American English · B2 · Unit 3
Trouble at work
Trouble at work
By the end you can
- Raise a problem with a colleague tactfully
- Suggest a solution both sides can accept
- Understand a description of a conflict
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I wanted to talk to you about | a gentle way to start a difficult conversation | Hey, I wanted to talk to you about the reports. |
| holding me up | making me late, stopping me from going on | The late data is holding me up. |
| I'm not blaming you | I'm not saying it's your fault | I'm not blaming you, but we need to fix this. |
| on my end | for me, from my side | On my end, it means staying late every Thursday. |
| I get that | I understand that | I get that you're busy. |
| work something out | find a solution together | I'm sure we can work something out. |
| a heads-up | a warning in advance | Could you give me a heads-up if it's going to be late? |
| tension | bad feeling between people | There's a lot of tension on the team. |
| clear the air | talk honestly to end bad feelings | Let's grab a coffee and clear the air. |
| take it personally | feel it as an attack on you | Please don't take it personally. |
| going forward | from now on | Going forward, let's check the schedule every Monday. |
| how can we | a way to look for a solution together | How can we make this work for both of us? |
Then talk it through
Telling a colleague that their late work is holding yours up. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.