BEP 28c – Meetings in English: How to Agree

BEP 28c - Meetings in English:  How to Agree

Welcome back to Business English Pod. Today’s lesson is the first in a series about agreeing and disagreeing in meetings in English. This is part of a broader project to take another look at some of our older lessons.

Success in business can depend on how your opinions align with other people’s ideas. For this reason, agreeing and disagreeing are essential communication skills. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the board room, the meeting room, or the staff room, you need to know how to agree and disagree effectively.

Today, we’re going to focus on agreeing. In fact, there are many ways to agree with someone! Sometimes we want to use a short expression. Sometimes we need something longer and more polite. Sometimes we want to show energy and enthusiasm. And sometimes we want to use an example or repeat someone else’s idea. It really depends on the situation.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between three people who work for a pharmaceutical, or drug company. Gene, Louis, and Carina are talking about the results of a new trial for a drug called Zorax. In their conversation, they use many different expressions for agreeing.

Listening Questions

1. How does Louis agree with the idea that the drug will be a “big seller?”
2. What is one word that means “excellent” or “very good” that is used to agree?
3. What idea does Gene repeat with emphasis at the end of the conversation?

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925 English Lesson 39 – Expressing Doubt in English

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In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn how to express doubt in English.

Have you ever been in a meeting when someone says something and you think “hmm… I’m not really sure about that.” You might be unsure about whether it’s true, or whether it’s a good idea. We call that feeling “doubt.” And it’s important that you are able to express doubt confidently and politely.

Now, if you’re a little bit unsure of something, you can use the expression I just used, and say something like “I’m not really sure” or “I’m not 100% sure.” Or you could say very directly “well, I have a few doubts.” Another way to express doubt is with a question, like “Are you certain that would work?” Just by asking the question, you are telling people you have doubts.

925 English is a series of English video lessons for beginners (CEFR level A2). With 925 English you can learn business English expressions and vocabulary for business and work.

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925 English Lesson 25 – Asking for and Giving Directions

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In today’s 925 English video lesson, we’re going to learn how to ask for and give directions in English.

It would be great if the map apps on our phones were perfect. But even with the help of technology, we can get confused in a new city, a new neighborhood, or a new office building. And when we do, we need to be able to ask for help.

One simple way to ask for directions in English is to ask if someone “knows where something is.” Or you can just say that you’re looking for a certain place, whether it’s a building, or a room inside a building. One other polite way to ask for directions is with the expression “could you tell me how to get to” a place.

925 English is a course of video English lessons for beginner level (CEFR A2) English learners. With 925 English lessons you can learn business English expressions to use in work and business.

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925 English Lesson 24 – How to Clarify Meaning in English

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In today’s 925 English video lesson, we’re going to learn some ways of clarifying what someone means.

Sure, you can just nod and smile when you don’t understand. People do that all the time. But they also feel foolish later, especially when the speaker realizes what has happened. Or when you have to ask a question that clearly shows you didn’t understand the first time.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of one word you don’t know. In this case, don’t be afraid to stop someone for clarification. You can always begin by saying you’re sorry, then just ask what the word means. Or you can say you’re “not quite clear what you mean by” a certain word.

925 English is a course of video English lessons for beginner level (CEFR A2) English learners. With 925 English lessons you can learn business English expressions to use in work and business.

Members: PDF Transcript | Lesson Module | Quiz | MP3 Audio

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925 English Lesson 23 – How to Clarify Understanding in English

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In today’s 925 English video lesson, we’re going to learn how to clarify something you didn’t hear properly.

If you don’t hear what someone says, the easiest thing to do is just let it go. Move on. Let them keep talking. But that can be a very dangerous strategy. I mean, what if they asked you to do something important? Or what if they told you some important information? Do you really want to miss that?

So rather than letting it go, it’s easy to just ask the person to repeat what they said. To do that politely, we might say “Could you repeat that please?” Or you can use the expression “I beg your pardon?” Then the person knows you haven’t heard them, and they’ll repeat it for you.

925 English is a course of English video lessons for beginner level English learners. With 925 English lessons you can learn business English expressions to use in work and business.

Members: PDF Transcript | Lesson Module | Quiz | MP3 Audio

Download: Podcast Video