Stating the Purpose of a Business Appointment
CEFR: B1
Read/Listen first
This morning the human resources manager arrived early for the meeting about parking. Last year several employees had trouble finding a space, and some even parked on the street. We have already tried renting extra spots, but it was too expensive for the company budget. Today she is going to explain a new plan for car pooling and software access. If people shared cars, they would reduce traffic, save money, and arrive less stressed. During the appointment she is going to show how the online booking program works, because some staff could not log in last week. When everyone can access the program, it will be easier to coordinate rides and check schedules. By working together, planning the reason for each visit, and reviewing the results after a month, the company can make coming to work smoother and more sustainable for every employee.⚡ Learning goals
- Can state the purpose of a business appointment clearly.
- Can explain why a workplace meeting is necessary using simple reasons.
- Can describe access problems and suggest basic solutions.
✨ Key language
- I’m here today to talk about… “I’m here today to talk about parking.”
- The reason for our appointment is… “The reason for our appointment is car pooling.”
- It’s about + noun / -ing “It’s about improving software access.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Present perfect for recent actions
Rule: Use have / has + past participle to talk about actions connected to now.Examples: We have already tried renting extra spots.; I have talked to several employees.; They have suggested car pooling before.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use past simple with “already”. Fix it by adding “have/has”: We have already tried instead of we already tried.
Choose the best sentence about a recent action.
Tip: Use “have/has” + past participle for results important now.
Fill with the best answer: We ______ renting extra spaces, but it was too expensive.
Tip: Use “have already tried” to connect the past action to now.
2️⃣ Conditional would for consequences
Rule: Use would + base verb after “if” to describe imagined results.Examples: If people shared cars, they would save money.; If we had more spaces, employees would arrive calmer.; If access improved, staff would waste less time.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “would”. Add it to show the result is imagined, not real now.
Complete the idea: If employees shared cars, ______
Tip: Use “would” to show the result is hypothetical.
Fill with the best answer: If staff shared cars, they ______.
Tip: Use “would” + verb to describe the imagined benefits.
3️⃣ Be going to for planned meetings
Rule: Use am / is / are going to + verb to talk about future plans and arrangements.Examples: She is going to explain the new plan.; We are going to review the results next month.; They are going to check access problems.
Common pitfall + fix: Do not add “will” before “going to”. Choose one future form only.
Choose the correct sentence about a planned action.
Tip: Remember the verb “to be” before “going to”.
Fill with the best answer: We ______ the results after a month.
Tip: Use “are going to” for planned future actions.
4️⃣ It’s about / regarding + noun or -ing
Rule: Use It’s about / It’s regarding / It’s concerning + noun / -ing to introduce the purpose of an appointment.Examples: It’s about car pooling.; It’s regarding accessing the software.; It’s concerning parking capacity at the office.
Common pitfall + fix: Avoid using both “regarding” and “about” together. Choose one linker only.
Choose the most natural sentence for an appointment purpose.
Tip: Use one preposition after “It’s”, not two.
Fill with the best answer: It’s ______ at our office.
Tip: Combine “regarding” with a noun phrase such as “parking capacity”.
✍️ Vocabulary
appointment
Meaning: a planned meeting at a specific time, usually for business or work.Synonyms: meeting, session, arrangement
Chunk/Idiom: have an appointment with the manager
Example: I have an appointment with the human resources manager at ten.
Morphology: noun; related verb: appoint; adjective: appointed.
Self-practice: Write two sentences about appointments you have this week.
purpose
Meaning: the reason why something is done or why a meeting happens.Synonyms: reason, aim, objective
Chunk/Idiom: state the purpose of the meeting
Example: Please state the purpose of your visit clearly at the start.
Morphology: noun; adjective: purposeful; adverb: purposefully.
Self-practice: Explain the purpose of your next work meeting in one sentence.
car pooling
Meaning: an arrangement where several people share one car to travel together.Synonyms: ride sharing, car sharing, carpooling
Chunk/Idiom: set up a car pooling system
Example: Our company started car pooling to reduce traffic and costs.
Morphology: noun phrase; verb: carpool; participle: carpooling.
Self-practice: Describe one advantage and one challenge of car pooling.
access
Meaning: the ability or permission to use a place, system, or information.Synonyms: entry, connection, admission
Chunk/Idiom: have access to the software
Example: Some employees do not have access to the booking program yet.
Morphology: noun and verb; adjective: accessible; noun: accessibility.
Self-practice: Write one sentence about access problems in your workplace.
parking capacity
Meaning: the maximum number of cars that can park in a specific area.Synonyms: parking space, parking limit, parking availability
Chunk/Idiom: increase the parking capacity
Example: The parking capacity is too low for fifty-seven employees.
Morphology: noun phrase; noun: capacity; verb: park.
Self-practice: Explain the parking capacity at your company or school.
network
Meaning: a system of computers or people that are connected and communicate.Synonyms: system, web, grid
Chunk/Idiom: improve the company network
Example: When the network fails, staff cannot access important programs.
Morphology: noun and verb; adjective: networked; noun: networking.
Self-practice: Describe one problem you had with a network recently.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
I’m here today to talk about our parking and car pooling plan.
The reason for our appointment is software access for all employees.
We have already tried renting extra parking spaces for the company.
If people shared cars, they would save money and arrive less stressed.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct sentence about the appointment.
Tip: Use “for” after “reason” and add the verb “is”.
Which sentence correctly states the purpose of your visit?
Tip: After “I’m here today”, use “to” + base verb.
Fill with the best answer:
We ______ renting extra spots, but it was too expensive.Tip: Use the present perfect to connect past actions to now.
Fill with the best answer:
If people shared cars, they ______.Tip: Use “would” for imagined results of car pooling.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Which word means “the reason for a meeting”?
Tip: Think of the aim or objective of the appointment.
Which expression describes sharing cars to travel to work?
Tip: Look for the phrase connected to travelling by car together.
Fill with the best answer:
I have an ______ with the manager at ten.Tip: Use the noun that means “planned meeting”.
Fill with the best answer:
Some staff do not have ______ to the online program.Tip: Think of the word used for connection or entry.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Good morning, I’m here today to talk about parking and software access.B: Great, so the reason for our appointment is car pooling and the booking program?
A: Exactly. It’s about reducing traffic and helping everyone access the system easily.
Why this matters:
Clear appointment purposes save time and make meetings more efficient. They help colleagues understand why they are in the room. They also support better decisions about transport and software use.Verb & Adjective Pack:
reduce traffic — Car pooling can reduce traffic around the office.share cars — Many employees share cars to save money.
sustainable — A sustainable plan considers costs, time, and the environment.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: In this meeting, ________________________.
Tip: Use the phrase “the reason for our appointment is…”.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: It’s regarding about improve access the booking program.
Tip: Use “It’s about” or “It’s regarding”, plus correct verb and noun form.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
We are going to review the results after a month.
Tip: Notice the “are going to” future form and the time phrase.