Pitching a Product/Service: Simulator Upgrade
CEFR: B2
Read/Listen first
Our company provides a complete upgrade service for your flight simulators. Over the last year, we have tested a new, more reliable battery system with several military clients, and the results have been excellent. During the pilot project, the prototype ran for longer sessions and reduced unexpected shutdowns. Your technicians were able to focus on training instead of emergency repairs, which meant better performance for the crews. With the full upgrade, you would cut maintenance time by up to twenty percent and avoid last-minute cancellations of training sessions. The new batteries have already passed strict safety tests with national authorities, so you do not need to repeat complex certification procedures. If you decide to confirm the order this month, we will include on-site training for your staff and extended support for the first year. In short, this upgrade will protect your budget, improve reliability, and support safer, more realistic missions.⚡ Learning goals
- Can present a clear, structured pitch for a technical service upgrade.
- Can explain benefits using past results and present perfect forms.
- Can respond to reliability and budget concerns and agree next steps.
✨ Key language
- We have already tested this with other clients. “We have already tested this with several military clients.”
- This upgrade would help you reduce maintenance time. “This upgrade would help you reduce unexpected shutdowns.”
- If you decide to confirm the order this month, we will include training. “If you decide to confirm the order this month, we will include on-site training.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Present perfect for recent results
Rule: Use have/has + past participle to talk about experience and results linked to now.Examples: We have tested a new battery system.; The results have been excellent.; The new batteries have already passed strict safety tests.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use past simple without a clear time. Use present perfect when the exact time is not important but the result is important now.
Choose the best sentence about recent results.
Tip: Use present perfect to show how past tests are relevant now.
Fill with the best answer: We ______ already ______ the new upgrade with several clients.
Tip: Remember the pattern have/has + past participle.
2️⃣ Past simple for completed project phases
Rule: Use past simple to describe specific finished actions in the pilot project.Examples: The prototype ran for longer sessions.; Your technicians were able to focus on training.; The pilot project reduced unexpected shutdowns.
Common pitfall + fix: Do not use present perfect with clear past time markers like during the pilot project. Use past simple instead.
Which sentence correctly uses the past simple?
Tip: Use the simple past form ran after a finished project phase.
Fill with the best answer: The pilot project ______ unexpected shutdowns.
Tip: Use a simple past verb to describe the result of the pilot.
3️⃣ Would for proposed benefits
Rule: Use would + base verb to describe benefits if the client accepts the offer.Examples: You would cut maintenance time.; This upgrade would help you avoid cancellations.; Your teams would have more reliable sessions.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use will too early. Use would when the client has not decided yet.
Choose the best way to describe a benefit in a pitch.
Tip: Use would when you talk about benefits that depend on a decision.
Fill with the best answer: With this upgrade, you ______ ______ last-minute cancellations.
Tip: Keep would close to the base verb to describe the benefit.
4️⃣ Will for clear promises and support
Rule: Use will to make firm promises about what your company is ready to do.Examples: We will include on-site training.; We will provide extended support.; We will handle the installation schedule with your team.
Common pitfall + fix: Some learners avoid will and sound vague. Use will to make your offer sound confident and reliable.
Which sentence sounds like a clear promise to the client?
Tip: Use will plus the base verb to make strong, simple promises.
Fill with the best answer: Our team ______ ______ you during the first year of the upgrade.
Tip: Use will to promise long-term support in a pitch.
✍️ Vocabulary
upgrade
Meaning: an improvement to make a product or service better or more modern.Synonyms: improvement, enhancement, update.
Chunk/Idiom: upgrade service package.
Example: This upgrade service package reduces unexpected shutdowns during training sessions.
Morphology: noun/verb; regular verb upgraded, upgrading.
Self-practice: Write two sentences about an upgrade you recently bought or used.
prototype
Meaning: the first test version of a new product or system.Synonyms: test model, sample, trial version.
Chunk/Idiom: prototype ran for longer sessions.
Example: The prototype ran for longer sessions without any shutdowns in the tests.
Morphology: noun; plural prototypes; adjectival use in prototype phase.
Self-practice: Describe a prototype you worked with or would like to test.
maintenance
Meaning: regular work done to keep equipment in good condition.Synonyms: servicing, upkeep, repair work.
Chunk/Idiom: cut maintenance time.
Example: The full upgrade helps you cut maintenance time by twenty percent.
Morphology: noun; uncountable; related adjective maintenance-free.
Self-practice: List three things in your job that need regular maintenance.
shutdowns
Meaning: times when a machine or system stops working completely.Synonyms: stoppages, outages, power cuts.
Chunk/Idiom: reduce unexpected shutdowns.
Example: The pilot project reduced unexpected shutdowns during critical simulator sessions.
Morphology: noun; plural form of shutdown; compound noun with shut + down.
Self-practice: Write one problem you had because of unexpected shutdowns at work.
reliability
Meaning: the quality of working well every time without failing.Synonyms: dependability, consistency, trustworthiness.
Chunk/Idiom: improve reliability of training sessions.
Example: This upgrade will improve reliability and support safer training missions.
Morphology: noun; from reliable; related adjective reliable, adverb reliably.
Self-practice: Explain why reliability is important for one product you use daily.
budget
Meaning: the amount of money planned or available for a project.Synonyms: financial plan, funds, spending limit.
Chunk/Idiom: protect your budget.
Example: In short, this upgrade will protect your budget over the next year.
Morphology: noun/verb; budgeting, budgeted; adjective in budget constraints.
Self-practice: Describe one project where you had to respect a strict budget.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
Our prototype ran for longer sessions without shutdowns.
We have already tested this upgrade with several military clients.
This upgrade would help you cut maintenance time and avoid cancellations.
We will include on-site training and extended support in the package.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct option: The new battery system ______ strict safety tests.
Tip: Remember has + past participle for recent results.
Which sentence best describes a conditional benefit?
Tip: Use would when the client has not confirmed the order.
Fill with the best answer:
During the pilot project, the prototype ______ for longer sessions.Tip: Use the irregular past form of run.
Fill with the best answer:
If you confirm the order this month, we ______ ______ on-site training.Tip: Use will to make a concrete promise in your pitch.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Which word means making a product or service better?
Tip: Think about which word you see next to service in the text.
Which word is closest in meaning to “dependability”?
Tip: Look for the word the text links to safer, more realistic missions.
Fill with the best answer:
In short, this upgrade will protect your ______ over the next year.Tip: Use the noun connected to money for the project.
Fill with the best answer:
The pilot project reduced unexpected ______ during simulator sessions.Tip: Look for the plural noun used after “unexpected” in the mini-text.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Thank you for your time today. I would like to present our simulator upgrade service.B: Great. How has the prototype performed so far?
A: Over the last year, it has reduced unexpected shutdowns and cut maintenance time by twenty percent.
B: That sounds interesting. If we confirm the order this month, what support will you include?
A: We will include on-site training for your technicians and extended support during the first year.
Why this matters:
Clear grammar and vocabulary help you sound confident, precise, and trustworthy when you pitch a service. Using the right tense shows if you talk about tests, results, or future support. This makes it easier for your client to understand the real benefits and make a decision.Verb & Adjective Pack:
reduce maintenance time — This upgrade reduces maintenance time for your technicians.avoid cancellations — The new system helps you avoid last-minute cancellations.
reliable — You need reliable simulators for realistic training missions.
tested — We have tested the prototype with several demanding clients.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: This upgrade will ______ ______ ______ for your technical team.
Tip: Use the three-word chunk used in the mini-text to describe a key benefit.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: Our company has tested the prototype last week.
Tip: With a finished time like “last week”, use the past simple, not present perfect.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
this upgrade will protect your budget and improve reliability
Tip: Focus on the rhythm of will protect and improve reliability when you speak.