This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 179.
How to share that you're ahead of schedule in English.
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Lindsay, hello. How are you? Hi, Aubrey.
How you doing? Great. I'm a little ahead of schedule today.
Oh, that was all the things I have to have done by the end of the week.
That's a really good feeling. Are you often ahead of schedule?
Rarely, Aubrey. I'm usually right on time or behind schedule.
That's pretty standard. I feel like it's rare for me as well to feel like, oh, hey, I'm ahead of schedule.
Nice. That's a good feeling though. So enjoy that feeling.
Yes, exactly. Bask in it. Bask in this feeling.
For sure. For sure. Did we have a, I think we had a question from a student about today's topic.
Yeah. Yes. I wanted to ask you about being ahead of schedule because it's related to this question.
I'll share it. She said, I have heard three to six months out, three to six months ahead and three to six months in advance.
And I get confused about what the difference is.
Can you please help? Such a good question.
Such a good question. And this is, they're all, they're a little different, right?
Some of these, and we'll explain the nuances today, but timing is everything as they say.
Exactly, right? And we use these phrases all the time in business English.
And imagine if we use them incorrectly and we give the wrong meaning, this could really create a problem as far as deadlines and when things need to happen.
So it's important to be able to make sure we understand and provide accurate deadlines, timelines, and ETAs, right? yeah and also on our team you know we do team syncs about well two to four times a year right and we talk about what's coming up and what's ahead what's on the horizon and it's important to use the right term so people won't think it's happening now or when is it happening what's on what's ahead yeah yeah so let's share all three of these what they mean with some example sentences make sure it's really clear for you guys OK, number one, three to six months out.
What does this mean, Aubrey? Yeah, it indicates how much time until something happens.
So we also use the phrase three to six months away.
These are interchangeable. So you might say we're three to six months out from our program launch.
And this means it is going to happen in three to six months.
Yeah, it's interesting how we switch this up and it means the same thing.
You can say we are three to six months out from X or X is three to six months out.
Right. Good point. Yep. It can be the subject or the object.
And either way, it means the same thing.
Right. So design finalization is still two to three weeks out.
So that would be the second way to use it.
I just think it's interesting how we can switch that around and it still means the same thing.
Yeah, it's true. Right. I could say, okay, we're two to three weeks out from design finalization.
So yeah, it means the same thing. But what would be tricky is if you accidentally used one of these other ones.
So this one has that specific meaning of we have this much time before something is going to happen. or before it's coming up.
It's when someone says, you know, the app redesign is three to six months out.
We know that's not something you're necessarily taking any action on right now, but you want to know the roadmap is heading in that direction.
Yeah. And when we're speaking quickly in business English, we might just say, you know, someone says, okay, when is something going to happen?
You can just say, oh, that's three to six months out.
Right. That's eight months out still means got a ways before this is going to happen.
And I think still is really key there too.
You may hear, oh, it's still this, it's still three to six months out.
So relax, right? Focus on other things that are more important.
Yes, right. Okay, so let's try the second one, three to six months ahead.
This has two separate meanings. So this one can be really tricky.
Okay, help us out. What's the first meaning?
So the first one is an amount of time that someone is ahead of an expected time, right?
So for example, I wanted to have my business plan done by February, but I'm one to two months ahead.
Okay. All right. Yes. Nice. Or the plan was supposed to be announced next week, but they're three to four days ahead.
So it means like ahead of schedule. We're dropping of schedule there.
I'm ahead of schedule. I'm two months ahead.
Okay. And then what would be the second way that we use this?
So the second is an amount of time before another date.
So this is a little, you would say, for example, we need to meet the client two to three months ahead of our final product demonstration.
So it's very similar, but we just also use it when we are clarifying what we're ahead of, not just ahead of schedule.
Like we're not just ahead of an expected time.
It's three to six months before something specific.
Yeah, and you could totally add in instead of ahead just before here, right?
We need to meet the client two, three months before our final product if you want to be a bit more straightforward, but it's good to be able to throw in ahead instead of that.
Yeah, that's a good point. This meaning is interchangeable with the word before we could also say the project was finished three to four weeks ahead of the projected date.
And you could just say three to four weeks before the projected or expected date.
Wow. Okay. All right, Aubrey. Now there's in advance.
So three to six months in advance. So how is this different?
Yeah. So this is same as ahead of. It indicates an amount of time before another date.
Okay. So for example, I try to brush up on a language three to four months in advance of a vacation.
Okay. Or please let me know one to two weeks in advance so I can prepare.
Okay. And this, it helps, it saves a little time because you don't, you're replacing before and then you'd have to say before what, right?
If you want to say, please let me know one to two weeks before you leave or before your vacation.
Instead, you can just say, please let me know one to two weeks in advance so I can prepare.
I like that. It's more clean. It's more simple.
It's clean, right? And we'll often use this when the subject, like in advance of what is already known is You're already having a conversation with someone.
You don't want to repeat it. You're just like, OK, let me know one to two weeks in advance and then I'll be ready.
But you have to know this. There has to be some subject that you're talking about that you've already has to be clear.
Otherwise, we would say, let me know one to two weeks before you leave or before the due date.
Right. Yeah, that's important. I love it.
Aubrey, we did an awesome episode in Business English 177.
Why should our listeners go listen to that one?
Oh, yes. This is a great one that you and Michelle recorded, How to Brag in the Business World.
So don't miss it, right? Scroll up if you did and hit follow if you're missing any of these episodes so they drop right into your queue and you don't miss them.
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Exclusions apply. See details online. I love it.
Let's do a role play. I know our listeners, especially this particular episode, we need to see this in action here.
So let's do it. Absolutely. So you and I are discussing a project that we're working on together here.
I'll start us off. Okay. Yeah. I think we're a few weeks ahead of schedule, right?
The deadline is still two to three weeks out and we're almost done.
Yes. My deadline for design submission was next Friday, but I'll be able to turn it in two to three days in advance. awesome i was hoping to send in estimates tomorrow but it'll be next week either way i'll definitely have them done a few days ahead yeah and this is what we're always doing in businesses right we're always envisioning there's one due date and then there has to be a pre-due date right we go back in steps Yeah, sometimes we have to adjust.
If we are ahead of schedule, then okay, we can move these other things up.
So we use these phrases a lot. And it's important to just understand they're sort of interchangeable in some ways.
But often the difference is you need a certain preposition, right?
Or you can drop it, right? If we're just saying done a few days ahead, we don't say, you know, a few days ahead of unless we're sharing ahead of what?
Okay. I love it. So first you said, Aubrey, I think we're a few weeks ahead of schedule, right?
On this project that we're working on. And then what else?
And that's where you could say, I think we're a few weeks ahead, right?
And then if you were going to say ahead of, you have to share what ahead of schedule.
Oh, we're a few weeks ahead of schedule.
And then I said, the deadline is still two to three weeks out, which means in the future.
From now. Yeah. And then I said, yes, my deadline for design submission was next Friday, but I'll be able to turn it in two to three days in advance.
That means two to three days before next Friday.
So like Tuesday. Exactly. And because earlier in the sentence, you made it clear what that deadline was next Friday.
You don't have to, you wouldn't say that again.
You wouldn't say two to three days before next Friday.
No, we just say two to three days in advance.
Yeah. And then what's the final thing you said here?
Yeah. And then I said, I'll definitely have them done a few days ahead.
So because I shared, oh, my, you know, I was supposed to have them in tomorrow.
It'll be next week, but I'll have them done a few days ahead.
So again, I already shared earlier in the sentence that timeline, those dates, we're both clear about it.
So I can just say a few days ahead because it's implied a few days ahead of the deadline I just shared with you.
Okay, good. I think our listeners are going to want to listen to this episode again just to make sure they caught everything.
But just to wrap it up, I mean, deadlines matter, guys, right?
So ask questions about deadlines. Make sure you know when something is due, right, Aubrey?
Yes, absolutely. We've likely all been in that boat where if we weren't clear about deadlines or we didn't share that we were ahead of schedule, it may have caused a problem, right?
The clearer we can be with communicating that, the better it is for everyone on our team.
Yeah, I think communication is huge for a successful team, right?
For that good company culture we've talked about on this show, communicate, communicate.
If you are falling behind on a deadline, communicate that too.
It's much better than like not producing the work on time, right?
Just go ahead and say, hey, this deadline is at risk, right?
And we can talk about, maybe that's another episode, Aubrey, that we could talk about how to communicate that. yeah that's a really good point because everyone who knows who has the bandwidth to fill in or at least who needs to know so that they can adjust their deadlines or we can you know switch things up where we can the more communication the better that's a great idea upcoming yeah Because something can be done, deploy more team members, change the deadline, rework things.
Does this particular task need to be done now or can this be done in the next phase of a project?
There are all sorts of questions that can be opened up, but you have to open up that thread and communicate it first.
Exactly. absolutely great phrases today lindsay i love it good stuff guys if you love business english go ahead and hit follow and check out all ears english because over there we go more broad in terms of just everyday language talk about lots of good stuff and we do four days a week on that show so that's wherever you find your podcast search all ears english and both of our episodes are all of our podcasts so good all right aubry you have a good day and a good weekend all right you too thanks lindsay bye-bye take care bye Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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