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Business English Quiz: Useful Phrases to Talk About Delays at Work (With Examples)
- Erin West
- May 23
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 5
Welcome to the Business English Phrases Quiz!
Delays are common in business, but explaining them clearly and professionally can build trust with clients and colleagues. In this Business English quiz, you’ll learn useful phrases to talk about delays at work. You’ll also see real examples so you can feel confident in meetings and emails.
Today’s Focus:
Useful expressions for talking about delays in a professional way.
Today’s Challenge:
Imagine you’re in a meeting, and the client asks why the project isn’t finished yet. You need to explain the situation.
What would you say?
There’s been a ______ delay, but we’re working on it.
A) slow
B) slip
C) slight
D) slim
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Did you get it right?
SLOW
adjective
not happening or doing something quickly
The internet connection is very slow today.
Sales have been slow this quarter.
He gave a slow and careful response to the question.
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SLIP
noun
a small mistake; a small piece of paper with writing on it
Please fill out this slip and sign it.
He gave me a delivery slip.
It was just a slip, nothing serious.
SLIGHT
adjective
very small
There’s a slight delay.
I felt a slight change.
We made a slight error.
A SLIGHT DELAY
phrase
a short wait that happens before something starts or finishes
There was a slight delay at the airport.
We had a slight delay, but the meeting went well.
The train arrived with a slight delay.
SLIM
adjective
very small, not likely
There’s a slim chance we’ll win.
The company has slim profits.
His chances are slim.
That's right! The correct answer is C) slight.
Business English Quiz: Common Business English Phrases for Explaining Delays
Now, let’s take a quick Business English quiz to practice more phrases. Choose the best word for each sentence and see how well you can talk about delays at work.
ANSWER KEY
1. That was a _____ delay in production. We had to stop everything for two days.
A) costly
B) cost
COSTLY
adjective
causing you to lose a lot of money, time, or something important
That was a costly mistake — it delayed the project.
Repairs can be costly if you wait too long.
The delay was costly for the company.
COST
noun
the amount of money needed to buy or do something
The cost of the new software was too high.
What’s the cost of delivery?
We need to keep the cost low.
COST (cost, cost)
verb
if something costs money, you need to pay that amount to get it; if something costs time, you need to spend that time to finish it
The mistake cost us two days of work.
This upgrade will cost around $500.
That error may cost you your client.
The correct answer is A) costly.
2. The missing part might _____ a delay in the project.
A) lead
B) cause
LEAD TO something
verb
to make something happen as a result
Poor planning can lead to delays.
His hard work led to a promotion.
A small mistake might lead to big problems.
CAUSE
verb
to make something happen
The missing part caused a delay.
Stress can cause mistakes.
A small error can cause big problems.
The correct answer is B) cause.
3. Any change now will _____ in a delay.
A) result
B) lead
RESULT IN something
verb
to cause something to happen
The mistake resulted in a delay.
His idea resulted in success.
Bad weather may result in flight cancellations.
See the explanation for LEAD TO something above
The correct answer is A) result.
4. There was an _____ delay because of the storm.
A) unavoidable
B) unappropriate
UNAVOIDABLE
adjective
that cannot be stopped or prevented
There was an unavoidable delay because of the storm.
Illness caused an unavoidable absence.
Sometimes problems are just unavoidable.
UNAPPROPRIATE is not a correct word in English. The correct word is INAPPROPRIATE.
The correct answer is A) unavoidable.
5. Don’t _____ Mike for the delay — the data arrived late.
A) shame
B) blame
SHAME
noun
a bad feeling you have when you’ve done something wrong or embarrassing
He felt shame after lying.
She hid her face in shame.
It’s a shame we missed the meeting.
BLAME
verb
to say that someone is responsible for a mistake or problem
Don’t blame Mike for the delay.
I blame the weather for the traffic.
She always blames others when something goes wrong.
The correct answer is B) blame.
6. We had a _____ delay — the file wouldn’t open. Everyone was ready, but we had to wait for IT to fix it.
A) last-minute
B) late-minute
LAST-MINUTE
adjective
happening just before something is about to start
We had a last-minute delay before the meeting.
She made a last-minute change to the report.
It was a last-minute decision.
LATE-MINUTE is not a correct phrase in English.
The correct answer is A) last-minute.
Well done! Now you know some of the most useful phrases for talking about delays in business.
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