Unit 2 · Work, Study & Career Paths · Lesson 09
Working Together
Learn the language of working with other people. Practise polite disagreement, offering help and chasing deadlines so teamwork in English feels easy and human.
Warm-up · §1
5 minGet talking
Describe the best team you've ever been part of — and the worst — in 30 seconds each. What made the difference?
Think of the last meeting you were in. Was it (a) useful, (b) fine, or (c) a waste of time? What would have made it better?
Disagree out loud with your partner about whether pineapple belongs on pizza, using ONLY polite phrases ('I see what you mean, but…', 'I'd push back on that slightly…'). No 'no'. No 'wrong'.
Grammar focus · §2
8–10 minCollaboration language — polite disagreement and taking the floor
Quick rule
Disagree by acknowledging first, ask by softening the request, and take the floor by signalling before you speak.
Pattern builder
Acknowledge-then-pivot
I see what you mean, BUT… / Fair point, ALTHOUGH…
e.g. I see what you mean, but the deadline feels tight.
Softened ask
Could you possibly / Would it be possible to / Any chance you could…?
e.g. Any chance you could send it by tomorrow?
Take the floor
Sorry to jump in, but… / Can I add to that? / Building on what X said…
e.g. Sorry to jump in — could I add something on the stakeholder side?
Examples
- →
I see what you mean, but I'd push back on that slightly — I think the deadline is a bit ambitious.
- →
Sorry to jump in — could I add something on the stakeholder question?
- →
Any chance you could send me the file by end of play tomorrow?
- →
Building on what Tom said, I'd suggest we drop the second feature and protect the launch date.
- →
Just a gentle nudge on the Q3 numbers — let me know if you need anything from me to unblock it.
Common mistakes
No, you are wrong. We must change the deadline.
✓ I see what you mean, but I'd push back slightly on the deadline.
Bare disagreement reads as rude in English.
Send me the file tomorrow.
✓ Any chance you could send me the file by tomorrow?
Bare imperatives sound abrupt to colleagues.
Natural English
These same three moves work in person, on video calls AND in chat — the politeness signals don't change just because you're typing.
Hit all three across an hour of meetings and your English will feel native.
- 80%
Acknowledge-then-pivot ('I see what you mean, but…')
I see what you mean, but I'd push back…
- 70%
Softened imperatives ('any chance you could…?')
Any chance you could send it today?
- 60%
Taking the floor ('Sorry to jump in, but…')
Sorry to jump in — could I add something?
- 40%
Naming others ('building on what Tom said')
Building on what Tom said…
Deep dive (full explanation)
B2 collaboration in English is built on three small grammatical moves. ACKNOWLEDGE-THEN-PIVOT for disagreement: 'I see what you mean, BUT…' / 'That makes sense, THOUGH I'd push back on…' / 'Fair point, ALTHOUGH…'. SOFTENED IMPERATIVES for asks: instead of 'send it by Friday', use 'could you possibly send it by Friday?' / 'would it be possible to…?' / 'any chance you could…?'. And TAKING THE FLOOR without interrupting rudely: 'Sorry to jump in, but…' / 'Can I add to that?' / 'Building on what Mira said…'. These moves do the same job in person, on video calls, and in chat messages.
Question 1.Most natural B2 way to disagree politely:
Question 2.Polite way to chase a colleague:
Question 3.Natural way to take the floor mid-meeting:
Question 4.Best way to credit someone before adding your point:
Question 5.Most professional way to remind a slow colleague:
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Vocabulary · §3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
to be on the same page
to have the same understanding of a situation.
to loop (someone) in
to include someone in a conversation or thread.
to circle back
to return to a topic or person later.
a gentle nudge
a polite reminder, usually about something overdue.
to unblock (sb / sth)
to remove what's stopping someone making progress.
to have a quick sync
to have a short meeting to align.
to take it offline
to discuss something later, outside the main meeting/thread.
end of play (EOP) / EOD
by the end of the working day.
to bandwidth (have / not have)
to have time and energy capacity to take something on.
to drop the ball
to fail to do something you were responsible for.
Activate it now
Team language only sounds natural once you've used it about a real situation in your own life.
- Make it yours#1
Describe one time you dropped the ball at work or in studies. Use 'I dropped the ball on…' and 'next time, I'd…'.
to drop the ballto loop in - Complete#2
Finish: 'I don't have the bandwidth this week to ___.' 'Can we circle back on this ___?' 'Just a gentle nudge on ___.'
to bandwidthto circle backa gentle nudge - Discuss#3
Is 'end of play' a useful deadline or a vague one? When does it actually mean something?
end of playa gentle nudge - Your view#4
Agree or disagree: 'Most meetings could be a 3-line message.'
to have a quick syncto take it offline - Rank#5
Rank these annoyances from worst → least bad: not being looped in, being chased rudely, vague deadlines, last-minute changes, no agenda.
to loop ina gentle nudgeend of play - Quick write#6
Write a 40-word Slack message chasing a colleague politely. Use at least 'a gentle nudge' AND 'unblock'.
a gentle nudgeto unblock
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · §4
3–4 minTone of voice in chasing emails (reading vs hearing)
Written team English carries no facial expression. The same words can land as polite or aggressive depending on how the reader hears them in their head. Three small habits make written B2 chase messages sound warm: (1) start with a name, not a verb ('Hi Tom, just a quick one…' not 'Send the file'); (2) explain WHY ('we need it before the client call at 4'); (3) offer to unblock ('let me know if you need anything from me'). Read your own message aloud before sending — if it sounds blunt aloud, it'll read blunt too.
- 'Hi Tom, just a gentle nudge on the Q3 file — we need it before the 4pm call. Let me know if anything's stuck.' (warm)
- 'Send the Q3 file.' (cold)
- 'Any chance you could share the deck by EOD? Happy to help finish the appendix if useful.' (warm)
- 'Where's the deck?' (rude)
Reading · §5
8–10 minWhy Most Team Conflict Is About Process, Not People
Listen to the passage
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Ask people what their last team conflict was about and they'll usually describe a person: 'she's difficult,' 'he doesn't listen,' 'they micromanage.' Watch the same conflict from outside and a different picture appears. Most workplace friction isn't a personality clash — it's an unclear process clash, dressed up in personal language. Three examples. A designer is angry that engineering 'always rejects her work.' The real problem is no shared definition of what 'ready for engineering' means — so every handover feels like an attack. A junior is frustrated that her manager 'never gives feedback.' The real problem is no scheduled one-to-one — feedback gets squeezed into corridor moments that the junior doesn't recognise. A team is fed up that the project manager 'micromanages.' The real problem is unclear ownership — when ownership is fuzzy, even small chasing feels like control. The fix is rarely a difficult conversation about personality. It's a 10-minute conversation about process. 'Can we agree what counts as ready for engineering?' 'Can we put one-to-ones in the diary every two weeks?' 'Who actually owns this — me, you, or both of us?' The conversation is small. The relief is large. Learners often translate this badly when they switch to English. They reach for personality words ('lazy', 'rude', 'difficult') when the underlying problem is just unclear shared expectations. B2 collaboration vocabulary — alignment, ownership, handover, sync — exists because most workplaces have decided to talk about process, not people. Doing the same will make you sound senior, not because you've inflated your language, but because you've moved the conversation to where it actually belongs.
Question 1.What is the writer's main argument?
Question 2.What does the writer say is usually the fix?
Question 3.Why does the writer mention 'definition of ready'?
Question 4.What does the writer suggest about B2 collaboration vocabulary?
Q1.The writer thinks team conflict is usually a personality clash.
Q2.The writer recommends scheduling regular one-to-ones rather than relying on corridor feedback.
Q3.The writer argues that using personality words ('lazy', 'rude') is usually the most accurate description.
Q4.According to the writer, talking about process makes you sound more senior.
Listening · §6
8–10 minA 2-minute team stand-up (about 2:00)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Lead:OK, quick stand-up. Tom — where are we with the Q3 deck?
Tom:First draft is done. Just a gentle nudge — I'm waiting on the numbers from finance to finalise it.
Lead:Mira, can you chase finance today?
Mira:Yep, I'll loop in their lead and circle back by end of play.
Lead:Good. Sam — anything blocking you?
Sam:Honestly, bandwidth. I've got three handovers landing this week and I might drop the ball on the QA notes if I take anything else on.
Lead:Understood. Mira — could you take the QA notes from Sam?
Mira:I see what you mean, but I'd push back on that slightly — I'm already chasing finance and writing the client one-pager. Could we agree someone else takes QA, just for this week?
Lead:Fair point. Tom, any chance you could pick up QA notes once the deck is in?
Tom:Yes, I'd have bandwidth from Thursday.
Sam:Thanks Tom — I'll write a 5-line handover so you're not starting cold.
Lead:Last thing — design and engineering are not on the same page about what 'ready for build' means. I'd like to take that one offline this afternoon, just the three of us.
Mira:Agreed — I'll book a 15-minute sync.
Lead:Good. That's it. Let me know if anything else comes up I should unblock for you.
Question 1.What is blocking Tom?
Question 2.Why does Mira push back when asked to take on QA notes?
Question 3.Who eventually agrees to pick up QA notes?
Question 4.Which problem does the team lead say they need to 'take offline'?
Exam skills · §7
5 minStrategy focus — Disagreeing in a meeting without damaging the relationship
Task
Disagreement happens in every team — stand-ups, project planning, design reviews, family group chats. B1 speakers either avoid it ('OK, fine') or do it bluntly ('No, that's wrong'). B2 speakers can disagree, push back, and keep the working relationship intact.
Strategy
Use the 3-step polite pushback: (1) ACKNOWLEDGE — repeat their idea so they know you heard it ('I see what you mean…' / 'That makes sense…'); (2) PIVOT — signal the disagreement softly ('… but I'd push back on that slightly' / '… although I'd want to flag one thing'); (3) OFFER — give an alternative, not just a complaint ('Could we agree X instead?' / 'What about Y for this week?'). 3 steps in 15 seconds = professional, B2, no damage.
Example
(1) I see what you mean about giving QA to me — it's the right instinct given Sam's load. (2) But I'd push back on that slightly — I'm already chasing finance and writing the client one-pager today. (3) Could we agree someone else picks up QA just for this week?
Practice · §8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.Just a gentle ___ — could you send the file by end of play?
Question 2.Let me ___ you in on this thread.
Question 3.Can we ___ back on this in tomorrow's stand-up?
Question 4.I see what you mean, ___ I'd push back on that slightly.
Question 5.I don't have the ___ to take on a new project this week.
Question 6.Let's take it ___ and continue after the meeting.
Q1.Polite chase: 'Just a gentle ___ on the Q3 numbers.'
Q2.Polite disagreement: 'I see what you mean, but I'd ___ back on that slightly.'
Q3.Sharing the floor: 'Building ___ what Tom said, I'd suggest we drop the second feature.'
Writing · §9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 100–140 word Slack / email message in TWO parts. Part A: chase a colleague politely for a late file. Part B: politely disagree with a project decision in the team chat. Use AT LEAST: 'a gentle nudge', 'any chance you could…', 'I see what you mean, but…', and one 'building on what (X) said'.
Your answer
Show model answer
A) Hi Tom, Just a gentle nudge on the Q3 deck — any chance you could share the latest draft by end of play today? We need it for the 9am client call tomorrow. Let me know if anything's stuck on your side — happy to chase finance for you if that helps unblock it. Thanks! Mira B) Hi all, Quick one on the new launch date. I see what you mean about wanting to ship before the holiday window, but I'd push back on that slightly — we still have two open accessibility issues. Building on what Sam said earlier about quality risk, I'd suggest we either push by a week or cut feature two. Happy to discuss in the sync tomorrow. Mira
Speaking · §10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
ROLEPLAY — Project stand-up. Groups of 3. Each person has a role: TEAM LEAD, BLOCKED COLLEAGUE, BUSY COLLEAGUE. The lead opens the stand-up. The blocked colleague flags one blocker. The lead asks the busy colleague to help. The busy colleague must politely push back using the 3-step shape. The group must end with a clear plan. 5 minutes. Rotate roles.
Useful phrases
- • Where are we with…?
- • What's blocking you?
- • I'd loop in (X) and circle back by EOD.
- • Any chance you could…?
- • I see what you mean, but I'd push back on that slightly because…
- • Could we agree (X) instead, just for this week?
- • Let's take that one offline.
- • Let me know if you need anything to unblock it.
- LeadWhere are we with the client deck?
- You_______________
- LeadCould you also take on the QA notes this week?
- You_______________
- LeadAnything I can help unblock for you?
- You_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Two optional teacher-led activities for live classes. ~24 min total
Homework · §11
Take-homeTake it home
Rewrite 3 blunt messages you've sent or received recently into warm B2 versions using the chase / disagree / take-the-floor moves.
Record yourself disagreeing politely in 30 seconds using the 3-step pushback (acknowledge → pivot → offer).
Write a true sentence for each: a gentle nudge, loop in, circle back, take it offline, bandwidth, drop the ball.
Re-read 'Why Most Team Conflict Is About Process, Not People'. Note one piece of process-language you'd actually use in your next 1-to-1.
Recap · §12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- You can disagree politely in 3 steps: acknowledge → pivot → offer.
- You can chase colleagues warmly using 'a gentle nudge', 'any chance you could…' and 'unblock'.
- You can take the floor in meetings without interrupting rudely.
- You can talk about teamwork using collaboration vocabulary (loop in, circle back, bandwidth, take it offline).
- You can write team messages that read warm, not blunt — by adding a name, a reason, and an offer to help.