I was in a meeting vs I was in the meeting

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'I was in a meeting' is more general and can refer to any meeting, while 'I was in the meeting' is more specific and refers to a particular meeting that has been previously mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener.

Last updated: March 31, 2024 • 1197 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"I was in a meeting"

This phrase is a general statement indicating that the speaker was present at a meeting without specifying which meeting it was.

Examples:

I was in a meeting all morning.
She couldn't attend because she was in a meeting.
Were you in a meeting when the decision was made?

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 25, 2024

Jan 3, 2016 ... What's correct? a) I was in a meeting. b) I was at a meeting. I saw uses in both of them, but I' ...
Jan 3, 2020 ... "Sorry I missed your call, I was in a meeting." is usually me saying, "I deliberately ignored you calling me because I have zero desire to speak to you in ...
Mar 17, 2015 ... Why? 2 · I was in a meeting vs I was at a meeting · 0 · Should it be "still in" or " still at" in the following? 100 · Should I say "She is in ...
May 2, 2023 ... I was in a meeting about a dispute my company is having with Comcast and I straight faced without a hint of comedy said "yeah, this sounds similar to Spectrum ...
May 24, 2022 ... For example, “I missed your Zoom call because I was in a meeting.” This example lets us know that you were participating in the activity of ...
Oct 7, 2024 ... I was in a meeting with team member who requested some time off. She went on to explain why - with a promise to make up her hours.
Dec 8, 2022 ... Yesterday I was in a meeting with this man, wearing this shirt with this painting behind him. As you can imagine, I had to interrupt the ...
Sep 11, 2024 ... I was in a meeting with Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn at that time, along with five other people. I think the topic was education. (President ...
Oct 21, 2024 ... I was in a meeting last week in which there was much criticism of B Corp. The feeling was that it is too often used as a smokescreen for ...

Alternatives:

I attended a meeting.
I participated in a meeting.
I had a meeting.
I joined a meeting.
I sat in on a meeting.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"I was in the meeting"

This phrase is more specific and refers to a particular meeting that has been previously mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener.

Examples:

I was in the meeting when the decision was made.
She was in the meeting with the clients.
Were you in the meeting when the presentation started?

Show examples from the web [+]

I was in the meeting when we decided she should be one.
I was in the meeting with Jan and she did said that it could be this branch that gets the axe.
I wasn't in the meeting.
I was there in January meeting the state government, inspecting the devastation after the earthquake a year before and trying to accelerate our reconstruction activities.
I was in a meeting when the accident happened.
In the course of the process, as shadow rapporteur, I tried to influence the final report on those occasions when I was permitted to participate in the meetings.
This is not exactly what I was talking about in the meeting, is it?
I was recently in the Caribbean, meeting small farmers with tiny farms who cannot survive without access to the EU markets.
Therefore, I was in the Group meeting and, as soon as I saw on the screen that Commissioner Potočnik was starting, I came running over and arrived at the very second when he began.
And I don't appreciate you telling me that I'm not as good as you when the only reason I was in that meeting in the first place was to cover for you.
I was at the meeting yesterday.
I was present at the meeting and broached this issue with the ministers who, following the meeting, voted for a resolution favourable to the Commission's initiative.
I was just so excited when I got the meeting.
I only heard about the meeting this morning when I was picking up my breakfast.
You knew who I was when you requested the meeting.
All right, I was late for the meeting.
I was detained by the meeting and missed the plane.
Yes, oddly I was told the meeting began at 10:30.
The meeting was so long, I was worried.
At the meeting in Barbados I was one of those who drafted the resolution adopted on water in developing economies.

Alternatives:

I attended the meeting.
I participated in the meeting.
I was present at the meeting.
I joined the meeting.
I sat in on the meeting.

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I was in a meeting vs I was in the meeting

"I was in a meeting"

"I was in the meeting"

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