Incident & Issue Reporting: IT Problems
CEFR: B1
Read/Listen first
Yesterday afternoon, while I was preparing a report for my manager, my laptop suddenly went black and showed a blue screen. I had been working on it for two hours, so I was really stressed. I took a screenshot of the error message on my phone and opened a ticket on the IT support portal. In the form, I explained what I had been doing when the incident happened, attached the picture, and wrote that it has already happened twice this month. I also mentioned that the problem appears when the VPN is active. The support team replied quickly and asked me to restart in safe mode and run a diagnostic tool. They said I should call them again if the issue returns, because the hard drive could fail. I hope the laptop will survive, but I would like to request a replacement if this problem continues.⚡ Learning goals
- Can describe an IT incident using clear past tenses and key details.
- Can report technical issues using incident-reporting vocabulary.
- Can request help and next actions politely when a problem continues.
✨ Key language
- open a ticket “I opened a ticket on the IT support portal.”
- the issue has already happened “I wrote that it has already happened twice this month.”
- request a replacement “I would like to request a replacement laptop.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Past continuous for background actions
Rule: Use the past continuous to describe what was happening when an incident started.Examples: I was preparing a report when my laptop went black.; She was working on a file when the screen froze.; They were checking emails when the VPN disconnected.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use present simple instead of past continuous when describing past background actions. — Use was/were + -ing to show the action was in progress in the past..
Which sentence correctly uses the past continuous to describe the incident?
Tip: Use was/were + -ing for actions in progress when another past event happened.
Fill with the best answer: Yesterday afternoon, I ___ a report when the screen turned blue.
Tip: Remember: was/were + verb-ing for background actions in the past.
2️⃣ Past perfect continuous for ongoing work before an incident
Rule: Use the past perfect continuous to show how long something had been happening before another past event.Examples: I had been working on the report for two hours before the laptop crashed.; She had been using the VPN all morning when the system failed.; They had been testing the tool for days before the error appeared.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use only past simple and forget to show the duration before the incident. — Use had been + -ing to link the duration to the later past event..
Which sentence correctly shows a longer action before the incident?
Tip: Use had been + -ing to connect past duration with a later past event.
Fill with the best answer: Before the blue screen appeared, I ___ on the report for two hours.
Tip: Use had been + verb-ing to show an action continuing up to another past moment.
3️⃣ Present perfect for repeated issues
Rule: Use the present perfect to describe problems that started in the past and can still affect now.Examples: It has already happened twice this month.; The same error has appeared several times today.; Our VPN has failed three times this week.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners use past simple, which sounds finished, even when the problem can still continue. — Use have/has + past participle when the issue is connected to the present situation..
Which sentence shows that the problem may continue now?
Tip: Present perfect links past events to the present situation or result.
Fill with the best answer: I wrote that the same issue ___ already happened twice this month.
Tip: Use has + past participle with it/issue/problem in the present perfect.
4️⃣ Modals and conditionals for advice and requests
Rule: Use should, could and would like to give advice, talk about risk and make polite requests.Examples: The hard drive could fail if we ignore this error.; You should call the support team again if the issue returns.; I would like to request a replacement laptop.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use only will, which sounds too direct or certain in reports. — Use could for possible risk, should for advice, and would like for polite requests..
Which sentence is the most polite way to request a new laptop?
Tip: Use would like to make polite requests in professional emails or calls.
Fill with the best answer: The hard drive ___ fail if we ignore this repeated error.
Tip: Could shows a possible risk without saying it is 100% certain.
✍️ Vocabulary
incident
Meaning: an event or problem, often unexpected, that needs to be reported.Synonyms: event, case, problem.
Chunk/Idiom: incident report.
Example: Please write an incident report after the system crash.
Morphology: Morphology: noun; plural: incidents.
Self-practice: Describe a recent IT incident in two sentences.
ticket
Meaning: a record of a problem created in a support or help-desk system.Synonyms: case, request, record.
Chunk/Idiom: open a ticket.
Example: I opened a ticket when the laptop showed a blue screen.
Morphology: Morphology: noun; countable.
Self-practice: Write one sentence about why you opened your last support ticket.
error message
Meaning: a text on the screen that explains a problem with the system or software.Synonyms: warning, alert, notification.
Chunk/Idiom: screenshot of the error message.
Example: Take a screenshot of the error message for the support team.
Morphology: Morphology: noun phrase; head noun: message.
Self-practice: Write one typical error message you often see at work.
VPN
Meaning: a secure virtual private network used to connect to company systems remotely.Synonyms: secure network, remote access, tunnel.
Chunk/Idiom: when the VPN is active.
Example: The problem appears when the VPN is active.
Morphology: Morphology: noun; abbreviation.
Self-practice: Explain when and why you use the VPN in your job.
diagnostic tool
Meaning: a program that checks a system and finds technical problems.Synonyms: analyzer, checker, scanner.
Chunk/Idiom: run a diagnostic tool.
Example: They asked me to run a diagnostic tool before calling again.
Morphology: Morphology: noun phrase; head noun: tool.
Self-practice: Name one diagnostic tool you or your IT team often use.
hard drive
Meaning: the main part of the computer that stores data permanently.Synonyms: disk, storage, drive.
Chunk/Idiom: the hard drive could fail.
Example: The hard drive could fail if we ignore this repeated error.
Morphology: Morphology: noun phrase; head noun: drive.
Self-practice: Write two things you would lose if your hard drive failed.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
I opened a ticket when the laptop showed a blue screen.
The issue has already happened twice this month.
The support team asked me to run a diagnostic tool.
I would like to request a replacement if the problem continues.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Why did the speaker feel stressed during the incident?
Tip: Link the feeling to the ongoing task when the laptop crashed.
Which tense best shows that the IT problem may happen again?
Tip: Present perfect connects past events to the present situation.
Fill with the best answer:
I ___ a screenshot of the error message before opening a ticket.Tip: Use the past simple took for a finished action in the past.
Fill with the best answer:
They said I ___ call them again if the issue returns.Tip: Should is used for advice about future actions.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Why did the speaker open a ticket on the IT support portal?
Tip: Tickets are used to report technical problems and give details.
What information did the speaker include in the incident description?
Tip: A clear report includes actions, timing and key technical details.
Fill with the best answer:
The problem appears when the ___ is active.Tip: The mini text says the problem appears when the VPN is active.
Fill with the best answer:
The support team asked the speaker to run a ___ tool.Tip: A diagnostic tool is used to check the system for technical issues.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Hi, this is Alex from Sales. I need to report a laptop incident.B: Hello Alex, thanks for calling. Can you explain what happened, step by step?
A: Yes, the screen went blue while I was preparing a report, and it has already happened twice this month.
Why this matters:
Clear incident reports help IT understand the real problem quickly. They also create a record, so repeated issues are easier to track. This saves time for you and the support team in the future.Verb & Adjective Pack:
open a ticket — I opened a ticket as soon as the blue screen appeared.attach a screenshot — Please attach a screenshot of the error message to your report.
request a replacement — After three incidents, I would like to request a replacement laptop.
report an incident — I reported the incident in detail in the online form.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: I ___ a ticket and attached the screenshot of the error message.
Tip: Use the past simple for a completed action at a specific time in the past.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: I have wrote that it happened two times this month.
Tip: Use have written for the present perfect and twice instead of two times.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
The hard drive could fail if we ignore this repeated error.
Tip: Focus on could fail to show risk without sounding too certain.