Intermediate· B1–B2Study & school9 min

Planning a group project

Divide tasks in a group, agree on deadlines and handle different preferences.

The scene

Your class has to create a presentation about renewable energy in groups of three. You meet with a classmate to divide the work and plan the next two weeks.

Speaker A
Classmate
Speaker B
You (student)

Your goals

  • Suggest how to divide tasks fairly
  • Volunteer for a task and explain why
  • Agree on deadlines and how to communicate

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • to divide up

    to split something into parts

    Let's divide up the topics.

  • to be in charge of

    to be responsible for

    Who's in charge of the slides?

  • to volunteer

    to offer to do something

    I'll volunteer for the research.

  • shared document

    an online file several people can edit

    Let's use a shared document.

  • to check in

    to have a short meeting or message to share progress

    Let's check in on Friday.

  • to rehearse

    to practice a performance before the real one

    We should rehearse twice.

  • fair

    equal and reasonable for everyone

    Is that a fair split?

Useful phrases

  • How should we divide up the work?

    Starting the planning

  • I'm happy to take …

    Volunteering for a task

  • Would you mind doing …?

    Asking someone politely to take a task

  • Does that sound fair?

    Checking agreement

  • Let's aim to finish … by …

    Setting a deadline

  • Shall we check in on …?

    Arranging a progress meeting

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. Classmate

    OK, so the presentation is in two weeks. How should we divide up the work?

  2. You (student)

    We have three parts: solar, wind and the conclusion. I'm happy to take solar energy, because I did a report on it last year.

  3. Classmate

    Great. I'd like to do wind energy. What about Omar? He's not here today.

  4. You (student)

    Would you mind messaging him? Maybe he could do the conclusion and the slide design.

  5. Classmate

    Sure, I'll ask him tonight. He's really good at design.

  6. You (student)

    Perfect. Does that sound fair to you?

  7. Classmate

    Yes, I think so. When should we finish our parts?

  8. You (student)

    Let's aim to finish our research by next Wednesday, so we have time to put it together.

  9. Classmate

    Good idea. And we should rehearse at least once before the presentation.

  10. You (student)

    Definitely. Shall we check in on Friday and use a shared document until then?

You speak 5 lines as You (student); Classmate 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. Suggest how to divide a project between three people.

  2. 2. Volunteer for one task and explain why you are a good choice.

  3. 3. Propose a schedule with two deadlines and one rehearsal.

Quick quiz

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

  1. 1. Which phrase volunteers for a task?
  2. 2. 'Would you mind messaging him?' is…
  3. 3. What does 'rehearse' mean?
  4. 4. Which sentence sets a deadline?

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: Would you mind to message him?

    Say: Would you mind messaging him?

    After 'mind', use the -ing form.

  • Avoid: I will do the part of solar.

    Say: I'll do the solar part. / I'll take solar energy.

    Put the describing word before 'part', or name the topic.

  • Avoid: We must to finish by Wednesday.

    Say: We must finish by Wednesday.

    Modal verbs like 'must' are followed by the base verb without 'to'.

Tips

  • Write down who is doing what and by when, and share it with the group.
  • Choose tasks that match people's strengths, but keep the workload fair.
  • Plan a check-in halfway through so problems appear early.

Questions about this lesson

How do you ask someone politely to do something in English?

Use 'Would you mind…' plus the -ing form: 'Would you mind sending the slides?' or 'Could you…?'

How do you answer 'Would you mind…?'

If you agree, say 'Not at all' or 'No problem.' 'Yes' would literally mean you do mind.

Finish the lesson

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

Next lesson: Giving a short class presentation

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