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Business English Phrases

Useful expressions for meetings, presentations and everyday professional conversations.

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Find the words you need to ask questions, share ideas, express opinions and communicate more confidently at work.

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Choose a situation below and explore the phrases you can use in your next conversation.

1. Online Meetings

Useful expressions for starting, participating in and finishing online meetings.

Situation

  1. Checking audio

  2. Starting a meeting

  3. Contributing

  4. Clarifying

  5. Handling technical problems

  6. Finishing

Useful Expression

  1. Can everyone hear me clearly?

  2. Shall we get started?

  3. Could I add something here?

  4. Sorry, could you explain what you mean by that?

  5. I think there's a slight delay on the line.

  6. Shall we confirm the next steps before we finish?

2. Asking Questions

Ask better questions to understand problems, clarify information and avoid misunderstandings.

Situation

  1. Clarifying

  2. Requesting an example

  3. Understanding priorities

  4. Exploring a problem

  5. Checking assumptions

  6. Confirming understanding

Useful Expression

  1. Could you be a little more specific?

  2. Could you give me an example?

  3. What would you say is the main priority?

  4. What's causing the difficulty?

  5. What are we basing that assumption on?

  6. So, if I understand correctly, you're suggesting that…

3. Expressing Opinions

Share ideas and explain your point of view clearly and professionally.

Situation

  1. Giving an opinion

  2. Expressing a preference

  3. Giving a reason

  4. Expressing uncertainty

  5. Making a suggestion

  6. Inviting opinions

Useful Expression

  1. From my perspective, the main issue is…

  2. I'd be more inclined to choose the second option.

  3. The main reason I say that is…

  4. I'm not entirely convinced that this is the best approach.

  5. One possibility would be to…

  6. How do you see it?

4. Disagree Politely

Express concerns, challenge ideas and offer alternatives without creating unnecessary conflict.

Situation

  1. Acknowledging an opinion

  2. Expressing a reservation

  3. Raising a potential problem

  4. Challenging an assumption

  5. Offering an alternative

  6. Suggesting compromise

Useful Expression

  1. I can see where you're coming from.

  2. I have some concerns about that approach.

  3. Have we considered what might happen if…?

  4. Are we sure that's the main issue?

  5. Could we look at this from a different angle?

  6. Perhaps we could find a middle ground.

5. Presentations

Introduce ideas, explain information and respond to questions with confidence.

Situation

  1. Introducing the topic

  2. Explaining the structure

  3. Highlighting information

  4. Moving to another point

  5. Handling questions

  6. Concluding

Useful Expression

  1. Today, I'd like to focus on…

  2. I'll begin with…, then move on to…

  3. What I'd particularly like to draw your attention to is…

  4. That brings me to my next point.

  5. That's a good question. Let me explain.

  6. To summarise, there are three main points to remember.

Free Online Meeting Phrase Guide

Would you like a printable collection of useful phrases to keep beside your computer?

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A printable collection of practical Business English expressions for online meetings is coming soon.

Follow Teacherdom on Instagram for updates and access to the free guide.

Go Beyond Individual Phrases
​Knowing useful expressions is important, but effective communication also requires practice, questioning and the confidence to respond naturally.

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A.S.K. — Ask. Speak. Know. explores these skills through practical Business English activities, discussions and workplace situations.

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