Practice
Business English: clear phrases for meetings, email, and follow-up
Work messages often fail for a simple reason: the reader or listener cannot tell what needs to happen next. A useful business message gives the purpose early, includes the detail that matters, and ends with a clear action or question.
Use clear, polite English to explain a work purpose, make a practical request, check an agreement, and state the next action.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Could you send the revised budget by Thursday? /kʊd juː send ðə rɪˈvaɪzd ˈbʌdʒɪt baɪ ˈθɜːzdeɪ/
The short answer
For clear Business English, state the purpose first, give the detail the other person needs, then make the request or next action easy to identify. Use polite direct language and check an agreement when a task has several parts.
Could you send the revised budget by Thursday so that I can include it in the meeting pack?
Why it works: The request names the document, the deadline, and the reason for it.
4 more examples
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To confirm, we will meet at 10:30 in the second-floor meeting room.
This opening tells the reader that the sentence records an agreed detail.
Not this:The meeting is
later. What changes: Later is unclear without a time, date, or place. It can create another question instead of settling the arrangement. -
I have completed the supplier list, and I am checking the contact details before I share it.
The update says what is complete and what remains before the next handover.
Not this:I am
working on the list. What changes: The listener cannot tell how far the task has progressed or what will happen next. -
Would Monday afternoon work for a short call to discuss the client feedback?
Would ... work? gives a polite way to propose a time while leaving space for the other person's schedule.
Not this:
Call meon Monday afternoon. What changes: This can sound like an instruction. It also does not say why the call is needed. -
If you approve the draft today, I will send it to the design team tomorrow morning.
The condition shows which decision is needed before the next action can happen.
Not this:I will
send it tomorrow. What changes: The sentence does not mention that approval is still needed, so the reader may assume the task is already ready to move.
Read the full guide
Choose a small workplace task you know well, such as arranging a meeting, requesting a document, or updating a colleague. Write or say the main point in one sentence. Then ask whether the other person knows what you need, when you need it, and what will happen after they reply.
Put the purpose near the start
A colleague should not have to read to the last line to find out why you are writing. State the subject in the first sentence or use a clear subject line in email. If you are joining a meeting, say which point you need to discuss before you give the background.
I am writing to check the delivery date for order 184.
The sentence gives the reason for the message before it gives extra detail about the order.
Could we spend five minutes on the delivery date before we finish?
The speaker gives the meeting topic and a realistic amount of time for it.
Rewrite this opening so the purpose is clear: I have a question about something from last week.
For example: I have a question about the delivery date we discussed last week.
Make requests specific and courteous
A good request usually includes an action, the thing you need, and a time when that time affects the work. Please, could you, and would you mind are useful polite forms. Choose one form and keep the sentence simple. Add a reason if it helps the receiver decide what to do first.
Could you send the revised budget by Thursday so that I can include it in the meeting pack?
The request is easy to act on because the document, deadline, and reason are all present.
Please add your comments to the shared document before the call.
Before the call gives a deadline that fits the task without making the message sound severe.
Turn this into a useful request: I need the figures.
For example: Could you send the sales figures for April by midday, please?
Give progress updates people can use
A progress update should help another person plan. Say what you have finished, what you are doing now, and whether you need a decision or information. You do not need to list every small step. Choose the detail that changes the next person's work.
I have completed the supplier list, and I am checking the contact details before I share it.
The update separates the finished part from the final check, so the reader knows why the list is not shared yet.
The first draft is ready for review. I need your comments on the pricing section by Wednesday.
The message says that the draft is ready and names the exact response needed from the reader.
Add a useful next step to this update: I have spoken to the supplier.
For example: I have spoken to the supplier, and they will confirm the delivery date by tomorrow afternoon.
Check meetings and decisions
After a meeting or a short call, confirm the points that could cause trouble later: the decision, the person responsible, and the timing. Phrases such as To confirm, As agreed, and My understanding is that can introduce a short written record. Use them when there has been an actual agreement, not to make a guess sound certain.
To confirm, we will meet at 10:30 in the second-floor meeting room.
The message gives a precise time and place, so everyone can check the arrangement.
As agreed, Maya will prepare the slides and I will send the agenda.
Each task has an owner, which makes follow-up easier.
Write one sentence to confirm that a colleague will review a proposal on Friday.
For example: To confirm, you will review the proposal on Friday and send your comments by the end of the day.
Propose a time and follow up
When you need a meeting, offer a time and say what the discussion is for. Would Tuesday morning work? and Are you available on Tuesday morning? are both useful. If you are following up on an unanswered request, mention the earlier message briefly and repeat the action you need without sounding accusatory.
Would Monday afternoon work for a short call to discuss the client feedback?
The question gives a proposed time and a reason for the call, so the receiver can give a useful answer.
I am following up on my message from Tuesday. Is the draft ready for review?
The writer refers to the earlier message, then asks one clear question about the current status.
Write a polite follow-up for a document that you need before tomorrow's meeting.
For example: I am following up on the report. Could you send it today so that I can read it before tomorrow's meeting?
Before you go
Remember this
Start with the work purpose. Give the necessary detail, make one clear request or update, and name the next action. Confirm arrangements in writing when a time, decision, or responsibility could be misunderstood.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Business English: clear phrases for meetings, email, and follow-up"
How can I make a Business English email clearer?
Put the purpose in the opening, then name the action, item, and deadline the reader needs. Instead of asking for a budget soon, ask for the revised budget by Thursday and explain that it is needed for the meeting pack.
Could you send the revised budget by Thursday so that I can include it in the meeting pack?
How do I make a polite request in Business English?
Use a direct request with a polite form such as Could you or Please. Include the practical detail that lets the person respond. Could you send the sales figures for April by midday, please? is clearer than saying only that you need the figures.
Please send the budget soon.
What should I include in a work progress update?
Say what you have completed, what you are checking or doing next, and any decision you need. For example, a supplier list may be complete while the contact details still need checking before the list can be shared.
To confirm, we will meet at 10:30 in the second-floor meeting room.
How can I confirm a meeting arrangement in English?
Use a short sentence with the agreed time, place, and any responsibility that needs recording. To confirm, we will meet at 10:30 in the second-floor meeting room gives colleagues the details they need to check.
The meeting is later.
How do I follow up on an unanswered work email?
Refer briefly to the earlier message, then repeat the exact information or action you need. You can write that you are following up on a message from Tuesday and ask whether the draft is ready for review.
I have completed the supplier list, and I am checking the contact details before I share it.
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