Warm-up
Time Management & Productivity
Time Management & Productivity
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key time management vocabulary
- Talk about workload, priorities and distractions
- Choose the right time preposition or conjunction (for, during, while, within, in time, on time)
- Ask for more time, say no politely and plan a day
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- How do you plan your working day? Do you use a to-do list?
- What is your biggest distraction at work?
- Do you ever procrastinate? What do you put off most?
- When are you most productive: morning, afternoon or evening?
Say it out loud
Practise asking for more time. → I'm swamped at the moment. Can I get back to you by the end of the day?
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Time management vocabulary
Useful time management phrases
| I'm swamped at the moment. | Зараз я потопаю в роботі. |
| Can I get back to you by the end of the day? | Чи можу я повернутися до вас до кінця дня? |
| I'll do it as soon as I finish this report. | Я зроблю це, щойно закінчу цей звіт. |
| I need to block out two hours for this. | Мені потрібно зарезервувати на це дві години. |
| Could we wrap up in the next ten minutes? | Чи можемо ми завершити протягом наступних десяти хвилин? |
| This can wait until Monday. | Це може зачекати до понеділка. |
| I'll have it ready within an hour. | Я підготую це протягом години. |
| Can you help me prioritise? | Чи можете допомогти розставити пріоритети? |
Try out the new words
Say what usually distracts you. → What distracts me most is … so I try to …
Say how you handle a heavy workload. → When I'm swamped, I … first.
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Grammar
Time prepositions and conjunctions
| for / during / while | for + length of time: for two hours. during + noun (an event or period): during the meeting, during the summer. while + clause: while I was working. |
| by / until / within | by = not later than: by Friday. until = up to that time: until Friday. within = inside a period: within an hour, within two days. |
| in time / on time | on time = punctual, at the planned time: The train arrived on time. in time = early enough: We arrived in time for the meeting. |
| at the end / in the end | at the end of + noun: at the end of the day. in the end = finally, after a long process: In the end, we finished. |
| Time clauses | after when, as soon as, before, after, until, while use the present for the future: I'll call you as soon as I finish. (NOT "as soon as I will finish"). |
| Prepositions with times | at six o'clock, on Monday, in March, in the morning, at the weekend (BrE), on the 5th. |
| Careful! | NOT "during two hours" (use for). NOT "while the meeting" (use during). NOT "I'll finish until Friday" (use by). NOT "in the end of the week" (at the end of). |
for, during or while?
by, until or within?
in time or on time?
Complete with the correct word
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Say what you do before a meeting, during it and after it. → Before a meeting, I … During it, I … After it, I …
Reading
Read: how I stopped being swamped
How I stopped being swamped — by Oksana Lysenko, operations manager
A year ago, I was working overtime every day. My workload had grown, I was juggling six projects, and I was always sidetracked by messages. At the end of each day, I felt busy but not productive. In the end, I decided to change my habits.
First, I started every morning with a short to-do list of three tasks only. I do the most time-consuming task first, for ninety minutes, without distractions. During this time, I turn off my notifications. I block out these hours in my calendar so that nobody books a meeting while I'm working. Second, I do a "quick win" within the first hour — a small task that takes ten minutes — so that I feel in control.
When someone gives me an urgent task, I don't say yes immediately. I say: "I'm swamped at the moment. Can I get back to you by the end of the day?" As soon as I check my list, I answer honestly: I can do it by Thursday, or I need to move another task. I don't multitask any more, and I don't procrastinate on difficult tasks — I do them before lunch. Now I leave on time, and I'm on top of things.
True or false?
Oksana used to work overtime every day.
She starts every day with a to-do list of ten tasks.
She does the most time-consuming task first.
She says yes to every urgent task immediately.
She blocks out time so that nobody books meetings.
She still multitasks.
Answer the questions
What was the problem a year ago?
What does she do during her ninety-minute block?
What is a "quick win"?
What does she say when someone gives her an urgent task?
Find the time words
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why does it work?
Your own opinion
- Which of Oksana's habits would you try first?
- Is it better to do the hardest task first or last? Why?
- How could a manager help a swamped team?
Practice
Picture the day
List → Prioritise → Block out time → Wrap up. A planned day starts with three clear tasks.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Reply to the request
Write a short, polite answer. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A productivity fact
Speaking — Make the Time
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a manager, a colleague or a client. React in real time — prioritise, ask for time, say no politely, plan a day and wrap up a meeting. Use for, during, while, by, until and within correctly.
Planning your day
Task: describe your plan for tomorrow in 45 seconds: three tasks, when you will do each, and what you will do first.
Starter: "Tomorrow I'll start with the report, which will take about ninety minutes. As soon as I finish it, I'll answer the emails. By five, I'll have wrapped up the budget."
Prioritising with your manager
Manager: "I need the budget, the report and the presentation by Friday."
Starter: "I'm swamped at the moment. Which is most urgent? Can you help me prioritise?"
Asking for more time
Task: you can't meet a deadline. Ask for more time and offer a realistic date.
Starter: "I'm afraid I won't finish by Wednesday. Could I send it by Friday morning? I'll send you a draft within two hours so you can check the structure."
Saying no politely
Colleague: "Could you take on another project?"
Starter: "I'd love to, but I'm swamped until the end of the month. If it can wait until the first week of November, I'll be glad to help."
Dealing with an interruption
Colleague: "Have you got a minute?"
Starter: "I'm in the middle of something. Could we talk in half an hour? I'll come to your desk as soon as I finish."
Wrapping up a meeting
Task: you chair a meeting and time is running out. Wrap up politely.
Starter: "We're running out of time, so let's wrap up. Before we finish, who will do what by when?"
Talking about procrastination
Task: tell a colleague what you tend to put off and a trick that helps you.
Starter: "I procrastinate on difficult emails, so I do them before lunch. During that time, I turn off all notifications."
Full time-management conversation — no stopping
Run through a busy morning with your tutor: prioritise tasks with your manager, say no to one request, ask for more time on another and wrap up a meeting — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which time word (for, during, while, by, until, within) did you use most?
- Was it easy to say no without sounding rude?
- What is one habit from this lesson you will try this week?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key time management vocabulary
- Talk about workload, priorities and distractions
- Choose the right time preposition or conjunction (for, during, while, within, in time, on time)
- Ask for more time, say no politely and plan a day
Quick self-check
What is the difference between "by" and "until"?
When do we use "during" and when "while"?
Why do we say "as soon as I finish" and not "as soon as I will finish"?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor your first three tasks for tomorrow. → Tomorrow I'm going to … first, then …
Homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
Words to remember
| a workload | обсяг роботи, навантаження |
| a to-do list | список справ |
| to multitask | виконувати кілька завдань одночасно |
| a distraction | те, що відволікає |
| to procrastinate | зволікати, відкладати |
| to be swamped | потопати в роботі |
| an urgent task | термінове завдання |
| a time-consuming task | трудомістке завдання |
| to run out of time | не вистачити часу |
| to get sidetracked | відволіктися від головного |
| to block out time | зарезервувати час у календарі |
| to wrap up | завершувати |
| a quick win | швидка перемога, невелике завдання з швидким результатом |
| overtime | понаднормова робота |
| to juggle tasks | жонглювати завданнями |
| to be on top of things | контролювати ситуацію, все встигати |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct time word
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short email (6–8 sentences) to a manager: you are swamped, you cannot meet one deadline, and you suggest a realistic new date. Use by, until, within and as soon as.
Practise out loud
Say the email aloud as a phone call. Make sure your tone is polite and calm.
Read aloud
Read the text "How I stopped being swamped" aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I wrote an email to a manager (6–8 sentences)
- 8.8 I said the message aloud as a phone call
- 8.9 I read the text about being swamped aloud twice