Business English Podcast · Meetings & Status Updates · Episode 28

Explaining That Ninety Percent Complete Is Not Nearly Finished

"Ninety per cent complete" sounds like the home straight — it rarely is. How to explain in English why the last ten per cent is the hardest, without sounding like excuses.

C1 · Dialogue · 5 Min. · free

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Editorially reviewed by James Simmonds – English teacher since 2004Published 14 September 2026

SceneIn the status meeting Thomas reports the customer portal as "ninety per cent complete". Division head Sarah promptly plans the launch for next week — and Thomas has to explain why the last ten per cent is not linear.

0:00 / 5 Min.

Tip: listen to the episode twice before you start the test. · Worksheet (PDF)

✓ To the comprehension test

Thomas — Software development project managerSarah — Division head, British group

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Transcript

The full transcript opens after the comprehension test — so you train real listening instead of reading along.

German support

SarahThomas, your slide says the customer portal is ninety per cent complete. Excellent — so we're nearly finished. I'll tell marketing we launch next week.

ThomasI'd hold off on that message, Sarah. Ninety per cent complete is not the same as nearly finished — and I'd rather explain the difference now than apologise for it in two weeks.„I'd hold off on that" – damit würde ich noch warten.

SarahYou'll have to unpack that for me. Ninety per cent is ninety per cent — where's the catch?

ThomasThe ninety per cent we have finished was the predictable work: the features we could specify, build and tick off. The remaining ten per cent is integration, security testing and the edge cases — the rare situations we only discover when everything runs together. That work is not predictable in the same way.„Edge cases" – Sonderfälle, die erst im Zusammenspiel aller Teile sichtbar werden.

SarahGive me a concrete example. I need something better than "testing takes long" for the leadership call.

ThomasGladly. Yesterday we found that a customer with two accounts and one deleted contract crashes the invoice view. Building the invoice view took three days. Finding and fixing that one edge case took two. In software, there's a saying: the first ninety per cent of the work takes ninety per cent of the time — and the last ten per cent takes the other ninety per cent.

SarahColourful. So give me a number I can defend: when do we go live? And please don't pad it so heavily that I can't sell it.

ThomasBased on the defect rate from this week, I'd commit to four more weeks: two for integration and security, one for the remaining edge cases, one as a buffer. Eventually we will need a hard code freeze as well — that means no new features from the fifteenth.„Code freeze" – ab diesem Datum werden keine neuen Funktionen mehr eingebaut.

SarahWait — 'eventually we will need a code freeze'? Eventually means it will definitely happen at some point, Thomas. If you mean 'vielleicht', the word is 'possibly' or 'we may need'. German 'eventuell' and English 'eventually' are false friends — that one has burnt me in contract reviews before.

ThomasThank you — and in this case the correction cuts the other way: the code freeze is certain, so 'eventually' was accidentally accurate. But point taken. To be precise: we will definitely freeze the code on the fifteenth, and we may possibly need an extra week if security testing surfaces anything serious.„Eventuell" = „possibly/perhaps" – „eventually" = „schließlich, am Ende (sicher)".

SarahNow that is a status I can take to leadership: four weeks, code freeze on the fifteenth, one risk flagged. Shall we stop reporting percentages altogether? They clearly promise more than they tell us.

ThomasI'd support that. From next week I'll report remaining work in days and open defects instead of percentages. Ninety per cent complete sounds like an achievement — remaining effort is what leadership actually needs to steer.

Key phrases

to hold off on

to delay doing something for now

Let's hold off on the announcement until the tests pass.

to unpack

to explain something complex in detail

Can you unpack that figure for the leadership call?

edge case

a rare situation at the limits of normal use

One edge case with deleted contracts crashed the invoice view.

defect rate

the number of faults found per period or unit of work

The defect rate from this week drives the new estimate.

buffer

extra time planned for the unexpected

The fourth week is a buffer, not free capacity.

code freeze

a date after which no new features are added

The code freeze starts on the fifteenth.

to commit to

to promise something formally and stand behind it

I'd commit to four more weeks, including a buffer.

remaining effort

the work still needed to finish

Report remaining effort in days, not percentages.

Language notes

In this episode a project manager prevents a premature launch: he explains why "ninety per cent complete" does not mean "nearly finished" — with a concrete edge case, a defensible four-week commitment and an openly named buffer. You learn the C1 language for honest remaining-effort reporting and the difference between "eventually" and German "eventuell".

Correcting expectations before they become promises

Sarah's "so we're nearly finished" is the most dangerous moment of the episode: within seconds a status number would become a marketing promise. Thomas interrupts immediately — "I'd hold off on that message" — and argues from the structure of the remaining work, not from excuses. The pattern: stop the expectation, explain the mechanics (predictable vs. unpredictable work), give a concrete example. One edge case with numbers ("three days to build, two to fix one edge case") persuades leadership more than any percentage debate.

The "eventuell" trap: eventually vs. possibly

"Eventually" means "in the end, at some point for certain" — it describes a guaranteed outcome, not a reservation. German "eventuell" (maybe) translates as "possibly", "perhaps" or "we may need". In a project context the trap is expensive: "Eventually we will need more budget" is, to English ears, a firm announcement, not a possibility. To hedge properly, split the statement like Thomas: "we will definitely …" for what is certain, "we may possibly …" for what is not.

Report remaining effort, not percentages

The end of the episode carries the biggest management lesson: percentages measure the past ("ninety per cent complete sounds like an achievement"), but leadership needs the future — remaining days, open defects, risks. In the DE↔EN comparison: German status reports love the precise-looking percentage; British leaders like Sarah rightly distrust it ("they promise more than they tell us"). Switching to remaining effort makes reporting automatically more honest — and more negotiable.

Keep practising: Learn business English online — with real teachers from Simmonds, since 2004.

Frequently asked questions

What language level is this episode for?

Level C1 (CEFR). The dialogue uses nuanced project English (hedging, firm commitments, software vocabulary); the vocabulary list explains all eight key phrases bilingually.

How do I explain in English that "90 % complete" is not "nearly finished"?

With the episode's three-step pattern: stop the expectation ("I'd hold off on that"), explain the mechanics (the last 10 % is integration, testing and edge cases) and give a concrete example with numbers — then commit to a firm date with an openly named buffer.

What is the difference between "eventually" and German "eventuell"?

"Eventually" means "in the end, for certain" — a guaranteed outcome. German "eventuell" means "maybe" and translates as "possibly", "perhaps" or "we may need". "Eventually we need more budget" firmly announces extra costs instead of merely flagging them as possible.

Where can I practise status meetings like this live?

In the online business English courses from Simmonds Language Services (englisch-lehrer.com/online): live lessons with real teachers on Zoom, for companies and individuals across Germany — with a free consultation first, since 2004.

Is there a transcript to read along?

Yes, the full transcript with German support notes is on this page — listen first, then take the test, then read along.

Want to practise these phrases in a real conversation?

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