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Business English Phrases for Discussing Problems and Finding Solutions at Work
- Erin West
- May 21
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Problems can arise unexpectedly in any workplace, and knowing how to address them is essential for success. Today, we'll learn some useful Business English phrases for addressing problems and finding solutions in the workplace.
Please follow the steps below.
Step 1. Business English Phrases for Discussing Problems
Read through the following phrases and examples. These are commonly used when discussing problems in a business setting. Try to apply these phrases in your own work situations.
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Business English Phrases for Discussing Problems:
I’m having trouble with…
I’m having trouble with the new update. It keeps crashing.
I’m having trouble with my computer’s connection to the network.
I’m having trouble with the inventory system. It's not syncing properly.
Our defect rates are higher than usual.
Our defect rates are higher than usual, so we need to investigate what’s causing the issues.
We’re seeing that our defect rates are higher than usual in the assembly line.
Our defect rates are higher than usual this quarter, which could affect our sales.
We noticed a significant increase in....
We noticed a significant increase in customer complaints over the past month.
We noticed a significant increase in our production costs last quarter.
We noticed a significant increase in production errors after switching to the new machinery.
We’ve encountered a problem with…
We’ve encountered a problem with the delivery, and it won’t arrive on time.
We’ve encountered a problem with the database, and some records are missing.
We’ve encountered a problem with the new software. It's not compatible with our system.
It’s (definitely) something we need to address quickly.
The system outage is something we need to address quickly to avoid more downtime.
This bug is something we need to address quickly before it affects more users.
The security issue is definitely something we need to address quickly to prevent a data breach.
.... didn’t meet our quality standards.
The product didn’t meet our quality standards, so we’ll need to do a rework.
The presentation didn’t meet our quality standards, and we’ll need to revise it.
The prototype didn’t meet our quality standards, and it needs to be redesigned.
We don’t want this issue to grow.
We don’t want this issue to grow, so let’s deal with it before it becomes a bigger problem.
We don’t want this issue to grow, so we need to inform the team and take immediate action.
We don’t want this issue to grow, so let’s address it with the client as soon as possible.
We’re facing delays in…
We’re facing delays in the production line due to supply chain issues.
We’re facing delays in our software rollout because of unexpected bugs.
We’re facing delays in the project because of a shortage of skilled workers.
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We need to communicate this issue clearly.
We need to communicate this issue clearly to the team so they understand the next steps.
We need to communicate this issue clearly to the client and explain the delays.
We need to communicate this issue clearly with the stakeholders to manage expectations.
We’re behind schedule on…
We’re behind schedule on the project, but we’re working on a plan to catch up.
We’re behind schedule on the delivery, but we’ve adjusted our process to speed things up.
We’re behind schedule on the marketing campaign due to delays in content creation.
Step 2: Dialogue + Which Phrases Have You Heard?
Listen to the dialogue between Megan, the Quality Control Manager, and Bob, the Operations Manager, discussing an issue with production. After listening, try to identify which Business English phrases from Step 1 you’ve heard.
Step 3. Comprehension questions
Listen again and choose the correct answer.
Step 4. Phrases for solutions
Read the phrases from the dialogue. These phrases are useful when discussing solutions in a business setting. Check out the new examples to see how you can use them in your own work or studies.
Business English Phrases for Finding Solutions:
Do we have a plan yet?
We’ve been discussing the new project for a while now. Do we have a plan yet on how to tackle the first phase?
We need to schedule regular checks.
Our machines have been causing some delays. We need to schedule regular checks to make sure they are working properly.
Daily checks might help us catch these problems sooner.
We’ve had some issues with the production line. Daily checks might help us catch these problems sooner before they affect the output.
Can we compromise on every two or three days instead?
We can’t do daily checks without slowing down production. Can we compromise on every two or three days instead?
We should provide some extra training for the operators.
The operators are struggling with the new equipment. We should provide some extra training for them to help improve efficiency.
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Do you think we should set up a short meeting with everyone?
We have some updates to share with the team. Do you think we should set up a short meeting with everyone to go over the changes?
That way we can lay out the new steps (clearly).
Let’s meet with the team tomorrow. That way, we can lay out the new steps and make sure everyone is on the same page.
We should track the defect rate more closely.
Our defect rate has gone up recently. We should track the defect rate more closely to identify any recurring issues.
I’ll set up a simple tracking sheet we can review every morning.
To stay organized, I’ll set up a simple tracking sheet we can review every morning.
That’ll help us stay on top of it.
By using this new tool, we can monitor progress more easily. That’ll help us stay on top of it and meet our deadlines.
I’ll ask Jen to send out a quick email summarizing the problem and our proposed actions.
Let’s keep the team informed. I’ll ask Jen to send out a quick email summarizing the problem and our proposed actions.
I’ll keep you posted.
We’re still waiting for feedback from the client. I’ll keep you posted.
Let’s touch base tomorrow.
We’ve discussed the issues, but I think we need more details. Let’s touch base tomorrow to finalize our plan.
Step 5. Click the image below for more practice.
ANSWER KEY
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