Intermediate· B1–B2Work & career9 min

Giving an update in a team meeting

Give a short, structured status update and answer a follow-up question.

The scene

It is the weekly team meeting. The team lead asks everyone for a quick update. It is your turn to report on the website project.

Speaker A
Team lead
Speaker B
You (project member)

Your goals

  • Give an update in a clear order: done, next, problems
  • Use signposting language to guide listeners
  • Answer a follow-up question and ask for help

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • update

    the latest information about something

    Can you give us a quick update?

  • status

    the current situation of a task or project

    What's the status of the new homepage?

  • to launch

    to start or make something available publicly

    We plan to launch next month.

  • milestone

    an important stage in a project

    We reached our first milestone.

  • blocker

    a problem that stops progress

    Our main blocker is the payment system.

  • to wrap up

    to finish

    We'll wrap up testing on Friday.

  • action item

    a task someone agrees to do after a meeting

    Let's note that as an action item.

Useful phrases

  • Quick update from me on …

    Starting your update

  • Last week we …

    Saying what has been done

  • This week I'm focusing on …

    Saying what comes next

  • The main issue right now is …

    Raising a problem

  • Could I get some help from …?

    Asking for support

  • That's it from me.

    Ending your turn clearly

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Team lead

    OK, let's move on. Kenji, can you give us a quick update on the website?

  2. You (project member)

    Sure. Quick update from me on the website. Last week we finished the new homepage design.

  3. Team lead

    Great. Did the client approve it?

  4. You (project member)

    Yes, they approved it on Friday with only two small changes.

  5. Team lead

    Nice. What's the plan for this week?

  6. You (project member)

    This week I'm focusing on the product pages. We should wrap up testing by Friday.

  7. Team lead

    Any blockers?

  8. You (project member)

    The main issue right now is the payment system. We're still waiting for access from IT.

  9. Team lead

    I can talk to IT after the meeting. Anything else?

  10. You (project member)

    That would be really helpful, thanks. That's it from me.

You speak 5 lines as You (project member); Team lead is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Give a 30-second update on something you are working on: done, next and problems.

  2. 2. Explain one problem that is slowing you down and what you need.

  3. 3. End your update clearly and hand over to the next person.

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. What is a 'blocker'?
  2. 2. Which phrase starts an update clearly?
  3. 3. 'We'll wrap up testing on Friday' means…
  4. 4. What is a good way to end your turn?

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: We have finished the homepage last week.

    Say: We finished the homepage last week.

    Use the simple past with a finished time like 'last week'.

  • Avoid: I am waiting the access from IT.

    Say: I'm waiting for access from IT.

    The verb 'wait' needs 'for' before its object.

  • Avoid: We will finish the testing until Friday.

    Say: We'll finish testing by Friday.

    Use 'by' for a deadline.

Tips

  • Use the same order every time: done, next, problems. Listeners can follow easily.
  • Keep each point to one or two sentences and save details for questions.
  • Mention blockers clearly; meetings are the best place to get help.

Questions about this lesson

How do you give a status update in English?

Say what you finished ('Last week we…'), what you are doing now ('This week I'm…') and any problems ('The main issue is…'). End with 'That's it from me.'

What does 'any blockers?' mean in a meeting?

It means 'Is anything stopping your progress?' You can answer 'No blockers' or describe the problem.

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Negotiating a pay raise

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