Business Meeting

The language used for speaking during a business meeting is basically very similar to that of an ordinary conversation, but limited in certain important respects by a special situation which imposes a number of restrictions. Attention should be paid to some of the essential differences between formal and informal conversations. The most notable difference is that a formal conversation is carried on at much more formal level because the people speaking are taking care to maintain the high level of politeness usually felt appropriate in this kind of discussion. Another difference is that a formal discussion is very precise and factual, keeping to the subject and never straying off into chatty vagueness which is found at times in informal conversations. Finally, there is of course a considerable difference in vocabulary, with more technical terms than one would expect to find in an average informal conversation, and the mixture of formal and informal words and phrases. The informal chatty conversation usually takes place between friends who have nothing in particular to discuss.