Speaking Up: Discussing Procedures in a Business Meeting

1 Section 1. Getting Ready for the Meeting

You are about to take part in a mini-meeting. In it, you will present a procedure from your own workplace and discuss it with others. To do this well, you need three things: the ability to describe the procedure clearly, the language to express your opinion about it, and the tools to defend or challenge a point of view.

Think about one procedure you follow at work. It could be a safety check, an approval process, an onboarding step — anything you do regularly because your organisation requires it. Ask yourself: How does it work? Do you think it is effective? Is it too complicated, or does it serve a clear purpose?

When you present your procedure in the meeting, a useful structure is: first, give a brief description of what the procedure involves and why it exists. Then move to your opinion — do you think it works well, or does it need improvement? Be ready for others to agree, disagree, or ask you to justify your view. The language in the next section will help you do exactly that.

2 Section 2. The Language of Opinions and Support

Expressing an opinion in a meeting is not just about saying ‘I think.’ The phrase you choose signals how confident you are, how formal you want to sound, and how open you are to other views. Here is a range to work with — from simple to more sophisticated.

Stating your opinion:
The most basic option is ‘I think’ or ‘I believe,’ which are fine but fairly neutral. A step up is ‘In my view’ or ‘From my perspective,’ which sound more considered. At the more formal end, ‘In my considered opinion’ signals that you have thought carefully about the issue — use this when you want to sound authoritative. ‘It is my understanding that…’ is useful when your opinion is based on evidence or experience rather than personal feeling.

Hedging — softening your opinion:
Sometimes you want to express a view without sounding too absolute. Phrases like ‘It seems to me that…’, ‘I would argue that…’, and ‘There is a case to be made for…’ allow you to put forward a position while leaving room for discussion. This is especially useful when you are criticising a procedure — it keeps the tone professional rather than confrontational.

Supporting your opinion:
Once you have stated a view, you need to back it up. Use evidence-based support: ‘This is supported by the fact that…’, ‘Based on my experience,…’, or ‘If you consider that…’ to ground your argument. To add weight, try ‘Furthermore,’ or ‘What is more,’ before a second point. If you want to concede a counterargument while holding your position, ‘While I accept that…, I still maintain that…’ is a powerful structure.

Challenging another view:
In a meeting, you may need to push back politely. Rather than ‘I disagree,’ try ‘I see it differently’ or ‘I’m not entirely convinced by that argument.’ These phrases signal disagreement without shutting down the conversation. If you want to question the logic of a point, ‘That may be the case, but…’ is a natural and professional way to introduce a counterpoint.

3 Section 3. Reported Speech — Writing Up What Was Said

After the meeting, your teacher will ask you to write a short report of what was discussed. To do this, you need reported speech — the grammar we use to describe what someone said without using their exact words.

The key idea is simple: when you move from direct speech (the exact words) to reported speech, the verb tense usually shifts back one step into the past. There are also changes to pronouns and time expressions. The verbs say, tell, and ask are the main reporting verbs you need here.

4 Section 4. Homework Writing Task — Meeting Report

After your mini-meeting in class, write a short formal report summarising what was discussed. Use reported speech to describe what your classmates said, and try to include a range of the opinion language from this page.

5 Section 5. Recap — What You Have Covered

This page has given you the language tools you need for two connected tasks: speaking in a meeting and writing about it afterwards.

For the meeting, you now have a clear structure — describe your procedure, give your opinion, and use the right phrases to support or challenge a point of view. Remember: the phrase you choose matters. ‘I think’ is fine, but ‘In my considered opinion’ or ‘I would argue that’ signals a more professional and confident speaker.

For the written report, the key skill is reported speech. Keep the backshift rule in mind, use say, tell, and ask correctly, and watch your pronouns. A well-written report does not just list what people said — it shows the shape of the discussion.

Take these tools into the meeting with confidence.