Shadowing Practice: How To Write Meeting Minutes In English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi everybody, hope you're all doing well.
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In this Business English Meetings lesson, you'll learn everything you need to know about writing meeting minutes in English.
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Welcome back to English for Professionals.
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I'm Derek and I'm here with another short lesson for you busy people.
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Before we get started, just a quick reminder to subscribe to my channel, hit the red button and click on the little bell.
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That way you'll be notified every time I upload a new lesson.
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And don't forget to join my email list.
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Every two weeks I send out my free vocabulary email with additional business English, words from the news and everyday English for you to learn.
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The link is in the description below.
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And now let's get started with the lesson.
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So in this lesson we're going to do four things.
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First I'll show you my top tips for writing minutes.
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Then we look at a template and what to include.
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After that we look at the type of language used to write the minutes.
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And at the end of the lesson I'll give you some additional tips.
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Let's start with my top tips.
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First tip, keep it simple.
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The minutes are not a word-for-word transcription of what was said in a meeting.
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They are a concise summary of discussions had, decisions made and actions agreed.
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The second tip is to use bullet points.
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Bullet points make it easier for the reader to find important information.
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Tip number three, ask for clarification if you miss or don't understand something.
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Tip four, don't include unnecessary information.
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The fifth tip, be objective.
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Don't include personal opinion and finally be well prepared know the agenda
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and use a template to save time great now let's move
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on to the second part of the lesson where we look at our template
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and what to include
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so the first things on our template are the meeting objective who called it the date time
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and location then include the meeting agenda if you're wondering what AOB stands for it's it's any other business.
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And this is often the last item on the agenda, and it gives the participants time to discuss any other important or relevant business.
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In this section on the right,
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we include the attendees present and absent and if it's a conference call it could also be relevant to include their location.
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And before we move on to the next section I just want to mention that this is one version.
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There are many other types of template and sometimes people include other things.
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It really depends on your company or organization and the types of meetings you attend.
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Now let's look at the next section.
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Often at the start of a meeting the minutes from the last meeting are reviewed.
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Any changes made or important information relating to them can be noted here.
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And next we have one of the most important parts of our template.
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For each agenda item we have three sections.
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Notes where we make notes about the discussion.
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Make sure to have plenty of space here on your template.
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Much more space than you can see here.
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Then we have key decisions made where we make notes about the decisions.
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Again you need to have more space here.
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And the last section is action items where we write down the action to be taken, who it was assigned to,
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the owner, and here we use the initials, and the date it should be completed by the deadline in
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the next part of our template we have items to be
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held over this section can be used to make notes about things
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that come up in the meeting
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but are not related to the meeting it may be necessary to arrange a separate meeting
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if many items are held over next we have any other business
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and this part should have the same three sections as each agenda item At the end of our notes,
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it's a good idea to have a summary of the key decisions made.
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I haven't included it here, but you could also include a summary of the action points.
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Finally, if a follow-up meeting was agreed on, the date, time, and location should be included here.
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A link to this template is included in the video description.
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Excellent!
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So that's our template and what to include.
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Now let's take a look at the type of language used to write the minutes.
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These are some of the most common verbs used to make notes.
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You can find this list in the video description below.
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And now let's take a look at some of those verbs in example notes.
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TS pointed out that competition was getting tougher and requested an increase in the marketing budget.
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PW presented last month's figures and underlined the importance of having a motivated sales team.
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HW explained the reasons for the increase in customer complaints.
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BN asked for more details about the new production line.
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RF expressed concern about the reliability of our new supplier.
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To express concern about is another way to say that someone is worried or unsure about something.
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GD recommended hiring an external consultant to support us in the upcoming CRM project.
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The verb recommend is often followed by a gerund or ing form.
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WL complained about the lack of communication within the IT department.
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TR reminded us about the necessity of increasing our social media presence.
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Notice how all of the notes are written using the past simple form.
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Great, now let's look at some different ways to write about key decisions made.
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A vote was taken and the proposal was approved by 3 to 1.
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It was decided that the marketing budget will be increased by 10%.
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It was agreed that the current supplier's screening policy needs to be reviewed.
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The budget for 2021 was finalized.
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Please see Attach document.
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The guidelines for the new recruitment drive were defined.
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See attachment.
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Alex Henders was selected to lead the ERP project.
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Notice that the past simple passive form is used in each example.
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We form this by using was or where followed by the third form of the verb, the past participle.
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Excellent!
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Now let's look at how to write the action points.
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Here are some verbs which are often used in action points.
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This list is also included in the video description.
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And now let's look at some of those verbs in some example action points.
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Review current supplier screening policy.
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Draw up guidelines for using the new software.
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To draw up means to prepare and write something such as a document or a plan.
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Contact Ben Walters and ask for a better price.
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Update website with new branding.
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Order 10 new printers.
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Find out when DEN Core are launching their new model.
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Reserve conference room at ITB trade show.
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Notice that all action points start with a verb in the infinitive form.
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And now we'll go back to our template for a moment and try it out.
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RF expressed concern about the reliability of our new supplier.
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Now, there would probably be additional notes made on this agenda item.
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This is just one example.
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It was agreed that the current supplier screening policy needs to be reviewed.
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Review current supplier screening policy.
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SE September 22nd.
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So we're almost at the end of our lesson, but before we finish, here are some additional tips which you might find helpful.
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At the end of the meeting, complete your notes and clarify points if necessary.
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Proofread carefully, even ask a colleague who speaks better English.
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If needed, send the draft to the meeting leader before sharing with other attendees,
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especially for most formal meetings such as board of directors or committee meetings.
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And finally, try to send out the minutes as soon as possible to let everyone know their next projects or actions.
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So that brings us to the end of another lesson.
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I hope you found it helpful and
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if there are any other areas of business English I can help you with let me know in the comments
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and I'll do my best to cover them in an upcoming lesson.
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If you like this lesson hit the like button and share with your friends and colleagues.
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Subscribe to my channel if you haven't done that already and don't forget to join my email list.
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Every two weeks I send out my free vocabulary email with additional business English, words from the news and everyday English for you to learn.
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The link is in the description below.
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Thanks a lot for watching and see you soon.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “How To Write Meeting Minutes In English”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: meeting, template, lesson, notes, include. This video has 122 sentences and 1435 words to shadow. The speech runs for 10:02. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| template noun | /ˈtɛm.plɪt/ | A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| supplier noun | /səˈplaɪə/ | One who supplies; a provider. |
| attendee noun | A person who is in attendance or in the audience of an event. | |
| guideline noun | /ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/ | A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour. |
| vocabulary noun | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning. |
| reliability noun | The quality of being reliable, dependable, or trustworthy. | |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| concise adjective | /kənˈsaɪs/ | Brief, yet including all important information. |
| finalize verb | /ˈfaɪ.nə.laɪz/ | To make final or firm; to finish or complete. |
| gerund noun | /ˈd͡ʒɛɹənd/ | A verbal form that functions as a verbal noun. (In English, a gerund has the same spelling as a present participle, but functions differently; however, this… |
| infinitive noun | /ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/ | The infinitive mood or mode (a grammatical mood). |
| participle noun | /ˈpɑɹtɪˌsɪpəl/ | A form of a verb that may function as an adjective, noun or adverb. English has two types of participles: the present participle and the past participle. In… |
| proofread verb | /ˈpɹuːfɹiːd/ | To check a written text for errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| send out verb | To issue, dispatch or transmit. | |
| draw up verb | To compose (a document), especially following a standard form; prepare a plan. | |
| hold over verb | /ˌhəʊld ˈəʊ̯.və/ | (Of a resource) To support or sustain someone for a limited period. |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| follow up verb | To take further actions remaining after an event; to continue, revisit, or persist; especially, to maintain communication or verify. | |
| go back to verb | To stem from; to originate in. | |
| point out verb | To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body. | |
| write down verb | To produce or set (something) down in writing; to record something. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to write |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be notified · was said · are reviewed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't included · haven't done |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 19 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'll, haven't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: transcription /tɹænˈskɹɪpʃən/, clarification /ˌklæɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, infinitive /ɪnˈfɪnɪtɪv/, participle /ˈpɑɹtɪˌsɪpəl/, clarification /ˌklæɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, participant /pɑːɹˈtɪsəpənt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like template, verb, supplier.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.