Gap-fill
Set a French meeting topic aside: practise the return
Fill eight gaps in a French meeting exchange to defer a budget question, return to it and arrange a separate discussion with clear next steps.
- B2
- 8 gaps
- Translation included
- Learn this in the B2 notebook →
In short
Say Je note la question ; nous y reviendrons après le calendrier. When that moment comes, use Revenons maintenant au budget. If the topic needs another meeting, name the preparation and agree a time.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Study first: three clear transitions
| Job | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledge | Je note la question du budget. | I’ve noted the budget question. |
| Keep the current sequence | Terminons d’abord le calendrier. | Let’s finish the timetable first. |
| Promise a return | Nous y reviendrons juste après. | We’ll come back to it straight afterwards. |
| Resume the topic | Revenons maintenant au budget. | Let’s now return to the budget. |
| Propose another discussion | Je propose une réunion dédiée mardi. | I suggest a separate meeting on Tuesday. |
In nous y reviendrons, y refers back to the topic already named. D’abord, ensuite and juste après tell listeners where the question fits in the discussion. In the exercise, write the French word or words given by each English cue. Keep the accents: d’abord needs an apostrophe and dédiée needs two accents.
Le budget attend son tour
Malik : Et pour le budget supplémentaire, qui doit valider ? Samira : Je (note down) la question. Terminons (first) le calendrier ; nous (to it) reviendrons juste après.
Dix minutes plus tard, Samira reprend : Nous avons fixé le calendrier. (Let us return) maintenant à la question du budget. Malik, quel montant faut-il faire valider ? Malik : Il manque encore un devis.
Samira : Ce point demande une discussion séparée. Je propose une réunion (dedicated) mardi à dix heures. Êtes-vous (available) ? Nora : Oui. Malik : Moi aussi. Samira : Très bien. Malik, peux-tu envoyer les deux devis (before) la réunion ? Malik : Oui, je les enverrai lundi. Samira : Le montant reste donc à (approve) mardi.
Read it in English
Malik asks who must approve the extra budget. Samira notes the question and asks the group to finish the timetable first. They will return to the budget straight afterwards.
Ten minutes later, Samira returns to the budget and asks for the amount requiring approval. Malik says one quotation is still missing.
Samira proposes a dedicated meeting on Tuesday at ten. Nora and Malik accept. Malik will send both quotations on Monday. The amount will still need approval on Tuesday.
How do you set a topic aside in a French meeting?
Nous avons repris la question du budget. Il manque un devis ; la validation aura lieu mardi.
We returned to the budget question. One quotation is missing; approval will take place on Tuesday.
The topic returns during the meeting. Once the missing quotation becomes clear, the group agrees a separate discussion. Nous avons repris reports the return; aura lieu mardi puts the approval in the future. These are useful phrases for a short update to someone who left before the end.