Must-Have English Phrases for Online Meetings

Must-Have English Phrases for Online Meetings

Communication is the cornerstone of effective business. In the era of remote work, online meetings have become an integral part of our professional lives. For business English learners, mastering the right phrases can help you navigate these virtual meetings with confidence and clarity. Here’s a guide to must-have English phrases for various stages of an online meeting.

Starting a Meeting

Kicking off a meeting sets the tone for the entire session. Here are some welcoming phrases to effectively start your online meetings:

• “Welcome, everyone. Today’s meeting is about…”
  Example: “Welcome, everyone. Today’s meeting is about our quarterly sales performance.”
• “Welcome to today’s meeting. These are the issues that we want to talk about…”
  Example: “Welcome to today’s meeting. These are the issues that we want to talk about, including the new project timelines and budget concerns.”
• “Welcome, everyone. The purpose of today’s meeting is…”
  Example: “Welcome, everyone. The purpose of today’s meeting is to discuss the upcoming product launch strategy.”
• “Welcome, everyone. Thank you all for attending (at such short notice).”
  Example: “Welcome, everyone. Thank you all for attending at such short notice. We have some urgent matters to address.”

• “I think I may have a problem with the connection.”
  Example: “I think I may have a problem with the connection. Let me try reconnecting.”
• “The screen is blank.”
  Example: “The screen is blank on my end. Is everyone else seeing the presentation?”
• “The screen is frozen/You’re frozen.”
  Example: “The screen is frozen. I’ll wait until it resumes.”
• “The image and sound are out of sync.”
  Example: “The image and sound are out of sync. Can you try refreshing your browser?”
• “You’re breaking up a little bit.”
  Example: “You’re breaking up a little bit. Can you move closer to your router?”

Asking for Clarification

Clear communication is key to a successful meeting. Here are some phrases to use when you need clarification:

• “Could you speak more slowly, please?”
  Example: “Could you speak more slowly, please? I want to make sure I understand everything.”
• “Could you repeat/explain that again?”
  Example: “Could you explain that again? I’m not sure I follow.”
• “Could you repeat that last bit, please?”
  Example: “Could you repeat that last bit, please? The connection cut out for a moment.”
• “Could you speak up please (a little louder)?”
  Example: “Could you speak up please? It’s a bit hard to hear you.”
• “I didn’t get that, I am sorry. Could you say it again?”
  Example: “I didn’t get that, I’m sorry. Could you say it again?”

• “In summary, we’re going to…”
  Example: “In summary, we’re going to implement the new marketing strategy next month.”
• “This is what we’ve agreed on…”
  Example: “This is what we’ve agreed on: the new deadlines and budget allocations.”
• “I think we can leave this here for today.”
  Example: “I think we can leave this here for today. Thank you all for your contributions.”
• “I think this is a good place to leave things today.”
  Example: “I think this is a good place to leave things today. We’ll continue our discussion in the next meeting.”
• “We can pick this up again tomorrow/next week/on Thursday.”
  Example: “We can pick this up again next week. Same time?”