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AI image: a woman with a suitcase and a phone waits for the train on the platform – a business trip.
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Simmonds · live on simmonds.onlineA25 min · English

Business trips in English: vocabulary, dialogue and conversation questions

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 28 Sept 2026AI-generated text (learn more – how we use AI on these pages)

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Allow the microphone – Theo asks the first question.

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AI conversation partner, synthetic voice · your voice is processed live by Google Gemini, we store no audio and no transcript · max. 5 minAbout the AIWith headphones you can interrupt Theo. Without them, the microphone only listens once Theo has finished.

Business tripA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about your last business trip (level A2)Deadlines and delaysB1 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about missed deadlines (level B1)International teamsC1 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about working in international teams (level C1)

Question of the day

How long was the speaker in Manchester?

  1. One day
  2. Two days
  3. One week
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: Two days

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

Speed

Transcript

My last business trip – Jump to the vocabulary entry for business trip. Last month I went to Manchester for two days. The flight – Jump to the vocabulary entry for flight was delayed – Jump to the vocabulary entry for delayed, so I arrived late. I stayed in a small hotel – Jump to the vocabulary entry for hotel near the office. On the first day we had a long meeting with a new customer – Jump to the vocabulary entry for customer. In the evening my colleagues took me to a nice restaurant. On the second day I flew home. It was tiring – Jump to the vocabulary entry for tiring, but I liked it.

Vocabulary

business trip/ˈbɪz.nɪs ˌtrɪp/
Meaning: A journey you make for your work.
Example: I went on a business trip to London.
flight/flaɪt/
Meaning: A journey in a plane.
Example: My flight was at nine in the morning.
delayed/dɪˈleɪd/
Meaning: Later than planned.
Example: The train was delayed, so I arrived late.
hotel/həʊˈtel/
Meaning: A place where you pay to stay in a room.
Example: I stayed in a hotel near the station.
customer/ˈkʌs.tə.mə/
Meaning: A person or company that buys something from you.
Example: We met a new customer in Manchester.
tiring/ˈtaɪə.rɪŋ/
Meaning: Making you feel that you need to rest.
Example: It was a long and tiring day.

Dialogue

  1. EmmaHow was your business trip, Ben?
  2. BenIt was good, but the journey was tiring.
  3. EmmaDid you go by train?
  4. BenNo, I flew. The flight was delayed.
  5. EmmaWhere did you stay?
  6. BenIn a small hotel near the customer's office.
  7. EmmaDid the meeting go well?
  8. BenYes. We talked about our new product and had lunch together.

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Have you ever travelled for work? Where did you go?

When was your last business trip?

More challenging: When would you consider a business trip more valuable than an online meeting?

Partner B

Easier: Do you take a laptop when you travel? Why or why not?

What do you always pack?

More challenging: How would you prepare for a trip if you had to give a presentation and could take only one small bag?

Partner A

Easier: Do you prefer travelling by train or by plane? Why?

Do you like travelling for work?

More challenging: How should a company balance the benefits of business travel with its effects on staff and the environment?

Useful phrases

  • I went to … last month.
  • The flight was delayed.
  • I stayed in a small hotel.
  • How was your trip?
  • Did the meeting go well?
  • It was tiring, but I liked it.

Topic quiz

Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.

All conversations – Back to all English conversations

Questions

Who is Theo?

Theo is an AI conversation partner for warming up, not a teacher. The voice is synthetic. In the live rounds, a trainer talks with you.

Is my conversation stored?

We store neither audio nor a transcript. During the conversation, your voice is sent to Google (Gemini) for processing. The conversation ends after no more than five minutes.

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