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Business English Tenses

Grammar in Business Contexts

Tense

Present Simple

Use for facts, routines, policies, and states that are generally true.  The company operates in 14 markets.  She reports directly to the CEO.  We don't charge setup fees.

Topic 01

Company Policies & Rules

  1. What does your company's expense policy say about travel reimbursement?
  2. How does your organization handle remote work — does it have a formal policy?
  3. What rules does your team follow when approving new vendors or external partners?
  4. Does your company require employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement? What does it cover?
  5. What happens when someone violates a company policy in your organization?
Notes

Tense

Present Continuous

Use for actions happening right now or around this time, and for temporary or changing situations.  We're currently negotiating with three vendors.  The market is shifting fast.

Topic 01

Current Projects & Initiatives

  1. What project are you currently working on, and what phase is it in?
  2. What's the most challenging thing your team is dealing with right now?
  3. Is your company currently hiring? What roles are you trying to fill?
  4. What new tools or processes is your team experimenting with at the moment?
  5. Are you currently pursuing any new markets or customer segments? What's the plan?
Notes

Tense

Present Perfect

Use for past experiences or actions with a connection to the present — completed events, achievements, and recent decisions.  We've signed three new clients.  I've worked in this industry for ten years.

Topic 01

Career Achievements & Experience

  1. What's the biggest professional achievement you've accomplished so far in your career?
  2. How many companies have you worked for, and what have you learned from each?
  3. Have you ever managed a team? What has that experience taught you?
  4. What's the most complex project you've led, and what made it challenging?
  5. Have you ever had to turn around a failing project? How did you approach it?
Notes

Tense

Present Perfect Continuous

Use for ongoing activities that started in the past and continue now — emphasizing duration or recent sustained effort.  We've been working on this for six months.  I've been leading the negotiations all week.

Topic 01

Ongoing Projects

  1. How long have you been working on your current project, and what stage is it at?
  2. What has your team been focusing on for the past few sprints?
  3. How long have you been dealing with a particular challenge at work, and what have you tried so far?
  4. Have you been working with any new tools recently? How have they been performing?
  5. What process has your team been trying to improve, and what progress have you made?
Notes

Tense

Past Simple

Use for completed actions at a specific point in the past.  We launched the product in Q3.  I worked at that company for three years.  The deal closed last Friday.

Topic 01

Past Projects & Campaigns

  1. What was the most successful project you delivered in your previous role?
  2. Describe a campaign or initiative your company ran that produced unexpected results.
  3. What was the biggest obstacle you faced during a past project, and how did you overcome it?
  4. When did your company last rebrand or significantly change its product offering? What triggered it?
  5. Tell me about a time your team missed a deadline. What happened and what did you change afterward?
Notes

Tense

Past Continuous

Use for actions in progress at a specific past time, background context for events, or parallel activities.  We were finalizing the deal when the market crashed.  While one team was testing, another was building.

Topic 01

Background Context for Events

  1. What was your team working on when the company announced a major change or restructuring?
  2. Describe the state of your project when an unexpected problem surfaced.
  3. What were the market conditions like when your company launched its most important product?
  4. What was happening in the industry when your company made its most significant strategic decision?
  5. What was your team dealing with when the most important client called with a complaint?
Notes

Tense

Past Perfect

Use for an action completed before another point in the past.  By the time we closed the deal, we had already spent three months on due diligence.  She had never managed a team before she took the role.

Topic 01

Before a Key Business Event

  1. What preparations had your team made before the most important product launch you've been involved in?
  2. By the time the client signed the contract, how long had you been working on the pitch?
  3. What groundwork had been laid before your company entered a new market?
  4. Had your company ever tried a similar approach before the strategy that ultimately succeeded?
  5. By the time the merger was announced, what decisions had already been made behind the scenes?
Notes

Tense

Past Perfect Continuous

Use for an ongoing activity that was in progress before a specific past moment — emphasizing duration up to a past point.  By the time we landed the deal, we had been pitching to them for six months.

Topic 01

Long-Term Efforts That Led to a Result

  1. How long had you been working toward a particular goal before you finally achieved it?
  2. By the time you closed a key deal, how long had you been building the relationship with that client?
  3. How long had the company been losing money before it finally turned profitable?
  4. By the time the product was ready to launch, how long had the team been developing it?
  5. How long had the management team been discussing a change before they finally implemented it?
Notes

Tense

Future — will

Use for predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises, and facts about the future.  The market will probably consolidate further.  I'll get back to you by Friday.  This change will affect all departments.

Topic 01

Industry Predictions

  1. What do you think will be the biggest disruptor in your industry in the next five years?
  2. Do you think AI will replace a significant number of jobs in your field, or will it mostly augment them?
  3. How do you think customer expectations will change over the next decade?
  4. Will remote work remain the norm in your industry, or will companies pull people back to the office?
  5. Which emerging market do you think will create the most opportunities for companies in your sector?
Notes

Tense

Future — going to

Use for plans and intentions already decided, and for predictions based on current evidence.  We're going to expand into DACH next year.  Looking at the numbers, this is going to be a strong Q3.

Topic 01

Business Plans & Roadmaps

  1. What is your company going to focus on for the rest of this year?
  2. Is your team going to change its process or approach in the next sprint or quarter? How?
  3. Are you going to hire for any new roles in the near future? What's driving that decision?
  4. What product features is your team going to prioritize next, and why?
  5. Is your company going to raise funding, seek partnerships, or grow organically in the next year?
Notes

Tense

Future Continuous

Use for actions that will be in progress at a specific point in the future, or for planned/expected ongoing situations.  This time next year, we'll be operating in five countries.  By Thursday, the team will be testing the new build.

Topic 01

What You'll Be Doing at a Future Point

  1. This time next year, what will you be working on if everything goes according to plan?
  2. What role will you be playing in your organization in five years?
  3. By the end of this quarter, what will your team be focused on?
  4. At the next company all-hands, what progress will you be reporting?
  5. When the next product iteration launches, what will the engineering team be building next?
Notes

Tense

Future Perfect

Use for actions that will be completed before a specific future point.  By the end of Q3, we will have launched three new features.  By this time next year, she will have been with the company for a decade.

Topic 01

Project Completion Deadlines

  1. By the end of this quarter, what will your team have delivered?
  2. By the time the client's contract renews, will you have met all the KPIs you committed to?
  3. By the end of the year, how many features will your team have shipped?
  4. Will you have completed your current project by the original deadline, or do you need to adjust expectations?
  5. By the next board meeting, what milestones will the company have achieved?
Notes

Tense

Future Perfect Continuous

Use for ongoing actions that will still be in progress up to (and possibly beyond) a specific future point — emphasizing duration.  By next March, we will have been running this campaign for a full year.

Topic 01

Long-Running Projects & Timelines

  1. By the time your current project is delivered, how long will you have been working on it?
  2. By the end of this year, how long will your team have been using your current project management tool?
  3. By the time the product reaches its 1.0 release, how long will the development team have been building it?
  4. By the time the campaign concludes, how long will the marketing team have been running it?
  5. How long will you have been working toward your current career goal by the time you achieve it?
Notes