Back to Situations

Setting Deadlines and Reminders

Individuals are discussing project deadlines, setting personal reminders for upcoming events or tasks, and confirming how they will keep track of their commitments.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
John (Male)
Hey Sarah, about the marketing project, what's our hard deadline for the first draft?
2
Sarah (Female)
Good question, John. Our manager wants it by end of day next Friday, so May 24th.
3
John (Male)
Okay, May 24th. I'll put a reminder in my calendar for that. And for our internal review, should we aim for the 22nd?
4
Sarah (Female)
That sounds smart. Let's aim for EOD on Wednesday, May 22nd, for our team to look it over. I'll send out a calendar invite for that.
5
John (Male)
Perfect. And how are we keeping track of the smaller tasks leading up to the 22nd? Trello, or just a shared doc?
6
Sarah (Female)
I set up a shared document in Google Docs with assignees and due dates. I'll share the link with you right after this.
7
John (Male)
Excellent. That'll make it easier to stay on track. Thanks, Sarah!
8
Sarah (Female)
No problem! We'll nail this project. I'll send that link over now.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

deadline

A deadline is the final date or time by which something must be finished. In work or projects, it's important to meet deadlines to stay organized.

reminder

A reminder is a note or alert that helps you remember an important task or event. You can set reminders on your phone or calendar to avoid forgetting.

calendar

A calendar is a tool or app for planning dates, meetings, and tasks. People use it to schedule events and set reminders for deadlines.

aim for

To 'aim for' something means to target or plan to achieve it. It's used when setting goals, like aiming for a specific date to finish work.

keeping track

Keeping track means monitoring or following the progress of tasks. It's useful in team projects to ensure everything is on schedule.

assignees

Assignees are the people assigned to complete specific tasks. In shared documents, you list assignees to show who is responsible for what.

due dates

Due dates are the specific dates when tasks must be completed. Setting due dates helps with time management in projects.

stay on track

To stay on track means to follow the plan and not fall behind. It's a common phrase for managing schedules and projects effectively.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

What's our hard deadline for the first draft?

This question asks for the final due date of a task. It's useful in work discussions to clarify timelines. 'Hard deadline' emphasizes it's strict and unchangeable.

Our manager wants it by end of day next Friday, so May 24th.

This sentence specifies a deadline using 'by end of day' (EOD), meaning before the workday ends. It's practical for scheduling and uses 'so' to explain the date clearly.

I'll put a reminder in my calendar for that.

This expresses planning to set an alert. Use it when confirming you'll remember a date. The future tense 'I'll put' shows intention.

Should we aim for the 22nd?

This is a suggestion question using 'should we' for proposing an idea. It's useful for team planning to set internal goals before a final deadline.

Let's aim for EOD on Wednesday, May 22nd, for our team to look it over.

This agrees and sets a target date with 'let's aim for.' 'Look it over' means to review quickly. Use in collaborative settings to coordinate reviews.

How are we keeping track of the smaller tasks leading up to the 22nd?

This asks about methods for monitoring progress. 'Leading up to' means before a date. It's key for discussing tools in project management.

I set up a shared document in Google Docs with assignees and due dates.

This describes creating a collaborative tool. Past tense 'set up' for completed action. Useful for explaining how to organize team tasks online.

That'll make it easier to stay on track.

This shows a benefit using future 'that'll' (that will). 'Stay on track' idiom means following the plan. Use to express how something helps with scheduling.