Negotiating Deadlines & Priorities for a Technical Project
CEFR: B2
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Last week our project team discovered a serious problem with the new battery we had already installed in several flight simulators. The prototype had passed all the official tests, but now some units are overheating during longer sessions. If we send the simulators back to our client without solving this issue, we will miss the safety standards and damage their trust. At the same time, the client wants everything delivered before the end of the year, because the budget is going to close. During a video meeting yesterday I explained that we have run extra tests with the supplier and we have identified a possible fix. I proposed that we should prioritize the most critical simulators first and postpone the less urgent ones to January. If the client accepts a two‑week extension for the main delivery, we will still finish the key milestones on time and protect both the budget and the relationship.⚡ Learning goals
- Can explain an unexpected technical problem and its impact on a project deadline.
- Can negotiate a small extension while protecting the client’s budget and priorities.
- Can suggest a new order of priorities using appropriate modal verbs and future forms.
✨ Key language
- to work under a tight deadline “We are working under a tight deadline this quarter.”
- to postpone a delivery “We need to postpone the delivery by two weeks.”
- to prioritize key milestones “Let’s prioritize the key milestones before anything else.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Present perfect for recent results
Rule: Use the present perfect to talk about recent actions with a result in the present, without saying exactly when they happened.Examples: We have discovered a serious problem; We have identified a possible fix; We have already run extra tests.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use past simple instead of present perfect. — Use present perfect when the exact time is not important and the result matters now.
Choose the best sentence to report a recent result:
Tip: Use “have + past participle” to connect past actions to now.
Fill with the best answer: We ______ a risk with the new battery.
Tip: Think of “have + past participle” to report fresh news.
2️⃣ First conditional for consequences
Rule: Use “if + present, will + base verb” to talk about real future consequences of a decision now.Examples: If we send the simulators now, we will miss the safety standards; If the client accepts the extension, we will protect the budget; If we fix the problem, we will keep their trust.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use “will” in both clauses. — Keep “will” only in the main clause, not after “if”.
Choose the correct first conditional sentence:
Tip: In the “if” clause, keep the verb in the present simple.
Fill with the best answer: If we ignore this risk, we ______ the client’s trust.
Tip: Use “will + verb” to show the future result.
3️⃣ “Going to” for planned future actions
Rule: Use “be going to + verb” to talk about planned actions or decisions already taken about the future.Examples: We are going to run extra tests with the supplier; The client is going to review the new schedule; We are going to focus on the most critical simulators first.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners mix “will” and “going to” randomly. — Use “going to” when the plan is already decided.
Choose the sentence that shows a clear plan:
Tip: Use “be going to” when the decision is already made.
Fill with the best answer: We ______ the new priorities to the client tomorrow.
Tip: Remember to include the verb “be” before “going to”.
4️⃣ Should for prioritising tasks
Rule: Use “should + base verb” to give advice, especially when choosing between different priorities.Examples: We should prioritize the critical simulators; You should approve a short extension; We should not ignore the overheating issue.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners add “to” after “should”. — Use “should + verb” without “to”.
Choose the best advice for the project team:
Tip: After “should”, use the verb in base form without “to”.
Fill with the best answer: The client ______ a short extension to protect quality.
Tip: Use “should” to make polite, professional recommendations.
✍️ Vocabulary
tight deadline
Meaning: a very short or strict time limit to finish work.Synonyms: short deadline, strict schedule, time pressure.
Chunk/Idiom: work under a tight deadline.
Example: We are working under a tight deadline this month.
Morphology: adj. + noun phrase.
Self-practice: Describe a project where you had a tight deadline.
postpone
Meaning: to move an event or task to a later time or date.Synonyms: delay, put off, reschedule.
Chunk/Idiom: postpone the final delivery.
Example: We decided to postpone the delivery by two weeks.
Morphology: verb, regular; postpones, postponed, postponing.
Self-practice: Write one sentence postponing a meeting at work.
milestone
Meaning: an important stage or target in a long project.Synonyms: key stage, project step, major target.
Chunk/Idiom: reach a critical milestone.
Example: We reached the first testing milestone last week.
Morphology: noun; singular and plural milestones.
Self-practice: List three milestones in your current project.
prioritize
Meaning: to decide which tasks are more important than others.Synonyms: rank, order, sort by importance.
Chunk/Idiom: prioritize the most critical tasks.
Example: We must prioritize safety before speed on this project.
Morphology: verb; prioritizes, prioritized, prioritizing.
Self-practice: Explain how you prioritize your tasks on Monday.
budget
Meaning: the amount of money available for a project or period.Synonyms: financial plan, project funds, spending limit.
Chunk/Idiom: stay within the budget.
Example: We need to stay within the budget for this year.
Morphology: noun and verb; budgets, budgeted, budgeting.
Self-practice: Describe a time when a budget affected your plans.
extension
Meaning: extra time officially added to a deadline.Synonyms: extra time, deadline change, time allowance.
Chunk/Idiom: ask for a short extension.
Example: The client gave us a short extension for testing.
Morphology: noun; related verb extend, adjective extended.
Self-practice: Write a polite email line asking for an extension.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
We have discovered a risk with the new battery.
If we rush, we will miss an important safety check.
We are going to prioritize the most critical simulators.
The client should accept a short extension to protect quality.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the best option: We ______ to the supplier about the new tests.
Tip: Use present perfect for finished actions with a present result.
Choose the correct sentence:
Tip: First conditional = if + present, will + verb.
Fill with the best answer:
We ______ the revised schedule to the client this afternoon.Tip: Use “be going to” for a decided plan.
Fill with the best answer:
We ______ focus on safety, not only on speed.Tip: After “should”, use the base form of the verb.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
What is a tight deadline?
Tip: Think about time, not money.
In the mini text, what solution does the speaker propose?
Tip: Go back to the part about January and priorities.
Fill with the best answer:
The team wants to protect the key project ______.Tip: Use the word for important stages in a project.
Fill with the best answer:
The client agreed to give a short ______ to the deadline.Tip: It is the noun for extra time on a deadline.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: We have discovered a problem with the new battery, and we are working under a tight deadline.B: I understand. What are you going to suggest to protect the key milestones?
A: We would like a short extension so we can prioritize the critical simulators and postpone the others to January.
Why this matters:
Clear language helps you negotiate realistic deadlines when a technical risk appears. It protects both quality and trust with your client. It also shows that you can manage priorities under pressure.Verb & Adjective Pack:
negotiate — We need to negotiate a new delivery date.overloaded — Our team feels overloaded with urgent tasks.
realistic — Let’s agree on a realistic testing schedule.
flexible — The client was flexible about the final deadline.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: We are working under a very ______ this month.
Tip: Use the collocation from the mini text.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: We should to prioritize the most critical tests first.
Tip: After “should”, remove “to” and use the base verb.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
We are going to postpone the less urgent units to January.
Tip: Notice the rhythm of “are going to postpone”.