If English is your second language, you already know the vocabulary. The problem is that you freeze when it matters most: a standup, a salary conversation, a code review with a senior engineer.
The phrases you need are not complicated. They are specific. Once you know them, the freeze stops.
This post gives you 50 of them, grouped by situation, each with a real workplace example. Practice each one out loud before your next meeting.
Standup Phrases (10)
The daily standup is the one meeting where you speak every single day. Getting it right changes how your team perceives you.
1. “Yesterday I worked on…”
Simple, clear, and direct. Use the past simple. Avoid “I was working on” – it sounds like you never finished.
2. “I finished [task] and it is now in review.”
Shows completion and status in one sentence. Reviewers know what to look at.
3. “Today I am planning to…”
State a concrete outcome, not a vague activity. “Today I am planning to fix the login bug and push it for testing” is far stronger than “Today I am planning to do some bug fixing.”
4. “I am blocked on [specific thing] and I need [specific help].”
Being blocked is not a failure. Saying it clearly and specifically is professional. Never say “I have a problem” without explaining what the problem is.
5. “I am waiting on [person or team] for [what you need].”
This flags a dependency without blaming anyone. It also creates accountability.
6. “I do not have any blockers today.”
Confident, short, done. Do not pad it.
7. “I will sync with [name] after this call to sort it out.”
Shows you are proactive about resolving issues without derailing the standup.
8. “That is something we should take offline. Can we connect after?”
Use this when someone raises a long discussion in a standup. It respects everyone’s time.
9. “I am still working on [task]. I expect to finish by end of day.”
Updates the team on a carry-over without making it awkward.
10. “I completed [X], and I am moving to [Y] today.”
Shows momentum and clarity about your priorities.
Practice these in SpeakEvo’s Standup Meeting Simulator. The AI plays your team lead and asks follow-up questions in real time.
Code Review Phrases (10)
Code reviews are where non-native speakers often go silent. These phrases let you give and receive feedback professionally.
11. “This is a good approach, but have you considered…?”
Leads with a positive before offering an alternative. Culturally important in most English-speaking workplaces.
12. “I am not sure I follow this logic. Could you walk me through it?”
Asking for clarification is not a weakness. It prevents bugs.
13. “I think this could be simplified. Here is one way to do it.”
Offer a concrete alternative, not just a complaint.
14. “This works, but it might cause issues when [edge case]. Worth thinking about?”
Raises a concern as a question, not a judgment.
15. “Nit: could we rename this variable to make it clearer?”
“Nit” (short for nitpick) is a standard code review term for minor suggestions. It signals the comment is low priority.
16. “LGTM – looks good to merge.”
LGTM is universally understood in tech. Use it when you have reviewed and approved.
17. “I left a few comments. Nothing blocking, just suggestions.”
Sets expectations before the author reads your review.
18. “This is a breaking change. Should we version this endpoint?”
Flags an impact clearly. Always mention the consequence alongside the observation.
19. “I approve this with the minor comment addressed.”
Conditional approval. Specific and professional.
20. “Great solution. I learned something from this approach.”
Positive feedback matters. Say it when you mean it.
Meeting Phrases (10)
These phrases cover the most common meeting situations: contributing, disagreeing, and wrapping up.
21. “I would like to add something here.”
Politely signals you want to speak without interrupting.
22. “Could we go back to the point about [topic]? I want to make sure I understand.”
Asking to revisit is always acceptable. It shows engagement.
23. “I see your point, and I would approach it slightly differently.”
Disagrees without dismissing. The “and” matters. Never use “but” here if you want to sound collaborative.
24. “Can we put that in the parking lot and come back to it?”
“Parking lot” is a common phrase for tabling a topic for later. Very useful in long meetings.
25. “Just to clarify my understanding…”
Opens a clarifying question without sounding unsure of yourself.
26. “I want to make sure we are aligned on [topic] before we move on.”
Pauses the meeting at a key decision point. Use it when you sense confusion.
27. “To summarize what we agreed: [summary]. Does that sound right to everyone?”
End of a discussion. Closing the loop prevents misunderstandings.
28. “I will take that action item and send an update by [date].”
Commits to a deliverable. Shows you were paying attention.
29. “Could you say that again? The audio cut out.”
Completely fine to say on video calls. Ask immediately, not five minutes later.
30. “That is outside my area. [name] would be better placed to answer that.”
Redirecting a question you cannot answer is professional, not evasive.
Try these in SpeakEvo’s AI dialog practice. There are dedicated scenarios for sprint reviews, project kickoffs, and difficult stakeholder meetings.
Slack and Email Phrases (10)
Written English in Slack and email is where register (formal vs. casual) matters most. The wrong tone in an email can damage relationships.
31. “Just looping in [name] who has context on this.”
Adds someone to a thread professionally. “Looping in” is standard in English-speaking workplaces.
32. “Following up on my message from [day]. Wanted to make sure this did not get lost.”
Polite follow-up that acknowledges the possibility the message was simply missed, not ignored.
33. “Happy to jump on a call if it is easier to talk through.”
Offers a call without making it feel mandatory. Use when an email thread is getting long.
34. “As per our conversation, I am moving forward with [X].”
Documents an agreement professionally. Creates a written record.
35. “I want to flag a concern before we proceed.”
Raises a problem early and professionally. Always better than raising it after the fact.
36. “Please let me know if you need anything else from my side.”
Ends an update email cleanly. “From my side” is professional English for “from me.”
37. “I appreciate you raising this. Let me look into it and get back to you by [date].”
Buys you time to investigate without sounding defensive.
38. “This is slightly outside the original scope. Should we discuss before I proceed?”
Flags a scope question before doing extra work. Prevents misaligned expectations.
39. “Just a heads up that [X] might be delayed due to [Y].”
Early warning language. “Heads up” is casual but very standard in English-language teams.
40. “Could you give me a bit more context on what you are looking for?”
Asks for clarification without sounding confused. Use when a request is vague.
Use SpeakEvo’s Rephrase Coach to paste any Slack message or email draft and get three professional rewrites (Formal, Casual, and Assertive) with cultural notes for US, UK, and Japanese contexts.
Salary Negotiation Phrases (10)
These are the phrases most non-native speakers never learn because the topic feels too uncomfortable to practice. Practice them anyway.
41. “I am excited about this offer. Based on my research and experience, I was expecting something closer to [number].”
Opens the negotiation professionally. Leads with enthusiasm, then states your number calmly.
42. “Could you help me understand how you arrived at this number?”
Asks for the reasoning behind an offer without rejecting it outright. Sometimes the number has room to move.
43. “Is the base salary flexible?”
Direct, simple, clear. Many candidates never ask this and never find out.
44. “I have another offer at [X]. I would prefer to work here. Is there any flexibility to match or get closer to that?”
Using a competing offer as leverage. Say it once, calmly. Do not pressure.
45. “I am looking for [X] based on my [Y years of experience / specific skill set / market research].”
Always anchor your ask to a reason. A bare number is easier to say no to.
46. “What is the full compensation package? I want to make sure I am comparing total compensation.”
Moves the conversation beyond base salary to include equity, bonus, benefits, and remote allowances.
47. “I would like a few days to review this and get back to you. Is that okay?”
You are always allowed to ask for time. Never accept on the spot if you feel pressured.
48. “I am genuinely interested in the role. I just want to make sure the compensation reflects the value I bring.”
Reframes negotiation as a professional conversation, not a confrontation.
49. “If the base is fixed, would you be open to a signing bonus or an earlier review?”
Alternative when base salary truly cannot move. Creates a path forward.
50. “Thank you for working with me on this. I am looking forward to joining the team.”
Closes the negotiation professionally regardless of the outcome.
Practice the full salary negotiation in SpeakEvo’s Salary Negotiation scenario. The AI plays a hiring manager and responds to your specific answers, not a script.
How to Actually Learn These Phrases
Reading phrases is not the same as using them. Here is a simple system:
- Pick one section per week and focus on five phrases.
- Say each phrase out loud three times in the context of a real situation you are facing.
- Use SpeakEvo’s Search and Learn to generate a learning path around your specific goal (for example, “lead my first sprint review” or “negotiate my salary this month”).
- Track which phrases feel natural and which still feel awkward using SpeakEvo’s progress tracker.
The goal is not to memorize 50 phrases. It is to have 10 that feel completely automatic when the moment arrives.
Practice These for Free
Create a free SpeakEvo account and start with the standup or code review dialog scenario. You will use real phrases in a realistic AI conversation within five minutes.
No credit card. No download. Works on any device.