Useful business English phrases

1.

Business English: Running a Meeting

The following phrases are used to conduct a meeting. These phrases are useful if you are called on to conduct a meeting.

Opening

Good morning/afternoon, everyone.

If we are all here, let's get started / start the meeting / start.

Welcoming and Introducing

Please join me in welcoming (name of participant)

We're pleased to welcome (name of participant)

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to (name of participant)

It's a pleasure to welcome (name of participant)

I'd like to introduce (name of participant)

Stating the Principal Objectives

We're here today to...

I'd like to make sure that we...

Our main aim today is to...

I've called this meeting in order to...

Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent

I'm afraid.., (name of participant) can't be with us today. She is in...

Unfortunately, (name of participant)... will not be with us to day because he...

I have received apologies for absence from (name of participant), who is in (place).

Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting

To begin with I'd like to quickly go through the minutes of our last meeting.

First, let's go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date)

Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date)