi J#@wffif
I Ioo
fas
lil"i

at ,;,N:li ,If
another I
*ees#o4{@ i
tl
W'n 0orgaofrruff ,
not
Ro
You are invited to a brainstorming session to decide 11
:r
M,$#^N**,,t,
:,iG.
t, ^
on a new single-sentence mission statement for
your company. Work alone, then in small groups, in
''"W*
order to arrive at the perfect solution. ln the
second part of the meeting, decide on a rough * Aret
design for a poster that will illustrate your mission r Wha
statement. c Thei
meel
7
UNlTL Coutd we meet nextweek?
| 13

Read the article and say whether you agree that meetings are more effective if they have a more
fonmal strueture"

Old is New: Yffinm ffimxm ffi$ffi*ffimmffiffimmxmffi Mmwtr$mg

lf you think that agendas, minutes, and
chairpeople in meetings are out, think again.
As companies seek to make more effective
use of their staff's time, 'old-fashioned' and
formal features are making a big comeback in
the meeting room, reports Jarufme Adimr.

In the past, companies tried to encourage the creativity

of their staff through flexible, informal meeting formats.
You know the kind olthing: no agendas, no chairpeople,
and people entered and left meetings as it suited them. This trend was probably most popular
back in the late 1990s. But when the global slowdown in economic performance came, most
companies had to starl thinking more about their costs.

'It was really quite common for meetings to go on lor hours and then for everyone to get up
and leave without really knowing what had been decided,' says Aaron Blumfeld, a lecturer in
business administration.

'A company's staff is one of its major costs, and staff meetings are very expensive for a company.
There is now a trend among large companies to reintroduce structure into meetings to make
better use of time,' adds Blumfbld.

Some CEOs see the task of making meetings more efficient as so important,that they are taking
personal responsibility for making sure that thejob gets done.

Lynn Rossmann is CEO of Luxes AG, a subsidiary of Hamilton-Luxes Corp. She spent time
looking at ways olmaking meetings more focused. In the end, she decided that the good old-
fashioned meeting format(with a chairperson and an agend{was the right one for her company.

'If you want to hold a meeting at Luxes, you have to have a chairperson and an agenda. lt's
not that I like bureaucracy I'm just getting people to use their time more effectively,' states
Rossmann.

s Are the meetings you attend formal or informat?

s What otherways are there to-il16a rffifrore effective?
a The article mentions some possible advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal
meetings. What other advantages can you think of? What disadvantages?