This lesson will focus on using a variety of expressions related to problems, difficulty and misfortune.
You will learn 5 idioms describing problems, difficulty and misfortune. You will also get a chance to talk about your own experiences.
The topic is problems, difficulty and misfortune, which should be a familiar subject for most students.
Guide to Business Idioms
Why idioms?
Idioms bring up a lot of pre-packaged imagery. They are emotive and they resonate with native speakers.
Don't over-use them, but on the other hand, a well-placed idiom will bring your language to life.
Warm Up
- Be quick & interesting.
- Note idioms the student uses unprompted.
- You may say, "That was a clear answer, but it wasn't very natural. Let's add some natural expressions using the phrases in the Language section."
- Praise or recommend good spoken grammar:
- use of contractions (it isn't, they're, etc...);
- short, active sentences (clear spoken English often employs such language);
- emphatic language.
Language section
You may take multiple classes for this.
- Encourage short answers, but don't move too quickly (find a balance).
- Focus on the phrase at hand.
- Make sure the student is confident with each one before moving on.
- Encourage the student to express themselves using their own experiences or knowledge as much as possible.
- Model the target language as much as possible.
How do you react to problems you encounter at work?
This warm-up should take 2–3 minutes.
Example:
Well, I’d say problems are inevitable in any job. The way I react to them really depends on how serious they are. Day-to-day problems in administration or logistics are often possible to solve on my own. If I lack the experience or the authority to deal with the issue, I will turn to my immediate manager for advice. If there’s an issue with a coworker, I’ll try to talk to them in a friendly and professional manner and see if we can work around the problem. Bigger problems can be much harder to overcome. If there’s any hint of harassment of unprofessional behaviour, I will go straight to my manager.
Please consider each expression and match them to the images. Your instructor has an example and a question regarding each one.
1. bite off more than you can chew—take on more responsibility or work than you can handle.
2. cross that bridge when you come to it—not worry about a possible future problem; if it happens, you can deal with it then.
3. the last straw—the latest problem in a series of problems, which makes a situation impossible to accept.
4. a tough break—bad luck.
5. it’s no use crying over spilt milk—there’s no point in feeling sorry about something that has already happened and you can't change.
A. |
B. |
C. |
D. |
E. |
Spend as long or as short a time as necessary on each phrase, but make sure the student can use it smoothly before moving on. The student should rephrase the "Practice" sentence with the target idiom, and then answer the "Question" using the target idiom.
1. (C) bite off more than you can chew
E.g.: I agreed to lead three projects in the coming quarter. I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
Practice: You should know your limits at work and never take on more responsibility than you can handle.
→Example answer: You should know your limits at work and never bite off more than you can chew.
Question: Have you ever tried to do something that was too difficult for you to manage?
→Example answer: Yes. A few years ago, I bit off more than I could chew when I agreed to take over a new position that I knew nothing about.
2. (A) cross that bridge when you come to it
E.g.: We may have a problem with the product launch date, but let’s not think about that at the moment. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Practice: Our client may ask us to finish the project ahead of schedule, but we’ll deal with that if it happens.
→Example answer: Our client may ask us to finish the project ahead of schedule, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Question: Do you plan ahead for possible problems?
→Example answer: In my job, we always plan ahead for potential issues. We never say, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
3. (E) the last straw
E.g.: Brian’s boss warned him about being late for work three days in a row. When he arrived late on the fourth day, that was the last straw. His boss fired him on the spot.
Practice: Oh no, not another paper jam! I can’t accept this situation anymore.
→Example answer: Oh no, not another paper jam! This is the last straw.
Question: Have you ever faced a situation where you've had a series of problems, and then there's another problem that makes the situation impossible to accept?
→Example answer: One of my former colleagues made frequent mistakes in data analyses. One day, he made a really big mistake. That was the last straw, and I refused to work with him again.
4. (D) a tough break
E.g.: Martin lost his job at the advertising agency last week. That was a tough break.
Practice: We were about to sign the contract when the other party pulled out of the deal. That was bad luck.
→Example answer: We were about to sign the contract when the other party pulled out of the deal. That was a tough break.
Question: Have you ever had bad luck during your career?
→Example answer: Yes, I remember once when we had a lot of problems and couldn't meet the deadline, and our company had to pay a penalty. That was a tough break.
5. (B) it’s no use crying over spilt milk
E.g.: I lost all the money I'd invested when the company went bankrupt, but the money's gone now. It’s no use crying over spilt milk.
Practice: We failed to win the contract, but there’s no point in feeling sorry about it now.
→Example answer: We failed to win the contract, but it’s no use crying over spilt milk.
Question: Have you ever faced a negative situation or event that you decided to forget about?
→Example answer: Once, I left my mobile phone in a cafeteria. When I went back to look for it, it was gone. I was really unhappy, but I decided there was no use crying over spilt milk.
A. Complete the anecdote
Read each section and choose an appropriate idiom from the list above.
- It’s a pity that we lost the contract, but that’s history now. …
- We may have to take the decision to cut jobs at some point in the future, but we’ll…
- Matthew had an important job interview, and he was confident about getting the post. Unfortunately, the train he was on broke down so he missed the interview. It really was…
- Hank agreed to take on the management of three new projects in addition to the two he's already supervising. I think he’s…
- After the client postponed our project meeting for the fifth time, I told him that this situation couldn't continue. For me it was…
B. Discussion
Use idioms to discuss the following topics.
- What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in your industry?
- What is the best way for project teams to deal with potential problems?
- Describe a recent problem at work that was hard to resolve.
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Aline Ponce via Pixabay