English speaking lesson · Work & Career
Negotiating a deadline
You need a bit more time on a task, and you're speaking with your manager about it. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A chat with your manager · you talk to the understanding manager
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Explain you need more time, say why, propose a new date, and get it agreed. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Hey, how's that task coming along?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the understanding manager.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Say you need more time
Say you'll need a bit more time on the task.
“It's going well, but I need more time.”
- 02
Explain why
Explain briefly why you need more time.
“I've been busy with other work too.”
- 03
Propose a new date
Propose a new date for the task.
“Could I have until next Friday?”
- 04
Check the new plan
Check the new plan works.
“Yes, that's right, and that works for me.”
- 05
Agree and finish
Say if there's anything you need, and finish.
“Some help from the team would be good. Thanks for understanding!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the understanding manager.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- time
- the hours available for something
- “I need more time.”
- task
- a piece of work to do
- “The task is going well.”
- busy
- having a lot to do
- “I've been busy with other work.”
- other
- something different, not this one
- “I had other work too.”
- new
- not the same as before
- “A new date, please.”
- date
- the day something happens
- “A new date, please.”
- right
- correct
- “Yes, that's right.”
- works
- is acceptable, is fine
- “That works for me.”
- help
- support with something
- “Some help would be good.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks for understanding.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- progress
- movement toward finishing something
- “Progress has been steady.”
- underestimated
- guessed too low on time or effort
- “I underestimated how long it'd take.”
- priority
- something treated as most important
- “Another priority came up.”
- realistic
- achievable, sensible
- “A realistic date would be Friday.”
- extend
- to make something longer
- “Could we extend the deadline?”
- confirm
- to say something is definitely settled
- “Can you confirm that works?”
- manageable
- possible to handle or complete
- “That feels manageable now.”
- support
- help given to get something done
- “A bit of support would help.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I really appreciate it.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- scope
- the range covered by a piece of work
- “The scope grew a bit.”
- dependency
- something a task relies on first
- “There's a dependency I'm waiting on.”
- flag
- to raise something for attention
- “I wanted to flag it early.”
- buffer
- extra time built in for safety
- “A small buffer would help.”
- revised
- changed to a new, updated version
- “A revised date next Friday works well.”
- mitigate
- to reduce the impact of a risk
- “I'm working to mitigate the delay.”
- realistic
- achievable, sensible
- “That feels realistic for both of us.”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
- confirm
- to say something is definitely settled
- “Could you confirm by email?”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- creep
- gradual, unplanned growth in a task
- “There's been a bit of scope creep.”
- juggling
- managing several demands at once
- “I've been juggling a fair bit.”
- wiggle room
- some flexibility (informal)
- “Any wiggle room on the date?”
- breathing room
- extra time to work without pressure
- “A little breathing room would help.”
- nail down
- to fix something firmly and clearly
- “Let's nail down a new date.”
- curveball
- an unexpected difficulty (informal)
- “A bit of a curveball, honestly.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, we're sorted.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged, thank you.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
- flag
- to raise something for attention
- “Just wanted to flag it now.”
More Work & Career lessons
- Give a meeting update
- Networking introduction
- Work phone / video call
- Small talk with colleagues
- One-on-one with your manager
- Requesting time off
- Presenting an idea
- Giving feedback
- Delegating a task
- Onboarding a new hire
- Job interview
- Asking for a raise
- Resigning