4 exercises — the essential phrases for clarifying, agreeing, buying time, and closing meetings. The building blocks of every English-language meeting.
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1 / 4
You didn't understand a colleague's point in a meeting. Which phrase best asks for clarification without sounding rude?
Option B is the standard professional clarification phrase. Let's break it down:
"Could you clarify…" — This is a soft modal. More polite than "Can you explain" or "What do you mean?" The word "clarify" implies the issue might be your own lack of understanding, not that the speaker was unclear.
"…what you mean by that" — Targets the ambiguous part without repeating it (which can sound sarcastic).
"I want to make sure I follow correctly" — This clause signals good intent. It reframes the request as you working to understand, rather than challenging the speaker.
Other useful clarification phrases: • "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that — could you repeat?" • "Could you give an example of what you mean?" • "When you say [X], do you mean [Y]?" • "I just want to confirm I understand — are you saying [paraphrase]?"
What to avoid: • "What?" alone — sounds impatient • "That makes no sense" — sounds dismissive • "So basically you're saying [oversimplification]?" — misrepresents the speaker and can start a debate
2 / 4
A colleague suggests a solution. You genuinely agree with their idea. Which phrase shows the most engaged, professional agreement?
Option C is active, engaged agreement — the kind that builds good team dynamics and shows you were actually listening:
"That makes a lot of sense to me" — clear, confident affirmation (not passive like "I suppose") "especially the part about [specific detail]" — proves you were listening; you can name the specific element that resonated "I think that solves [specific problem]" — connects the idea to the actual problem, adding value to the discussion
Why the others fail: "Yeah, sure" — too casual in professional meetings; sounds like you're not really engaged "OK" — minimal; gives no signal about whether you support, oppose, or are neutral "I suppose that could work" — actually signals weak or reluctant agreement; it sounds like "I'll accept it but I'm not convinced"
Agreement phrases by strength: Strong: "Exactly." / "That's a really solid approach." / "Fully agree — especially because…" Moderate: "That makes sense." / "I'd support that." / "I think that works." Weak (avoid unless true): "I suppose…" / "Maybe…" / "If you think so…"
3 / 4
The meeting is moving to a vote on a technical decision. You're not sure yet and need more time to think. Which phrase is most appropriate?
Option C is the professional way to request more time in a meeting:
States a reason: "I want to think through one dependency" — not just "I'm not ready" Makes a specific request: "come back to me on this one" — tells the facilitator exactly what you need Offers a constructive bridge: "Could we take the other items first" — doesn't delay the whole meeting; provides a path forward
Why this works: Meetings have momentum. Saying "I'm not ready" without a path forward stalls everyone. Saying "let's take the other items and come back to me" keeps the meeting moving while protecting your right to give a considered response.
Why "I don't have an opinion" is often wrong: In technical decisions, "no opinion" is rarely true — it usually means "I don't want to take responsibility for the decision." If you genuinely have no opinion after thinking about it, "I defer to the team" is more honest and professional than "no opinion."
Buying time phrases: • "I'd like to think through [X] before I commit — can we revisit me at the end?" • "I need 2 minutes — can we move to the next topic and come back?" • "I'm on the fence — let me hear the remaining perspectives first."
4 / 4
The meeting is wrapping up. You're the last person in the agenda. Which phrase closes a meeting professionally?
Option C is the professional meeting close that actually ensures the meeting produced something:
Signals completion: "I think we've covered everything on the agenda" — context for the close Summarises the decision: "we agreed to [decision]" — critical; this is what the meeting was for States the next step with owner and deadline: "[name] is owning that by Thursday" — the meeting's output is a commitment, not just a discussion Acknowledges the people: "Thanks for the focused discussion" — not generic, acknowledges the quality of participation Final check: "any final questions before we close?" — prevents follow-up emails about things that could have been said in the meeting
The test of a good meeting close: If someone who missed the meeting asks "what did you decide?" — can you answer in one or two clear sentences? If yes, you closed well. If you say "well, we discussed a few things…" — the meeting didn't produce a clear output.
Meeting close checklist: ✓ One summary sentence of the decision or output ✓ Named action item(s) with owner and deadline ✓ Any outstanding items moved to parking lot or follow-up ✓ Thanks + final questions