The document provides guidelines for interrupting and participating in business meetings. It offers polite phrases for interrupting a speaker, such as "If I could just interrupt you there..." or "Sorry to interrupt but I'd like to hear some other views on this." It also suggests ways for the chair to stop interruptions, such as "Just a moment, Dave. I'll come back to you in a minute." Participants are advised to ask "Can I just briefly comment on that?" when interrupting and "May I just finish my point?" when being interrupted. The document outlines wrapping up the meeting by confirming tasks, setting the next meeting date, and thanking participants before closing.

1. INTERRUPTING
Interrupting a speaker in a business meeting

2. CHAIR
INTERRUPTING
• OK Fred, if I could just quickly interrupt you there...
• Nick, sorry to interrupt but I’d like to hear some other views
on this.
• If I could just stop you there for a second.

3. CHAIR STOPPING
INTERRUPTION
• Just a moment, Dave. I’ll come back to you in a minute.
• One at a time, please.
• Please, let him finish what he was saying.

4. PARTICIPANTS
INTERRUPTING
• Excuse me, can I just interrupt quickly?
• Come I come in here?
• Can I just briefly comment on that?
• Can I piggyback on what Shelly was saying?

5. STOPPING AN
INTERRUPTION
• If I could just finish what I was saying.
• May I just finish my point?
• No, just one minute, please.
• I haven’t finished what I was saying yet.

6. REASON FOR
INTERRUPTING
• I’d like to point out that the data is from 2009.
• I’d like to add something to that point...
• I’d like to piggyback on what you just said.
• That’s a good point. I’d like to develop it a bit.

7. COMMENTING
• That’s a good point, Mike.
• I see what you saying, Jim.
• Yes, you’re spot-on.

8. CONTINUING AN
INTERRUPTING
• Thanks for bringing that up. Perhaps we should talk more
about it.
• Let’s talk a bit more about this new point.

9. DECIDING AND
CLOSING
• I think we need to discuss this further.
• I think we should have some more information on this.
• I would like to take this away and look at it in more detail.
• Let’s put this on next week’s agenda.
• Let’s leave this until next week.

10. TIME
• We’re running out of time.
• Unfortunately, we don’t have anymore time to spend on this.
• OK, everyone, we’re almost out of time.
• We getting really behind schedule.

11. CLOSING
• We have to bring this to a close.
• I think we’ve covered everything we’d planned to.
• I don’t think there’s anything else left.

12. DECIDING
• I really would like a decision before we close the meeting.
• Can we come to a decision before we leave?
• Are we all ready to make a decision?

13. COMPLETING
AGENDA
• I think we’ve covered everything.
• OK. That’s everything on the agenda.
• Does anyone have anything else before we finish?
• Is there any other business?
• Are there any final questions before we call it a day?

14. CONFIRM
TASKS
• John, you’re doing the report on...
• Dave, you’ll get the data and email it me before the end of the
week?
• Steven, you’ll sort out the arrangements for the next meeting?

15. NEXT MEETING
• Let’s set a time for our next meeting.
• Is July 8th a convenient day for our next meeting?
• I’ll confirm the date and location of our next meeting by email.
• I’ll email you the time of our next meeting.

16. CLOSING THE
MEETING
• OK. Let’s finish there.Thank you all for coming and I’ll see you
again the next week.
• It’s getting late. Let’s call it a day.

17. ESLExplorer
@ESLExplorer
eslexplorer
esl-explorer
eslexplorer.com