Setting budget targets and reading a simple KPI dashboard
CEFR: B2
Read/Listen first
During Monday’s budget huddle, our manager opened a spreadsheet and set three targets: cut printing costs by twenty percent, raise training attendance to seventy-five percent, and keep monthly travel under one thousand euros. We reviewed last quarter: January to March averaged nine hundred eighty in travel, but April spiked to one thousand three hundred because of two conferences. To stay on track, we agreed to switch four meetings to video each month and book trains seven days earlier to save around twelve percent. I proposed a simple dashboard with green, amber, and red thresholds so everyone could read the numbers at a glance. By week six, we’d measure progress, compare against baseline, and adjust. Someone asked how strict to be with exceptions; the answer was realistic: limited, documented, and reported once per month. Numbers do not make decisions for us, but they frame better ones.⚡ Learning goals
- Set realistic percentage targets and read monthly figures.
- Make recommendations using appropriate modals.
- Explain what will happen if actions change.
✨ Key language
- Cut costs by twenty percent. “Cut costs by twenty percent.”
- We should switch four meetings to video. “We should switch four meetings to video.”
- If travel rises, the dashboard turns red. “If travel rises, the dashboard turns red.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Percentages and fractions
Rule: Use percent to compare parts with the whole.Examples: Training attendance is seventy‑five percent.; Reduce by twenty percent.; One quarter of sessions online.
Common pitfall + fix: Mixing percentage and points — Say ‘percentage points’ only for rate changes.
Choose the best example of percentages and fractions.
Tip: Focus on meaning and the closest match.
Fill with the best answer: _____ by twenty percent.
Tip: Read the whole sentence.
2️⃣ Modals for recommendations
Rule: Use should/could to suggest actions politely.Examples: We should book earlier.; We could meet online.; You should set limits.
Common pitfall + fix: Using must too strongly — Prefer ‘should’ for advice, not orders.
Choose the best example of modals for recommendations.
Tip: Focus on meaning and the closest match.
Fill with the best answer: _____ could meet online.
Tip: Read the whole sentence.
3️⃣ Conditional type 1
Rule: If + present, will + base verb for real results.Examples: If we book early, costs will fall.; If attendance drops, we’ll review.; If it spikes, we will pause travel.
Common pitfall + fix: Using would with real future — Use ‘will’ for realistic outcomes.
Choose the best example of conditional type 1.
Tip: Focus on meaning and the closest match.
Fill with the best answer: _____ attendance drops, we’ll review.
Tip: Read the whole sentence.
4️⃣ Adverbs of frequency with measures
Rule: Use monthly/weekly/once to time reviews.Examples: Report once per month.; Review weekly thresholds.; Meet quarterly.
Common pitfall + fix: Missing measure word — Add a time expression to the action.
Choose the best example of adverbs of frequency with measures.
Tip: Focus on meaning and the closest match.
Fill with the best answer: _____ weekly thresholds.
Tip: Read the whole sentence.
✍️ Vocabulary
baseline
Meaning: starting point for comparisonSynonyms: starting level, reference
Chunk/Idiom: baseline for Q1
Example: baseline for Q1.
Morphology: noun
Self-practice: Compare change against it.
threshold
Meaning: limit that triggers actionSynonyms: limit, cutoff
Chunk/Idiom: red threshold
Example: red threshold.
Morphology: noun
Self-practice: Define green/amber/red.
attendance
Meaning: people present at eventsSynonyms: turnout, participation
Chunk/Idiom: training attendance
Example: training attendance.
Morphology: noun
Self-practice: Express as a percentage.
exception
Meaning: case outside the ruleSynonyms: special case, exemption
Chunk/Idiom: document an exception
Example: document an exception.
Morphology: noun
Self-practice: Keep them limited.
dashboard
Meaning: visual display of metricsSynonyms: panel, console
Chunk/Idiom: update the dashboard
Example: update the dashboard.
Morphology: noun
Self-practice: Use clear colours.
forecast
Meaning: prediction of future numbersSynonyms: projection, estimate
Chunk/Idiom: update the forecast
Example: update the forecast.
Morphology: noun/verb
Self-practice: State assumptions.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
We should book trains earlier.
Reduce travel by twelve percent.
If costs rise, we will pause travel.
Attendance is seventy‑five percent.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Which modal is best for a recommendation?
Tip: Use ‘should’ for polite advice.
Which sentence shows a real condition?
Tip: Type 1: If + present, will + verb.
Fill with the best answer:
Report ___ per month.Tip: Use frequency adverbs with measures.
Fill with the best answer:
Reduce by ___ percent.Tip: Use numbers before ‘percent’.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Which word means a visual panel of metrics?
Tip: A dashboard shows KPIs.
Which word is a starting reference?
Tip: Compare against the baseline.
Fill with the best answer:
Attendance is seventy‑five ___.Tip: Use ‘percent’ with numbers.
Fill with the best answer:
A red ___ means action now.Tip: Thresholds trigger action.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Should we change our travel policy?B: We could, if costs stay above one thousand.
A: Then we’ll switch four meetings to video.
Why this matters:
Percentages make goals measurable. Modals help you make balanced recommendations. Conditions explain likely results.Verb & Adjective Pack:
recommend — “We should book seven days earlier.”monitor — “We monitor costs weekly.”
adjust — “Adjust the target if attendance falls.”
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: If we book earlier, costs ___ fall.
Tip: Type 1 uses ‘will’ in the result clause.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: We would report once per month.
Tip: Use ‘will’ for real future plans.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
Cut printing costs by twenty percent.
Tip: Keep numbers concrete.