Business English Worksheet for Adults

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Business English is the most monetizable ESL skill — and the one most textbooks treat superficially. Students learn “Dear Sir/Madam” and “I look forward to hearing from you,” but they don’t learn how to interrupt a meeting politely, leave a voicemail that’s actually returned, or write an email that gets a response.

This worksheet covers the real scenarios adult professionals face at work, with the phrases and vocabulary that actually work.

What This Worksheet Covers

4 sections, each focused on a core business skill:

Section 1: Email Writing (15 phrases + 5 practice scenarios)

Opening lines (formal and informal)
Making requests
Giving bad news
Following up
Closing lines

Section 2: Meeting Phrases (20 phrases + 3 role-play scenarios)

Giving your opinion
Agreeing and disagreeing politely
Interrupting
Summarizing what’s been said
Closing the meeting

Section 3: Phone Calls (15 phrases + 4 practice scenarios)

Opening a call
Putting someone on hold
Taking a message
Leaving a voicemail
Closing a call

Section 4: Presentations (20 phrases + 2 presentation outlines)

Opening a presentation
Signposting (First, Next, Finally)
Handling Q&A
Closing a presentation

Section 1: Email Writing

Adult professionals write emails constantly, but few are taught how to write them well. This section teaches the phrases that work in real workplaces.

Opening lines

Formal:

I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in response to your email regarding…
Thank you for your email dated…

Informal:

Just a quick note to…
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
Following up on our conversation last week…

Making requests

Could you please send me…?
I was wondering if you could…
Would it be possible to…?

Giving bad news

Unfortunately, we are unable to…
I’m afraid that won’t be possible because…
We regret to inform you that…

Following up

I’m just following up on my email from…
I wanted to check if you’ve had a chance to…
I’d appreciate any update you can give me on…

Closing lines

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards / Kind regards / Best wishes

Practice scenarios (5 mini-emails to write):

Requesting a meeting with a client
Following up on an unanswered email
Declining a meeting invitation politely
Confirming details of a project
Apologizing for a delay

Section 2: Meeting Phrases

Giving your opinion

In my opinion, …
I think / I believe that…
From my perspective, …
The way I see it, …

Agreeing politely

I completely agree with…
That’s a great point, and…
I see what you mean, and I would add that…

Disagreeing politely

I’m not sure I agree. Could we explore…?
I see your point, but have you considered…?
That’s an interesting perspective. I think however that…

Interrupting

Sorry to interrupt, but…
If I could just add something here…
Could I jump in for a moment?

Summarizing

So to summarize what we’ve discussed…
Just to recap the main points…
If I understand correctly, we’re saying that…

Closing

I think we’ve covered everything on the agenda.
Let’s wrap up and move to the next item.
Thank you all for your time today.

Practice role-play scenarios (3):

Team meeting to decide on a new office location
Client meeting to discuss project timeline
Department meeting to plan quarterly budget

Section 3: Phone Calls

Opening

Good morning, this is [name] from [company].
Hi, this is [name]. May I speak with [person]?
Hello, [company name], how can I help you?

Putting on hold

Could you hold for a moment, please?
Would you mind holding while I check?
One moment please, I’ll be right back.

Taking a message

May I take a message?
Would you like him/her to call you back?
Could you give me your number, please?

Leaving a voicemail

Hi [name], this is [your name] from [company].
I’m calling about…
Could you call me back at [number]? Thanks.

Closing

Thank you for calling. Have a great day.
I’ll let [person] know you called.
Thanks again, talk to you soon.

Practice scenarios (4):

Calling a client to confirm an appointment
Leaving a voicemail for a busy colleague
Taking a message for your manager who’s in a meeting
Handling an angry caller

Section 4: Presentations

Opening

Thank you all for coming today.
I’m here today to talk about…
By the end of this presentation, you’ll understand…

Signposting

First, I’ll cover…
Next, I’ll move on to…
Finally, I’ll discuss…
To sum up what we’ve discussed today…

Handling Q&A

That’s a great question.
I’m glad you asked that.
Let me address that in a bit more detail.

Closing

Thank you for your attention.
I’d be happy to take any questions.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any follow-up questions.

Practice presentation outlines (2):

Presenting quarterly results to a team
Pitching a new product to a client

How to Use This Worksheet

Option 1 — Single class (90 minutes)

Use the full worksheet in one extended class. Cover 1-2 sections per session over 2-3 weeks.

Option 2 — Modular (recommended)

Each section is self-contained. Use one section per class over 4 weeks.

Option 3 — In-company training

Each section can be adapted for 1-1 tutoring. Focus on the scenarios most relevant to your student’s actual job.

Why Real Workplace Scenarios Matter

Most business English textbooks use generic scenarios (“You are at a conference. Introduce yourself to a colleague.”). Adult professionals don’t find these useful — they’ve already been to conferences, they know how to introduce themselves.

The scenarios in this worksheet reflect real workplace situations: difficult clients, conflicting schedules, last-minute changes, cross-cultural misunderstandings. Students can immediately apply what they learn.

FAQ

What business English skills does this worksheet cover?

Emails (formal and informal), meetings (giving opinions, interrupting, summarizing), phone calls (leaving messages, taking messages), and presentations (opening, signposting, handling Q&A).

Is this worksheet for B1 or B2 level?

Both. The vocabulary and phrases are tagged by level, and the activities include differentiation options for stronger and weaker students.

Can I use this for in-company training?

Yes. The worksheet is designed for both ESL classrooms and corporate language training. The scenarios are realistic and reflect actual workplace situations.

How long does this worksheet take to complete?

The full worksheet (4 sections) takes 60-90 minutes. You can split it across 2-4 classes by doing one section per session.

About This Worksheet

This worksheet is part of eslmaterials.org’s library of free, printable ESL resources for adult learners. All worksheets are designed by experienced teachers and tested in real classrooms.

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