Meetings: opinions and suggestions

What's in the lesson

1. 1Warm-up
2. 2In this lesson
3. 3Guess the words (1)Vocabulary exercise
4. 4Guess the words (2)Vocabulary exercise
5. 5Check the wordsVocabulary
6. 6Useful phrases for opinionsVocabulary
7. 7Check your understandingReading comprehension
8. 8Check the meetingListening comprehension
9. 9Use the new wordsVocabulary exercise
10. 10What does it mean?Grammar exercise
11. 11Find the suggestionsGrammar exercise
12. 12Making suggestionsGrammar rule
13. 13Suggest and respondGrammar exercise
14. 14The Monday meetingGrammar exercise
15. 15Suggestions and repliesGrammar exercise
16. 16Say it with the right stressSpeaking practice
17. 17Role-play: a team meetingSpeaking practice
18. 18Let's discussDiscussion
19. 19Wrap-up

Homework

1. 1Homework: closest meaningVocabulary exercise
2. 2Homework: your sentencesVocabulary exercise
3. 3Homework: the broken printerGrammar exercise
4. 4Homework: a message with suggestionsDiscussion

Words

• agenda/əˈdʒendə/

  a list of the things to talk about at a meeting

• speak up/ˌspiːk ˈʌp/

  to say clearly what you think, especially in a group

• point of view/ˌpɔɪnt əv ˈvjuː/

  a way of thinking about something; an opinion

• have a point/ˌhæv ə ˈpɔɪnt/

  to be right about something, at least partly

• open-minded/ˌoʊpən ˈmaɪndɪd/

  happy to listen to new or different ideas

• opinionated/əˈpɪnjəneɪtɪd/

  having very strong opinions and sure that you are always right

• brainstorm/ˈbreɪnstɔːrm/

  to think of a lot of ideas quickly, often in a group

• pros and cons/ˌproʊz ən ˈkɑːnz/

  the good and bad sides of something; its advantages and disadvantages

• compromise/ˈkɑːmprəmaɪz/

  an agreement in which each side gets part of what it wants (also a verb)

• on board/ˌɑːn ˈbɔːrd/

  agreeing with a plan and ready to support it

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

Let's talk about meetings.

1. What kinds of meetings do you have at work, and how often?
2. In meetings, do you usually speak a lot, or do you prefer to listen? Why?
3. What is the most useful meeting you have ever been to? What made it useful?

Grammar rule

Making suggestions

Making suggestions

Form	Example
Why don't we / you + verb?	Why don't we call the hotel?
How about / What about + -ing?	How about meeting on Tuesday instead? What about asking IT for help?
How about / What about + a noun?	How about a quick survey?
Let's + verb / Let's not + verb	Let's take a vote. Let's not argue about it.
We could / You could + verb: one possible idea (soft)	We could use the bigger room.
We should / You should + verb: what you think is best (stronger)	I think we should hire someone part-time.
I suggest + -ing, or I suggest (that) we / you + verb	I suggest waiting a week. I suggest (that) we wait a week.

Why don't we…? is a suggestion, not a real question, so answer it with your opinion, not with "Because…". In speech, Americans also say How about we + verb: How about we meet on Tuesday? Soften should with I think or maybe: Maybe we should wait.

Not I suggest to wait, How about to meet? or Why don't we waiting?

Responding to a suggestion

Yes	Yes, but…	No, politely
That's a good idea. · Sounds good. · Great, let's try it.	That's a good idea, but… · I like it, but…	I'm not sure that would work. · I see your point, but…

When you say no or "Yes, but…", give a reason: I like it, but we need to ask the boss first.