Warm-up
Business Writing: Summaries & Minutes
Business Writing: Summaries & Minutes
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key vocabulary for minutes and summaries
- Write a short summary of a meeting
- Use formal reporting structures: it was agreed that, agreed to, was asked to
- Write clear action points with a person and a date
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Do you usually take notes in meetings? How do you do it?
- Why are meeting minutes useful?
- What makes a written summary easy to read?
- Have you ever had a misunderstanding because nothing was written down?
Say it out loud
Summarise a decision. → It was agreed that the project would start in May, and Anna agreed to prepare the budget by Friday.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Vocabulary for minutes and summaries
Useful phrases for minutes
| The meeting was called to order at 10:00. | Засідання розпочато о 10:00. |
| Apologies were received from Mr Brown. | Пан Браун повідомив, що не зможе бути. |
| It was agreed that the launch would be postponed. | Було погоджено, що запуск відкладуть. |
| Anna agreed to prepare the budget. | Анна погодилася підготувати бюджет. |
| Tom was asked to contact the client. | Тома попросили зв’язатися з клієнтом. |
| The next meeting will be held on 5 June. | Наступна зустріч відбудеться 5 червня. |
| The minutes of the last meeting were approved. | Протокол попередньої зустрічі затверджено. |
| The meeting was adjourned at 11:30. | Засідання закрито об 11:30. |
Try out the new words
Summarise one decision from a recent meeting. → It was agreed that …
Say who should do what, and when. → … will … by …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
Formal reporting language
| It was agreed that … | a formal way to report a decision: It was agreed that the launch would be postponed. It was decided that a new supplier would be chosen. (that + subject + would / will / past) |
| agreed / decided / offered + to-infinitive | Anna agreed to prepare the budget. The team decided to cancel the event. Tom offered to contact the client. |
| was / were asked / told / requested to … | Tom was asked to contact the client. All departments were requested to send their reports. |
| Action points | person + will + verb + by + date: Anna will send the budget by 10 June. Tom will contact the client by Friday. Start with the person, not with “it”. |
| Concise style | use short, neutral sentences; avoid emotions and personal opinions; use the past simple or the passive for what was said: The group discussed the problem. Several risks were identified. |
Which sentence is correct?
Complete with the correct word
Write it formally
Rewrite each sentence in formal reporting language. Several answers are possible.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Write one decision from a meeting in formal language. → It was agreed that …
Reading
Read: sample minutes
Minutes of the project meeting — 12 June, 10:00–11:00
Attendees: Anna Lewis (chair), Tom Brown, Olga Petrenko, Mark Evans. Apologies: Julia Smith.
1. Minutes of the last meeting. The minutes were approved without changes.
2. Project timeline. Tom reported that the testing had been completed. It was agreed that the launch would be postponed until 1 July because of two small technical problems.
3. Budget. Olga explained that the budget had been exceeded by 5%. After a short discussion, the team agreed to reduce the marketing costs. The chair asked Olga to prepare a new budget.
4. Any other business. Mark offered to organise a training for the new employees.
Action points: Olga will send the new budget by 15 June. Tom will fix the technical problems by 25 June. Mark will organise the training by the end of July.
Next meeting: 26 June at 10:00. The meeting was adjourned at 11:00.
True or false?
The meeting started at 10:00.
Julia Smith attended the meeting.
The launch was postponed until 1 July.
The budget was lower than planned.
Mark will organise a training.
Answer the questions
Who chaired the meeting?
Why was the launch postponed?
What did the team agree to do about the budget?
When is the next meeting?
Find the key language
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good text?
Your own opinion
- Which part of the minutes is the most important? Why?
- Who should write minutes in your team?
- Would you change anything in this text?
Practice
Picture the situation
Record → Summarise → Circulate → Follow up. Minutes are useful only when they are accurate, short and sent quickly.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Say it in your own words
Write one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A useful tip
Speaking
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a colleague or a manager. Summarise meetings aloud, report decisions and agree on actions. Use It was agreed that … / X agreed to … / X was asked to … / X will … by ….
Opening the meeting
Task: you are the chair. Open the meeting and note the apologies.
Starter: "Good morning, everyone. I’d like to call the meeting to order. We have received apologies from Julia, who is on leave."
Summarising a discussion
Task: summarise a ten-minute discussion in three sentences.
Starter: "The team discussed the budget. Several risks were identified, and it was agreed that the marketing costs would be reduced."
Allocating tasks
Task: allocate three tasks to three people with deadlines.
Starter: "Olga will send the new budget by 15 June, Tom will fix the problems by 25 June, and Mark will organise the training by July."
Checking the minutes
Task: a colleague says the minutes are wrong. Check and correct them politely.
Starter: "Thank you for pointing that out. I wrote that the launch would be on 1 June, but it was agreed that it would be 1 July. I’ll correct it."
Explaining your notes
Task: your manager asks about last week’s meeting. Give a short oral summary.
Starter: "In short, the testing has been completed, the launch has been postponed, and the budget will be reduced."
Asking for volunteers
Task: in “any other business”, ask who can organise an event.
Starter: "Is there any other business? We need someone to organise the team event. Would anyone like to volunteer?"
Closing the meeting
Task: close the meeting, confirm the action points and the next date.
Starter: "To sum up, Olga will send the budget, Tom will fix the problems, and Mark will organise the training. The next meeting is on 26 June. Thank you, everyone."
Full conversation — no stops
Run through a short meeting with your tutor: open it, summarise two decisions, allocate actions and close the meeting — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which formal phrase is the most useful for you?
- Was it difficult to stay neutral and concise?
- How can you make your minutes better next time?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key vocabulary for minutes and summaries
- Write a short summary of a meeting
- Use formal reporting structures: it was agreed that, agreed to, was asked to
- Write clear action points with a person and a date
Quick self-check
How do we report a decision formally?
What should an action point contain?
When should minutes be sent?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor how you would improve meetings in your company. → To improve our meetings, I would …
Homework
Words to remember
| minutes | протокол (зустрічі) |
| an agenda | порядок денний |
| an attendee | учасник (присутній) |
| action points | завдання за підсумками зустрічі |
| to take minutes | вести протокол |
| to summarise | підсумовувати, коротко викладати |
| to circulate | розсилати |
| to approve | затверджувати |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write short minutes (6–8 sentences) of a real or imaginary meeting. Include attendees, two decisions (It was agreed that …), one request (X was asked to …) and two action points with names and dates.
Practise out loud
Say your minutes aloud as if you were reading them at the next meeting. Speak in a neutral, professional voice.
Read aloud
Read the text “Minutes of the project meeting” aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I wrote short minutes (6–8 sentences)
- 8.8 I said my minutes aloud
- 8.9 I read the sample minutes aloud twice