BEP 192 – English Idioms: Time Idioms (Part 1)

Welcome back to Business English Pod. In this lesson, we’re going to take a look at business English idioms related to time.

At work and in business, time is always a concern. We rush to get to the office “on time,” we work hard to finish projects “in time” and we sometimes have to work “overtime” to get it all done. If you’re like most people, you watch the clock and the calendar constantly. It’s hard not to with such busy schedules and tight timelines.

In English, time idioms focus on a few key ideas. We hear the word “time” a lot, as well as the words “clock” and “hour”. Many of the idioms are related to speed, duration, regularity, and how late or early something happens or is finished. We also see a lot of idioms related to time pressure.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Jeff and Claire, two project managers who are overseeing the development of a mobile phone application and a new website. We will hear them discuss timelines on different parts of the project and different project teams.

Listening Questions

1. What does Claire say about the designers?
2. What does Jeff say about the writers?
3. Which part of the project is behind schedule?

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