Meetings & Teamwork — B1 Essential Words

attend /əˈtend/ verb B1 Meetings

Meaning: To go to a meeting, class, event, or place regularly or for a purpose.

Example: All managers must attend the training.

Another example: She attends classes on Tuesdays.

Collocations: attend a meeting · attend school · attend the conference

Synonyms: go to, be present at, join

Antonyms: miss, skip, avoid

Word family: attendance (n) · attendees (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Attend takes NO preposition: attend the meeting (never 'attend to the meeting' — attend to means take care of).

🗣 In spoken American English: Invitations ask it flatly: 'Will you attend?' — answer in the thread, not by email storm.

Register: Formal — professional essential.

schedule /ˈskedʒuːl/ noun / verb B1 Meetings

Meaning: A plan of times for activities or events; to arrange a time for something.

Example: My schedule is full this week.

Another example: Let's schedule the call for Friday.

Collocations: on schedule · schedule a meeting · busy schedule

Synonyms: plan, timetable, calendar

Word family: schedules (n pl) · scheduled (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: American pronunciation: SKED-yool. Behind schedule = late; ahead of schedule = early — the project pair.

🗣 In spoken American English: Calendar apps made it a verb of daily life: 'Schedule it and send me an invite.'

Register: Neutral — work essential.

participant /pɑːrˈtɪsɪpənt/ noun B1 Meetings

Meaning: A person who takes part in an activity, meeting, or event.

Example: Each participant received a certificate.

Another example: The study needs 200 participants.

Collocations: participants in · active participant · all participants

Synonyms: attendee, member, player

Antonyms: observer, audience

Word family: participate (v) · participation (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Participants DO things (experiments, workshops); attendees mostly show up. Studies always recruit participants.

🗣 In spoken American English: Zoom counts them in the corner — 'Participants (24)'.

Register: Formal — events and research.

presentation /ˌprezənˈteɪʃən/ noun B1 Meetings

Meaning: A talk where someone shows and explains information to a group, often with slides.

Example: Her presentation lasted twenty minutes.

Another example: He gave a presentation about the new design.

Collocations: give a presentation · presentation on · slide presentation

Synonyms: talk, pitch, demonstration

Word family: present (v) · presentations (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: You GIVE a presentation (or present). The slides are 'the deck' in office slang.

🗣 In spoken American English: Rule of every good one: fewer words on slides, more in your voice.

Register: Neutral — school and work core.

decision /dɪˈsɪʒən/ noun B1 Meetings

Meaning: A choice made after thinking about possibilities; the act of deciding.

Example: The team made a decision to hire two engineers.

Another example: It's a difficult decision.

Collocations: make a decision · decision about · final decision

Synonyms: choice, judgment, conclusion

Antonyms: indecision

Word family: decide (v) · decisions (n pl) · decisive (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: You MAKE a decision in English (never 'take' in modern US use, though British allows it). Decide is the verb.

🗣 In spoken American English: Meetings exist to produce them: 'So, what's the decision?'

Register: Neutral — everywhere essential.

agreement /əˈɡriːmənt/ noun B1 Meetings

Meaning: A decision reached by two or more people or groups; a formal contract-like understanding.

Example: The two sides reached an agreement.

Another example: We are in agreement about the price.

Collocations: reach an agreement · in agreement · agreement on

Synonyms: deal, understanding, consensus

Antonyms: disagreement, argument

Word family: agree (v) · agreements (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Reach an agreement = finally agree after discussion. 'In agreement' = currently agreeing.

🗣 In spoken American English: Handshakes seal the spoken kind; signatures seal the written kind.

Register: Neutral to formal — business essential.

summary /ˈsʌməri/ noun B1 Meetings

Meaning: A short statement of the main points of something longer.

Example: Write a summary of the article in five lines.

Another example: The summary at the end saved me an hour.

Collocations: in summary · summary of · brief summary

Synonyms: overview, recap, abstract

Word family: summaries (n pl) · summarize (v)

⚠ Common mistake: 'In summary' opens conclusions in essays and meetings alike. A summary keeps points, drops details.

🗣 In spoken American English: AI tools made it a button: 'Summarize this page.'

Register: Neutral — study and work staple.

minutes /ˈmɪnɪts/ noun B1 Meetings

Meaning: The official written record of what was said and decided at a meeting; also units of time (60 seconds).

Example: Sarah takes the minutes at every meeting.

Another example: The minutes show we agreed on March 3rd.

Collocations: take minutes · meeting minutes · the minutes show

Synonyms: record, notes (official)

Word family: minute (n — time unit)

⚠ Common mistake: Meeting minutes are always plural and written AFTER; they become the memory of the team. Not the same as quick personal notes.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Per the minutes…' settles arguments about who promised what.

Register: Formal — office essential.

reschedule /ˌriːˈskedʒuːl/ verb B1 Meetings

Meaning: To change the time or date of a planned event.

Example: We had to reschedule the flight to Monday.

Another example: Can we reschedule our meeting to Thursday?

Collocations: reschedule to · reschedule for · reschedule the appointment

Synonyms: move, postpone (indefinite), shift

Word family: rescheduled (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Reschedule sets a NEW time; postpone may leave it open. Calendar apps made both one tap.

🗣 In spoken American English: The polite frame: 'Something came up — can we reschedule?'

Register: Neutral — modern work essential.

postpone /pəʊˈspəʊn/ verb B1 Meetings

Meaning: To delay an event or activity until a later time.

Example: They postponed the game because of rain.

Another example: The trip was postponed to next month.

Collocations: postpone until · postpone the meeting · be postponed

Synonyms: delay, put off (informal twin), reschedule (with new time)

Antonyms: advance, bring forward

Word family: postponement (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Postpone is the FORMAL twin of the phrasal verb 'put off' — same meaning, different register. This pair is a register lesson in itself.

🗣 In spoken American English: Weather postpones games; life postpones everything else.

Register: Formal — official announcements.