Business English- Taking Minutes

Writing minutes in English

How could you explain what each line in the following minutes of a meeting mean in full sentences? (Try to change the wording as much as possible)

Minutes of Sales Managers Meeting, Thursday 3 March 2011, Board Room Participants: Don Jolly (Chair), Terry Pratchett, Jane Trampson Apologies: Alex Case
Item                                   1.    Minutes of the last meeting Approved and signed 2.    Review of last quarter’s performance JT reported sales up 32% All teams to provide reports to Chair.                  3.    Marketing activity New pamphlets ready to send 8th April New ad being broadcast 4.    AOB DJ requested a different venue for the following meeting Next meeting: 15 April 7 a.m. Venue TBC	Action                   TP, JT, AC	By                   31 Mar

Compare your answers with the version on the next page. It could be written many other ways, so please check with your teacher if you think your version is different but also correct.

------------------- 

Suggested answers

This is a record of what was talked about at the Sales Managers’ meeting on Thursday the third of March 2011. The meeting took place in the board room.

Don Jolly, Terry Pratchett and Jane Trampson attended the meeting, but Alex Case was absent. Don Jolly acted as chair.

First of all, the minutes of the last meeting were approved and signed.

The second point on the agenda was a review of the figures from January to March. JT reported that sales had risen by nearly a third. The chair asked all teams to give him a report by the end of March.

The next item on the agenda was marketing efforts. It was reported that the new pamphlets would be ready to send on the eighth of April and that a new commercial was being broadcast.

In Any Other Business, the chair asked whether it would be possible to hold the next meeting elsewhere. The next meeting will be held at seven o’clock in the morning on the seventh of April, but where has not yet been decided.

 

Without looking at the previous page, try to change the account of the meeting above back into note form that is suitable for the minutes of a meeting.

How can you use these useful phrases for minutes to talk about the information above? 

• present
• held
• were received from
• deadline
• previous

What other useful words and phrases for writing minutes can you find above?

What do you think of the format of the minutes above?

What other formats are possible?

Look at the two options on the next page. Which do you prefer and why? 

Decision	Action	Who by?	When by?

 

Point	Discussion	Action

 

Answer key

• Don Jolly, Terry Pratchett and Jane Trampson were present (at the meeting).
• Apologies were received from Alex Case.
• The deadline for the reports is the end of March.
• Everyone signed the minutes of the previous

 

Useful phrases

• Board room
• Chair (= Chairman or Chairperson)
• Participants
• Apologies
• Approved
• Review of…
• Action/ By
• AOB (= any other business)
• venue
• the following
• B.C (= to be confirmed)