This lesson will focus on using a variety of expressions related to progress, specifically if there is any difficulty.
This lesson will help you use these idioms describing project progress. You will also get a chance to talk about your own experiences.
The topic is project progress, 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.
What's the most difficult project you've been a part of? Tell your teacher just one reason why it was so difficult.
This warm-up should take 2–3 minutes. The student can talk about themselves, their company or the world in general.
Example:
‘In my previous job at a marketing firm, I have worked on several challenging projects. One time, when I just started at the company, I was asked to work with a small team on a marketing pitch deck for a new client. In the first brainstorming session, we realized that some parts of the project were developed based on assumptions without clearly asking the client for approval... It caused some significant problems."
You can see a detailed example here. You can share this article for reading homework.
Please match each image to an expression below. Your instructor has an example and a question regarding each expression.
- up in the air—uncertain, not yet resolved.
- uphill battle—something that is very difficult to do.
- stay on track—to progress as planned or expected.
- meet the deadline—finish an activity by the time limit.
- run smoothly—to progress easily and without interruption.
- throw a spanner/wrench in the works—do or be something that prevents a plan or activity from succeeding.
A: |
B: |
C: |
D: |
E: |
F:  |
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. (E) up in the air
E.g.: Our plans for the summer are still up in the air because I’m not sure when I’ll get my annual leave.
Practice: A final decision about the budget cuts has not been made yet.
→Example answer: A final decision about the budget cuts is (still) up in the air.
Question: At which point in a project are decisions unresolved?
→Example answer: Usually at the start of a project many decisions are up in the air.
2. (A) uphill battle
E.g.: I’ve been trying to convince my project leader to change the project focus, but it’s an uphill battle.
Practice: Trying to persuade our client that our advice is good is really difficult to do.
→Example answer: Trying to persuade our client that our advice is good is an uphill battle.
Question: What is the most difficult part of a project for you?
→Example answer: In my experience, the final stage of the project is often an uphill battle.
3. (B) stay on track
E.g.: The project has had its ups and downs, but we’ve managed to stay on track.
Practice: We are progressing according to the schedule despite some setbacks.
→Example answer: We are staying on track despite some setbacks.
Question: How easy is it to keep to the schedule of a project?
→Example answer: If there are clear goals and good communication with our client, we usually manage to stay on track.
4. (F) meet the deadline
E.g.: We haven’t been making the progress we expected, so I doubt that we’ll meet the deadline.
Practice: Our project has been going very well, so I’m sure we’re going to finish on time.
→Example answer: Our project has been going very well, so I’m sure we’re going to meet the deadline.
Question: Have you ever worked on a project that didn’t finish on time?
→Example answer: Fortunately, I’ve never worked on a project that didn’t meet the deadline.
5. (D) run smoothly
E.g.: We haven’t had any problems at all with this project. Everything has run smoothly.
Practice: At first, we had a few setbacks, but now everything is progressing without interruptions.
→Example answer: At first, we had a few setbacks, but now everything is running smoothly.
Question: What are the factors that cause a project to encounter problems?
→Example answer: If there is poor communication between our team and the client’s team, then things don’t run smoothly.
6. (C) throw a spanner/wrench in the works
E.g.: Everything was running smoothly, and then our client threw a spanner/wrench in the works. He demanded that we finish three weeks ahead of schedule.
Practice: We were making good progress, and then my project leader did something that ruined everything. He completely changed the team structure.
→Example answer: We were making good progress, and then my project leader threw a spanner/wrench in the works. He completely changed the team structure.
Question: Has anyone ever done something that has prevented a project that you were involved in from succeeding?
→Example answer: Once, our client threw a spanner/wrench in the works when he asked for some major changes in the project focus.
A. Complete the anecdote
Read each section and choose an appropriate idiom from the list above.
- Women have been fighting for equal pay with men for decades, and they still haven’t succeeded in many areas. For them it has been…
- The outdoor festival was well-organized and staffed, and until the thunderstorm, everything had been…
- Saxon Ltd. had a major project with a large manufacturing company that was due for completion on August 31. However, due to industrial action by Saxon’s workforce, the project fell behind schedule, and in the end, they…
- Numerous companies in Italy had plans for business projects in the first quarter of 2020, but due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, these plans were left…
- Milligan A.E. had completed negotiations with an advertising consultancy to undertake the company’s marketing campaign for a totally new product. The decision taken at a shareholders’ meeting not to go ahead with the project…
- Efficient project management requires correct budgeting and allocation of resources, but also the flexibility to ensure that, even though there might be unexpected setbacks, the project ultimately…
B. Discussion
Use idioms to discuss the following topics.
- Describe the timeline of a typical project.
- In your experience, which kinds of projects make the most progress—longer or shorter ones?
- Have you ever worked on a project where the progress was disrupted by one of the teams involved?
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Images:
Rex Tavanh via Unsplash
Charlie Hammond via Unsplash
Pixabay via Pexels
Riyan Kresnandi via Flickr