How to give a project update in English (B1 intermediate): finished work, pending approvals and next actions

Finished, pending, next: the shape of every update

In a stand-up or a weekly client email, a useful update separates what is done, what is blocking progress and who does what next. If someone has to ask “So who is doing that?”, the update is not finished.

• “Design is finished, and we’ve tested the booking form.” (finished)
• “The client hasn’t approved the text yet, so the launch is at risk.” (pending)
• “I’ll call the client today, and Priya will brief the developers by Thursday.” (next)

Project vocabulary: learn the verb with the noun

A schedule is the plan of activities and dates, a milestone is an important stage on it, and the deadline is the latest time for finishing. The budget is the money available; resources are the people, money and time you can use. Learn these nouns with their verbs.

• “We’ve fallen behind schedule because two testers left.”
• “We’ve added two people, so we can catch up.”
• “We should be back on track by the next milestone.”
• “We have to stay within budget, so the extra licences can wait.”
• “If we delegate testing, we can still meet the deadline.”

Present perfect or past simple?

Use the present perfect (have/has + past participle) for a result that matters now, without a time: “We’ve completed three stages.” Use the past simple once a finished time is stated or asked: “We completed design on Monday.”, “When did they approve it?” Yet, already and so far point to the present perfect; yesterday, on Monday and ago to the past simple.

Many languages use one past tense for both, so ask: am I giving a time? If yes, use the past simple. Short answers keep the auxiliary in full: “Yes, we have.”, not “Yes, we’ve.”

• “Has the client approved it yet?” “No, not yet.”
• “We’ve made the change already.” (result now)
• “They reviewed the test results on Monday.” (finished time)

Updating and delegating in a meeting

A spoken handover follows the same order and ends with who does what. Note the polite request “Could you do that after the call?” and “by four”, meaning at four o’clock or earlier.

Writing it down, and reporting a delay

Afterwards, put it in writing under five headings, with real names and dates. If the news is bad, say it early and add a plan: “We’ve fallen behind because testing found problems with payments. We need two more weeks, and I’d rather tell you now than miss the date.”

• Completed: “We’ve finished the design and the first tests.”
• At risk: “Launch; the client hasn’t approved the text.”
• Recovery: “Priya calls the client today; developers get their brief on Wednesday.”
• Control: “Friday progress check against budget and deadline.”
• Decision date: “14 March: the project lead confirms whether we are back on track.”

Common mistakes

These make a status report less precise:

• “We have finished design on Monday.” A finished time needs the past simple: “We finished design on Monday.”
• “When have they approved it?” Questions with “when” take the past simple: “When did they approve it?”
• “We are behind the schedule.” No article: “We’re behind schedule.”
• “I’ll confirm until four.” A deadline takes “by”: “I’ll confirm by four.” “Until” is for something that continues: “I’m in meetings until four.”

A 10-minute daily practice routine

Use a real task from your work, out loud.

• 4 minutes: write a three-line status (finished, pending, next), then add a time (“on Monday”) to one line and change the tense.
• 3 minutes: answer aloud: “Have you sent the report?” “Yes, I have.” / “No, not yet.” / “By Friday.”
• 3 minutes: repeat the meeting conversation, then change the deadline and say it again.
• Weekly discussion: “Is a deadline a guess or a promise? Do you report a delay early or try to catch up first?”

What comes next

Next, recommend a product feature with a clear condition at B1. At B2, write a follow-up for a colleague who missed the project meeting.