Keeping Projects on Track: Asking for and Giving Updates (B1-B2)
Podcast Introduction
Hello, I’m Daryush, and welcome to the Business English Hub, the podcast that helps you speak clearly and confidently at work. This podcast is for professionals, students, and job-seekers who use English in meetings, presentations, interviews, and beyond. Listen regularly to build your vocabulary, improve your fluency, and feel more comfortable using English in the workplace. I’m joined today by my co-host, Hana.
Hana: Hello everyone, it’s great to be here with you.
Welcome to the podcast, Hana. By the way, we have a free transcript for this episode and an interactive exercise for you. If you want to read along or practice these phrases later, just check out the links in the episode description.
Episode Introduction
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about how to ask for and give updates on projects. These are essential communication skills both in and out of the workplace. Think about it: have you ever had work done on your home, like a renovation or a big repair, and you weren’t sure how to ask the contractor for an update? Or maybe at work you were waiting on a project and you needed a status update, but you didn’t know how to ask without sounding pushy. It can be a bit awkward to find the right words, right? Well, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Today we’ll break it all down and practice exactly how to handle those situations.
Hana: I remember when I was getting my apartment painted last year. The project was taking longer than expected, and I was so anxious to know how much longer it’d be. I wanted to ask the contractor for an update, but I didn’t want to come across as rude or impatient. It was tricky to figure out how to word it.
Oh, I’ve been there too. It’s completely normal to feel that way. Asking for updates, or giving updates to someone who’s waiting, can make anyone a bit nervous, especially in a second language. But the good news is, there are polite and effective phrases in English to help you do this confidently. Our goal today is to teach you those phrases and show you how to use them naturally. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a handy set of expressions for requesting updates on a project and for providing updates clearly and professionally.
Hana: Sounds great! How are we going to do that?
We’ll walk through a realistic scenario together. We thought a home repair situation would be a great example, since many of us have experienced something like that. In our scenario, I’ll play a homeowner, and Hana will be the contractor in charge of a home renovation project. We’re going to act out a conversation where the homeowner asks for an update on the project, and the contractor gives the latest information. As you listen, pay attention to how I ask for updates and how Hana responds with details about the progress and any issues. After the dialogue, we’ll talk about some of the key phrases we used and why they work. And remember, there’s an interactive exercise linked in the description so you can practice these phrases yourself later on. Alright, shall we dive into the conversation?
Hana: Let’s do it!
Scenario: Checking in on a Home Renovation Project
Imagine you’ve hired a contractor to renovate your kitchen. It’s been a couple of weeks, and you want to know how things are going. In this scenario, I’ll be the homeowner and Hana will be the contractor overseeing the work. Listen for how the homeowner asks for updates politely, and how the contractor describes the progress and handles any issues that have come up.
Dialogue
Homeowner: Hi there, Hana. How’s everything going with the kitchen renovation?
Contractor: Hi! It’s going pretty well. We made a lot of progress this week. We’ve finished installing the new cabinets and we’re currently working on the countertops.
Homeowner: That’s good to hear. Do you think we’re still on track to finish by the end of the month?
Contractor: We’re mostly on track, but we did hit a small snag with the plumbing work earlier. One of the pipes was older than we thought, so we had to replace it. And that set us back a day or two. But the good news is we’ve taken care of it now, and we’re catching up quickly. As of now, I’d say we should still be able to finish by the end of the month, maybe just a day later than planned at most.
Homeowner: Oh, I see. Thanks for letting me know. And could you give me a quick update on the flooring? Last time we spoke, you were about to start on the new floor tiles. How’s that coming along?
Contractor: Sure. The flooring is all done! We finished laying the new tiles yesterday, and they look great. We’ll start painting the walls tomorrow. Everything with the flooring went smoothly, no issues there.
Homeowner: Excellent. It sounds like things are moving along nicely now. Thank you for the update. I really appreciate it.
Contractor: You’re very welcome! I’m happy to keep you updated. If anything unexpected comes up, I’ll let you know right away. Otherwise, I’ll give you another update once we start on the final touches.
Homeowner: That’d be great. Please keep me in the loop. And let me know if you need anything from me.
Contractor: Of course. I’ll keep you posted. So far, so good! We’ll check in again soon.
Language Focus
In that dialogue, you heard a lot of useful phrases for asking for updates and giving updates on a project. Let’s break down some of them.
As the homeowner, I started by asking, “How’s everything going with the kitchen renovation?” This is a friendly, open-ended way to ask for a progress report. You could also say “How’s the project coming along?” or “How are things going so far?” These questions invite the other person to share a general update.
I also asked, “Do you think we’re still on track to finish by the end of the month?” The phrase “on track” is a very natural way to talk about being on schedule. By asking if we’re “still on track,” I’m politely checking whether the project will meet the deadline. Another way to ask this could be, “Are we still on schedule to finish by the end of the month?” Using “we” in these questions, “Are we on track?” makes it inclusive and friendly, as if we’re tackling the project together.
Later, I said, “Could you give me a quick update on the flooring?” This is a direct yet polite request for specific information. “Could you give me an update on the flooring?” or “Can you fill me in on the status of the flooring?” are excellent phrases when you want specific information about a particular aspect of a project. I also asked, “How’s that coming along?” which is another way to say “How is that progressing?” In our case, I used it for the flooring, but you can use “How’s [X] coming along?” for any task or part of a project.
Now let’s look at how the contractor responded to give updates. She used clear, straightforward language to describe the progress. For example, she said, “We’ve finished installing the new cabinets and we’re currently working on the countertops.” Starting with “We’ve finished [this]” and “We’re currently doing [that]” is a great way to structure an update. It tells exactly what has been done and what is happening now.
When I asked about the schedule, the contractor said, “We did hit a small snag with the plumbing … that set us back a day or two.” The phrase “hit a small snag” is a natural, idiomatic way to say “encountered a small problem.” It softens the impact of the issue. A “snag” sounds minor, not a huge disaster. She immediately explained the problem, an old pipe that needed replacing, and what they did to solve it. This is important when giving updates: if there’s a delay or problem, it’s good to mention what you’re doing about it. She also used “set us back a day or two” to mean the project was delayed by a day or two. That’s another useful phrase: “set us back” means cause a delay.
Even with that issue, the contractor added, “the good news is we’ve taken care of it now, and we’re catching up quickly.” Phrases like “the good news is …” are helpful for introducing a positive aspect after mentioning a problem. And “we’re catching up” means they are making up for lost time. She then said, “As of now, we should still be able to finish by the end of the month, maybe just a day later than planned at most.” The phrase “as of now” signals that this is the current status. She’s basically reassuring me that the timeline is still mostly okay. Notice how she gently mentioned a possible one-day delay by saying “maybe just a day later than planned at most.” That’s a very diplomatic way to say there might be a slight delay, but it’s not definite or big.
When I asked for an update on the flooring, the contractor replied, “The flooring is all done! We finished laying the new tiles yesterday … Everything went smoothly, no issues there.” This is a clear update: “X is all done” means that part of the project is complete. She added details: finished yesterday, tiles look great, and reassured me that there were no problems by saying “no issues there” and “went smoothly.” Phrases like “everything went smoothly” and “no issues at all” are great to give positive news.
Throughout her updates, she kept the tone positive and honest. She didn’t just say “Everything’s fine.” She gave specifics, both good and bad, which is what you want in a useful project update.
Also, pay attention to the polite tone on both sides. When I received the information, I said, “Thank you for the update. I really appreciate it.” It’s always good to acknowledge and thank someone for updating you. And as the contractor, Hana said, “You’re very welcome! I’m happy to keep you updated,” or “I’ll keep you posted.” Saying “I’ll keep you posted” or “I’ll keep you in the loop” is a friendly way to promise that you will continue providing updates. In fact, “keep someone in the loop” is a common idiom meaning to keep someone informed about any developments.
Before we wrap up, let’s go over a few of these key expressions one more time so they really stick. Just close your eyes, relax, and repeat after me. It’s a simple way to make the phrases yours. Ready?
How’s the project coming along?
Are we still on track to finish by the end of the month?
Could you give me a quick update on this task?
Unfortunately, we hit a small snag.
We’re catching up.
Everything is on track.
Everything is going smoothly.
I’ll keep you posted.
Keep me in the loop.
Try to remember a couple of these and use them next time you need an update or have to give one. And if you want to practice them right away, we have an interactive exercise for you. Check the description for the link. It’s a great way to test yourself and reinforce these phrases.
Wrap-Up
Now, we’d love to hear from you. When was the last time you had work done on your home, and how did it go? Did you find it easy to ask for updates, or was it challenging to get the information you needed? How about at work? What phrases do you usually use to ask for project updates or to give status updates to others? Share your experiences with us in the comments. We’re really curious to know how people handle this in different situations and cultures. Don’t be shy! Your stories might help other listeners, and we read every response.
Hana: Yes, please do share. It’s always so interesting to hear your real-world examples. And if you try out any of the phrases from today’s episode in your own life, let us know how it went! Maybe you tried asking “Could you give me a quick update?” or you told someone “I’ll keep you posted.” We’d love to know if it made your communication easier.
Alright, that brings us to the end of Episode 8 of Business English Hub. Thank you so much for joining us today. If you found this episode helpful, please remember to hit the like button and subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us reach more people. And feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and questions. We absolutely love hearing from you.
And don’t forget, you can get the full, free transcript of this episode on my website. It’s a great way to review all the expressions we covered today. You’ll also find an interactive exercise there to help you reinforce the language from this episode. Plus, you’ll find information about one-to-one English coaching with me if you’re looking for more personalized help. If you prefer a video experience, check out our YouTube channel for a read-along version of this episode. Sometimes reading the captions while listening can really boost your understanding. And of course, you can listen to the audio-only version on Spotify and Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you once again for spending time with us. Keep practicing these phrases whenever you can. The more you use them, the more natural they’ll become. Until next time, keep learning, stay confident, and we’ll catch you in the next episode. Talk to you soon.
Click here to download the full transcript in PDF format.
Click here to take the quiz and test your understanding of the phrases.
