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Select a line to hear it again. Tap any word to see what it means. Underlined words are the key words of this video.

1. 0:00
   Theo Theo: No! Hundreds of emails. A pile, a... mountain! Help.
2. 0:04
   Nadia Nadia: Welcome back! How's your first morning?
3. 0:07
   Theo Theo: Bad. I have so much pending work. Emails everywhere.
4. 0:12
   Nadia Nadia: Pending? That sounds calm. Is it calm?
5. 0:15
   Theo Theo: No! Hundreds of emails. A pile, a... mountain! Help.
6. 0:21
   Narrator Theo's inbox isn't one late email.
7. 0:25
   Narrator It's a whole pile.
8. 0:28
   Narrator Backlog has six uses.
9. 0:31
   Narrator We'll start with the first one.
10. 0:33
    Narrator First, decide whether you have one task or a pile.
11. 0:38
    Narrator One item that waits for a decision is pending.
12. 0:42
    Narrator Our contract is still pending until Monday.
13. 0:47
    Narrator Many requests arrive faster than people can finish them.
14. 0:52
    Narrator That's a backlog.
15. 0:54
    Narrator The help desk has a backlog of tickets.
16. 0:59
    Narrator The word also carries a little pressure.
17. 1:02
    Narrator It tells people you are falling behind.
18. 1:06
    Narrator Two pending reviews sound like a normal day.
19. 1:11
    Narrator A backlog of reviews says you're falling behind.
20. 1:16
    Narrator Say what is in the pile.
21. 1:19
    Narrator Use of, then the items.
22. 1:23
    Narrator The studio has a backlog of logo requests.
23. 1:29
    Narrator Make the items plural.
24. 1:30
    Narrator Say requests, files or messages, not one request.
25. 1:37
    Narrator Theo has a backlog of unanswered messages.
26. 1:42
    Narrator That one small word saves you a long description of the pile.
27. 1:47
    Narrator Some learners reach for from here.
28. 1:50
    Narrator After backlog, the natural word is of.
29. 1:56
    Nadia Nadia: What exactly is piled up in your inbox?
30. 1:59
    Theo Theo: Client emails. A backlog... of client emails! Right?
31. 2:03
    Nadia Nadia: Yes! A backlog of emails. How did it start?
32. 2:07
    Theo Theo: My laptop broke, so they built up.
33. 2:11
    Narrator But we have a backlog of requests from member worlds that have priority.
34. 2:15
    Narrator He says "a backlog of requests" to describe a pile of waiting requests that built up over
35. 2:22
    Narrator time and still need to be handled.
36. 2:25
    Narrator Listen to the stress.
37. 2:27
    Narrator The first part is stronger: BACK-log.
38. 2:32
    Narrator Choose the best answer.
39. 2:35
    Narrator Many complaint letters are waiting for a reply.
40. 2:44
    Narrator B.
41. 2:45
    Narrator After backlog, use of to name the items.
42. 2:50
    Narrator From sounds unnatural here.
43. 2:54
    Narrator How does a backlog start?
44. 2:56
    Narrator Sometimes a sudden problem causes it.
45. 3:00
    Narrator A power cut created a backlog of print orders.
46. 3:05
    Narrator Other times, new work slowly outgrows what a team can finish each day.
47. 3:11
    Narrator In that case, a backlog builds up over time.
48. 3:16
    Narrator A backlog of messages built up over the summer.
49. 3:21
    Narrator Created points to a sudden problem.
50. 3:24
    Narrator Built up points to a slow one.
51. 3:29
    Nadia Nadia: Want help? We can work through it together.
52. 3:32
    Theo Theo: Please! I'll tackle the oldest emails first.
53. 3:37
    Nadia Nadia: How many are left?
54. 3:40
    Theo Theo: Fewer every hour. Soon I'll clear the whole backlog.
55. 3:44
    Narrator Three verbs show three stages of dealing with the pile.
56. 3:50
    Narrator When you start, you tackle the pile.
57. 3:52
    Narrator You can also work through it.
58. 3:56
    Narrator Let's tackle the backlog this morning.
59. 4:00
    Narrator As the numbers fall, you reduce it.
60. 4:04
    Narrator We're reducing the backlog every day.
61. 4:08
    Narrator When nothing is left, you clear it.
62. 4:11
    Narrator We cleared the backlog on Friday.
63. 4:16
    Narrator Pick the verb that matches the stage, and listeners know exactly where you are.
64. 4:21
    Narrator Say clear, like clearing a blocked road.
65. 4:26
    Narrator Clean is not the right verb here.
66. 4:30
    Narrator Just let me clear the backlog, would you?
67. 4:34
    Narrator She says "clear the backlog" to mean she will deal with the pile of work.
68. 4:40
    Narrator The verb "clear" shows she wants to finish it.
69. 4:45
    Narrator Your turn.
70. 4:47
    Narrator Listen, then say it out loud.
71. 4:50
    Narrator We have a backlog of messages.
72. 4:58
    Narrator I'll tackle the backlog today.
73. 5:06
    Narrator Choose the best answer.
74. 5:09
    Narrator The team answered every message, and none are left.
75. 5:18
    Narrator A.
76. 5:19
    Narrator Nothing is left, so the team cleared the backlog.
77. 5:24
    Narrator Reduced means the pile is smaller, but not gone.
78. 5:29
    Narrator A backlog may hold thousands of items, but it's still one pile.
79. 5:35
    Narrator A backlog takes a singular verb.
80. 5:38
    Narrator Our backlog is growing fast.
81. 5:42
    Narrator Don't drop the word before it.
82. 5:46
    Narrator A singular noun like backlog needs a, the or our.
83. 5:53
    Narrator Say backlogs only to compare separate piles.
84. 5:57
    Narrator The two offices have different backlogs.
85. 6:02
    Narrator At work, mention a backlog together with a plan.
86. 6:07
    Narrator Add a number you can count and a verb like reduce or clear.
87. 6:14
    Narrator We will reduce our backlog of requests by half this week.
88. 6:20
    Narrator That tells your manager you understand the problem and have a plan.
89. 6:27
    Narrator One more.
90. 6:28
    Narrator Fifty customer calls are waiting, and your team can't answer them fast enough.
91. 6:39
    Narrator B.
92. 6:41
    Narrator Many calls are piling up faster than you can answer.
93. 6:46
    Narrator Pending sounds like a normal day.
94. 6:50
    Nadia Nadia: So, how's the inbox this morning?
95. 6:53
    Theo Theo: Empty! We cleared the backlog of client emails.
96. 6:57
    Nadia Nadia: Then you owe me a coffee.
97. 7:00
    Theo Theo: Deal. And I'll never let a backlog build up again.
98. 7:05
    Narrator Now a dictation.
99. 7:07
    Narrator Listen and write the sentence.
100. 7:32
     Narrator Check your sentence.
101. 7:34
     Narrator Did you write backlog as one word?
102. 7:39
     Narrator One task or a pile?
103. 7:42
     Narrator A pile is a backlog.
104. 7:45
     Narrator What's in it?
105. 7:47
     Narrator Use of, then the items.
106. 7:50
     Narrator Starting or finishing?
107. 7:52
     Narrator Tackle it, reduce it, then clear it.
108. 7:57
     Narrator And remember, it's one pile, even when it's huge.
109. 8:02
     Narrator Reporting to your team?
110. 8:05
     Narrator Add a number and a plan.
111. 8:09
     Narrator Next, practice backlog with the exercises for this lesson.
112. 8:14
     Narrator Like and subscribe for more.

Choose your answer for each question, then open the answer to check it.

1. Question 1

   Which situation is best described as a backlog?

   A A software bug that one programmer is fixing today B A stack of seventy unreviewed job applications from last week C A meeting that started ten minutes later than scheduled
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor
2. Question 2

   Choose the sentence that naturally explains the origin of an accumulated workload.

   A The unexpected server crash invented a backlog of customer queries. B The unexpected server crash composed a backlog of customer queries. C The unexpected server crash created a backlog of customer queries.
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor
3. Question 3

   Why would a project manager say 'we have a backlog' instead of 'we have pending files'?

   A To show that tasks have accumulated beyond capacity and are overdue B To indicate that only one file is currently waiting for a final signature C To state that all team projects are running exactly on schedule
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor
4. Question 4

   Where does the primary stress fall when pronouncing the word backlog?

   A Even stress across both syllables B On the second syllable: back-LOG C On the first syllable: BACK-log
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor
5. Question 5

   Which phrase correctly describes accumulated travel insurance submissions?

   A A backlog of travel claims B A backlog from travel claims C A backlog with travel claims
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor
6. Question 6

   What verb should you use if your team wants to state that they processed every single waiting ticket?

   A Clean the backlog B Empty the backlog C Clear the backlog
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor