Main Topic 3: Meetings Lesson 25: Discussing Agenda / Problems (20-25 minutes) Today, you will: 1. Learn useful vocabulary related to DISCUSSING AGENDA/PROBLEMS 2. Review Subordinating Conjunctions I. VOCABULARY Exercise 1: What s the meaning? (5-6 minutes) A. Choose the meaning of the underlined words from the choices that follow. 1. The director will review your proposal before he approves it. a. sign b. read c. assess d. reject 2. Everyone needs to vote before we finalize our decision. a. speak b. choose c. propose d. suggest 3. The company plans to launch its new program next week. a. start b. cancel c. postpone d. campaign Page 1
4. We have to solve this problem right away before we can continue with our project. a. check b. answer c. analyze d. consider 5. The secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting. a. terms of proposal b. duration of meeting c. contract of agreement d. summary of conference B. Sentence-Making Practice (3-4 minutes) Practice using the words you ve learned in your own sentences. 1. Review 2. Vote 3. Launch 4. Solve 5. Minutes Page 2
Exercise 2: What s the word? (4-5 minutes)) Read the following dialog with your tutor and try to use context clues to fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word. You can find the missing word from the pool of words at the bottom. Mr. Johnson is about to present his proposal. He is talking with Ms. Smith. Ms. Smith: Good morning, Mr. Johnson. Today is your big day. I wish you luck. Your proposal is the main agenda for the meeting. Mr. Johnson: Yes, Miss Smith. Thank you but I am really nervous. The and the director will be here in a few minutes. Ms. Smith: Yes. Everybody should be before we begin. I m sure you re nervous but you should relax. I m sure you ll do well. Mr. Johnson: Thank you. I have a lot of plans for this project. I hope it will all turn out the way I planned it to. I better get ready now. Ms. Smith: Yes, you better prepare now. Mr. Johnson: I hope the director will approve my. Ms. Smith: I m sure he will. Choices: a. chairman b. promotion c. proposal d. present Page 3
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Topic: Subordinating Conjunctions (proper position in a sentence) (5-6 minutes) General Description: A subordinating conjunction, also called a subordinator, is used to connect an independent and a dependent clause together. The subordinating conjunction can go either at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence, depending on what is emphasized. Remember: Some common examples of subordinating conjunctions are after, because, if, that, though, although, until before, unless, when, where, while, etc. Examples: 1. In sentences starting with independent clauses, the dependent clause comes after the subordinating conjunction. Independent Clause Subordinating Conjunction Dependent Clause Mr. Smith should before the director arrives. prepare his presentation Let us wait until the recognition of new members is over. 2. If the first word of a sentence is a subordinating conjunction, it is immediately followed by a dependent clause. The dependent clause ends in a comma, and is immediately followed by an independent clause. Subordinating conjunction Dependent clause Independent clause While Before the secretary read the agenda of the meeting, I pass the handouts, the members took notes. let me first check the attendance. Comprehension Check: Join the following sentence by using a subordinating conjunction. Page 4
The finance team forgot to audit last week s expenses. The reports weren t presented. Exercise 1: Incomplete Sentences (3-4 minutes) Choose the word or phrase that would best complete the following sentences. 1. Please pass the hand-outs I discuss the progress report from last year. a. since b. while c. because d. whether 2. We can t start the meeting everybody is here. a. because b. while c. after d. until 3. the company had more losses than profit, the director decided to close the business. a. So b. Until c. Where d. Because Page 5