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AI image: A woman and a man look worriedly at a laptop on a table in an office – missed deadlines.
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Simmonds · live on simmonds.onlineB15 min · English

Deadlines and delays in English: vocabulary, dialogue and useful phrases

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 12 Nov 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.

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)Numbers & trendsB2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about describing numbers and trends (level B2)

Question of the day

According to Theo, what is much worse than bad news?

  1. A sick colleague
  2. A surprise delay
  3. Asking for an extension
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: A surprise delay

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

Speed

Transcript

Hi, I'm Theo, and this is a two-minute conversation starter. Today: deadlines and delays. At work, we all want to meet the deadline – Jump to the vocabulary entry for meet the deadline. But sometimes things don't go as planned. You might run into problems – Jump to the vocabulary entry for run into problems with a supplier, or a colleague gets sick, and suddenly your team is behind schedule – Jump to the vocabulary entry for behind schedule. When this happens, communication is key. Nobody likes bad news, but a surprise delay is much worse. It is better to ask for an extension – Jump to the vocabulary entry for ask for an extension early than to say nothing at all. Talk to your manager to see if it's possible to push back – Jump to the vocabulary entry for push back the final delivery date. The most important thing is to keep everyone in the loop – Jump to the vocabulary entry for keep everyone in the loop. So, how do you handle delays in your job?

Vocabulary

meet the deadline/ˌmiːt ðə ˈded.laɪn/
Meaning: To finish work by the agreed time.
Example: We need to work late to meet the deadline.
run into problems/ˌrʌn ɪn.tə ˈprɒb.ləmz/
Meaning: To start experiencing difficulties.
Example: We might run into problems with the new software.
behind schedule/bɪˌhaɪnd ˈʃed.juːl/
Meaning: Happening later than planned.
Example: The project is two weeks behind schedule.
ask for an extension/ˌɑːsk fər ən ɪkˈsten.ʃən/
Meaning: To request more time to finish something.
Example: I had to ask for an extension on my project.
push back/ˌpʊʃ ˈbæk/
Meaning: To change the time or date of an event to a later one.
Example: Can we push back the meeting to Friday?
keep everyone in the loop/ˌkiːp ev.ri.wʌn ɪn ðə ˈluːp/
Meaning: To make sure all the people involved know what is happening.
Example: Please keep everyone in the loop about the budget.

Dialogue

  1. AnnaHi David, how is the marketing report going?
  2. DavidNot great. I think we are going to be behind schedule.
  3. AnnaOh no, did you run into problems with the data?
  4. DavidYes, the system crashed yesterday. I need to ask for an extension.
  5. AnnaDo you think we can push back the presentation to next week?
  6. DavidI hope so. I'll email the client now to keep everyone in the loop.
  7. AnnaGood idea. Let me know if you need help with the numbers.

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Do you often have strict deadlines in your job? Why or why not?

How do you tell your team a deadline is going to slip?

More challenging: In your opinion, what is the best way to rebuild trust with a client after a major delay?

Partner B

Easier: Is it stressful when a project is late? Why or why not?

What are the most common reasons for delays in your industry?

More challenging: How would you manage a situation where a key team member repeatedly misses deadlines?

Partner A

Easier: Do you often finish work at the last minute? Why or why not?

Who do you need to inform when you are behind schedule?

More challenging: How might strict deadlines negatively impact the quality of work or employee well-being?

Useful phrases

  • We are slightly behind schedule.
  • I need to ask for an extension.
  • Can we push back the meeting?
  • We ran into some unexpected problems.
  • I will keep you in the loop.
  • We are working hard to meet the deadline.

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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