Practise phrases for resolving team conflict: acknowledging the other view, separating people from the problem, and finding common ground.
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
Which phrase acknowledges the other person's position before disagreeing?
Acknowledging their concern first signals you heard them, which lowers defensiveness and keeps the discussion productive.
2 / 10
Which sentence separates the person from the problem?
Focusing on the issue rather than blaming a person de-escalates conflict and keeps it solvable.
3 / 10
Which 'I' statement expresses impact without attacking?
'I' statements describe your experience and impact, which is harder to dispute and less likely to trigger defensiveness than 'you' accusations.
4 / 10
Which question helps surface common ground?
Asking about the shared goal reframes the conflict as a joint problem and often reveals you want the same outcome.
5 / 10
Which close turns the disagreement into a concrete next step?
Proposing a time-boxed experiment with a review point lets both sides move forward without anyone having to 'lose'.
6 / 10
Sarah (Senior Developer) comments on David's code review: 'This section seems to be calculating the user discount incorrectly. The formula isn't applying the 10% reduction as intended.' Which response best demonstrates constructive disagreement?
Sarah's initial statement highlights a specific problem with David's code. Option 1 is incorrect because it simply acknowledges the issue without offering a solution or further discussion. Option 2 directly validates Sarah's observation while gently suggesting a differing interpretation; this shows respect and encourages clarification. Options 3 and 4 are overly confrontational or dismissive, failing to address the core disagreement constructively.
7 / 10
Mark (Junior Dev) sends a Slack message to his team after encountering an unexpected error in the API response: 'The server is returning a 500 error when I'm sending valid JSON data. This is really frustrating!' Which phrasing best helps Mark communicate effectively without escalating frustration?
Mark's initial message expresses frustration but doesn't offer specific details. Option 1 is a typical (and often unproductive) response to an API error – immediately blaming Operations. Option 2 reframes the problem in terms of its impact on Mark's workflow, which is more professional and focused on finding a solution. Options 3 is overly emotional and unprofessional, while option 4 suggests action but doesn't acknowledge the initial frustration.
8 / 10
You are writing a PR description for a bug fix. The fix involved a complex data transformation. You want to explain the change clearly and concisely to your team. Which statement best exemplifies focusing on the impact of the change?
The key to a good PR description is highlighting *why* the change was made. Option 1 is too terse and doesn't provide context. Option 2 specifically describes the problem being solved—the incorrect data formatting—which explains the impact of the fix. Options 3 focuses on performance, which isn't necessarily the user-facing impact, and option 4 emphasizes the severity, which while important, doesn't explain *how* the change addresses the issue.
9 / 10
During a daily standup meeting, Emily states: 'I spent most of the morning debugging this authentication flow.' John responds: 'Oh really? What specifically was difficult about it?' Which question demonstrates an attempt to find common ground and understand the challenge better?
John's response goes beyond simply asking what Emily was doing. It shows genuine interest in understanding the *difficulty* she encountered. Option 1 is passive and doesn't encourage dialogue. Option 2 offers unhelpful sympathy. Option 3 repeats Emily's statement without seeking clarification, and option 4 immediately suggests a separate meeting – potentially avoiding a quick discussion that could have resolved the issue.
10 / 10
After a heated debate about the design of a new feature with Alex (Lead Dev), you both agree to disagree. You want to move forward productively. Which closing statement best translates the disagreement into a concrete next step?
Ending the conversation abruptly (Option 1) isn't productive. Option 2 proposes a clear action: postponing the detailed discussion until the core functionality is implemented – a practical way to move forward while acknowledging the unresolved disagreement. Options 3 and 4 are simply restatements of the conflict without proposing a solution, and therefore don't create a next step.
What will I practise in "Conflict Resolution Language"?
This module focuses on Negotiation English — real workplace phrasing you'll use on the job. It contains 10 scenario-based multiple-choice questions with instant feedback.
Is this exercise free to use?
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How many questions does this exercise have?
This module includes 10 questions. Each one gives an immediate right/wrong result plus a full explanation of the correct phrasing.
What happens if I answer a question incorrectly?
You'll see the correct answer highlighted straight away, along with a plain-English explanation of why it's right and why the other options don't fit — mistakes are part of the learning here.
Can I retry the exercise if I want a better score?
Yes — use the 'Try again' button on the results screen to reset your score and go through the questions again. There's no limit on attempts.
Who is this Negotiation English exercise for?
It's aimed at IT professionals with working English who want to sound more natural and precise around negotiation english — useful whether you're preparing for real conversations at work or just building confidence with the vocabulary.
Do I need an account to track my progress?
No account is needed. Your progress through the exercise is tracked locally in your browser for the current session, and you can replay the module at any time.
How is this different from reading a blog article?
This exercise is an interactive drill that tests and reinforces specific phrasing through multiple-choice questions with instant feedback, while blog articles explain concepts and vocabulary in prose. The two work well together.
Where can I find more Negotiation English exercises?
See the Negotiation English hub for more modules like this one, or browse the full Exercises page for other IT-English topics.
Can I complete this exercise on my phone?
Yes — every exercise on CoderSlingo is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets, so you can practise anywhere.