How to write a shared workspace agreement in English (B1 intermediate): quiet zones, calls and a review date

A shared workspace agreement is a short document with five fields: quiet work, collaboration, calls, review, and owner and timing. Write each rule as one present-simple sentence that says who does what, and when: “Finance uses the quiet zone for Tuesday and Thursday payroll checks.” Back the plan with an observation (“Noise complaints fell from nine to two during the two-week trial.”) and name what is still unsolved. This B1 (intermediate) topic is for professionals who share a workspace with another team and must agree rules in English. Ten minutes a day is enough.

Who this is for

Team leads and office managers who share a room, studio or floor with another department and need rules that both sides accept.
Anyone who has to write up the result of a workplace trial in English, from desk booking to meeting-room rules, and present it to colleagues.
Professionals in international companies who join discussions in English about how teams work together.
Too early: if one-step suggestions such as “We can book the meeting room.” still take effort, start with a three-action workspace plan at A2.
Too easy: if you already argue from evidence and handle follow-up questions with ease, move on to comparing options and recommending a plan at B2.

Open the sample pages

Word cards

Quiet work: Finance uses the quiet zone for Tuesday and Thursday payroll checks.

Collaboration: Designers book the project wall from 10:00 to 12:00.

Calls: Everyone uses headphones for individual calls.

Review: Measure complaints and desk availability after one month.

Conversation

Maya Which observed fact should guide our plan?

Owen Noise complaints fell from nine to two during the two-week trial.

Maya So what should we do next?

Owen Keep the quiet-zone and wall-booking rules, then review desk capacity after one month.

More practice

Viewpoint 1 - Sharing a workspace

A six-person design team shares one studio with a four-person finance team for three months. Designers need a project wall and two hours of lively discussion each morning; Finance needs quiet for payroll checks on Tuesday and Thursday. A two-week trial creates a quiet zone, books the project wall from ten to twelve and uses headphones for individual calls. Noise complaints fall from nine to two, but desk availability remains tight, so the teams keep the rules and review capacity after one month.

Discuss the evidence

Maya Which workspace rule protects Finance’s payroll checks?

Owen The quiet zone applies on Tuesday and Thursday, while designers book the project wall from ten to twelve.

Maya What remains unresolved after the trial?

Owen Desk availability is still tight, so both teams will review capacity after one month.

Complete the evidence frame

SITUATION: ____

EVIDENCE: ____

DECISION: ____

RESULT: ____

Create a workspace agreement

WORKSPACE AGREEMENT

Quiet work: ____

Collaboration: ____

Calls: ____

Review: ____

Owner and timing: ____

Present and respond

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Five fields that make a workspace agreement work

Picture a six-person design team and a four-person finance team sharing one studio. Designers need a project wall and lively morning discussion; Finance needs quiet for payroll checks. A good agreement gives each need a rule, covers calls, plans a review and names one owner.

“Quiet work: Finance uses the quiet zone for Tuesday and Thursday payroll checks.”
“Collaboration: Designers book the project wall from 10:00 to 12:00.”
“Calls: Everyone uses headphones for individual calls.”
“Review: Measure complaints and desk availability after one month.”
“Owner and timing: The office manager shares the figures with both teams at the end of the month.”

Rules people can actually follow

Agreed arrangements usually take the present simple: “Everyone uses headphones for individual calls.” It sounds settled and neutral. “Must” sounds strict and suits safety rules; “should” sounds like advice and invites argument. Use the imperative for tasks (“Measure complaints after one month.”) and “will” for commitments.

A clear rule says who, what and when: “from … to …” for a time slot, “on Tuesdays and Thursdays” for a weekly pattern.

Vague: “Designers can talk in the morning.” Clear: “Designers book the project wall from 10:00 to 12:00.”
Vague: “Be quiet for Finance.” Clear: “Finance uses the quiet zone on Tuesdays and Thursdays for payroll checks.”
Vague: “We check later.” Clear: “The office manager measures desk availability after one month.”

Evidence, limits and the decision

Separate the observation, the open problem and the decision. Use the past simple for the trial, the present for what is still true, “however” for the limit and “so” for the decision. Fewer complaints show the quiet rules helped; they say nothing about desks.

Evidence: “Noise complaints fell from nine to two during the two-week trial.”
Limit: “However, desk availability is still tight.” Here “tight” means only just enough.
Decision: “So we will keep the quiet-zone and wall-booking rules.”
Next check: “We will review desk capacity after one month.”

Agreeing the next step: a short conversation

Two colleagues decide what to do after the trial. The question puts evidence first; the answer pairs “keep” with “then review”: a decision plus a check. Useful follow-up: “What is still unresolved?”

Maya Which observed fact should guide our plan?

Owen Noise complaints fell from nine to two during the two-week trial.

Maya So what should we do next?

Owen Keep the quiet-zone and wall-booking rules, then review desk capacity after one month.

Learn this unit your way

Present it in one minute and answer two questions

A one-minute presentation is about eight short sentences: situation, four rules, evidence and limit, owner and timing. Then expect two questions. “Why this rule?” needs evidence: “Because complaints fell from nine to two when we tested it.” “What happens next?” needs an owner and a time: “Our office manager will measure desk availability after one month.” Finally, turn one vague line, such as “Designers use the wall in the morning.”, into a timed booking.

“The main evidence is …”
“One problem remains: …”
“We don’t know that yet, so we will …”

Common mistakes

Easy to make under pressure:

“Complaints fell of nine to two.” Use “from … to …”.
“Between 10:00 to 12:00.” Say “between 10:00 and 12:00” or “from 10:00 to 12:00”.
“The trial solved the problem.” Claim only what you measured: “The trial reduced complaints, but desks are still tight.”
“Owner: everyone.” Name one person and a date.

A 10-minute daily practice routine

Use a space you really share.

3 minutes: write the five fields, one sentence each.
2 minutes: write evidence, limit and decision with “from … to …”, “however” and “so”.
3 minutes: present for one minute aloud and record it.
2 minutes: answer “Why this rule?” and “What happens next?”, then rewrite your vaguest line.
Weekly discussion question: “Should shared-office rules be strict, or should teams solve problems as they appear?”

What comes next

Next, propose a time-limited trial with terms, measures and a review date, or report finished and pending project work. At B2, compare options and recommend a plan.

Frequently asked questions

How do you write office rules in English politely?

Describe the arrangement in the present simple and add the reason: “Finance uses the quiet zone on Tuesdays and Thursdays for payroll checks.” Keep “must” for safety points and use “please” on short signs.

What is the difference between “fell to” and “fell by”?

“To” gives the new figure; “by” gives the size of the change. “Complaints fell from nine to two.” means there are now two; “Complaints fell by seven.” means seven fewer. In reports, “from … to …” is clearer because it shows the starting point.

How do I say that a problem is not solved yet?

Use “still” or “remain”: “Desk availability is still tight.” or “Desk capacity remains a problem.” Then add the next step: “We will review it after one month.”