5 exercises on key phrases for your first week on a development team. Choose the most natural and professional option.
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
It is your first week and you want to understand the architecture. How do you ask your tech lead?
ASKING FOR A WALKTHROUGH: "Could you walk me through [specific topic] when you have [time]? I've [done homework] but I'd love to hear [specific value]." shows preparation, respects the other person's time, and frames the ask around insight rather than just information-delivery. Examples: "Could you walk me through the deployment pipeline when you have a moment? I've read the CI config but the staging vs. prod split wasn't clear." / "Could you walk me through how incidents are handled here — I've read the runbook, but I'd love to know the unwritten norms." / "Could you walk me through the data model? I've explored the schema but some relationships aren't obvious." Options A/C show lack of preparation; B shows unwillingness to collaborate.
2 / 10
You're looking for the on-call escalation process. How do you ask a team member?
FINDING INFORMATION PROFESSIONALLY: "Where should I look for [X] — is it in [option A], [option B], or somewhere else?" shows you've already considered the likely locations and reduces the cognitive load on the person you're asking. Examples: "Where should I look for the API authentication docs — is it in the README, the internal wiki, or Notion?" / "Where should I look for the test data setup guide — is it in the repo or is there a separate onboarding doc?" / "Where should I look for the staging environment credentials — is it in 1Password or the .env.example?" Options A/C/D are either too terse, too passive, or subtly cynical — B is the only one that signals active self-direction.
3 / 10
You want to make a change in part of the codebase you haven't worked in before. How do you communicate this?
RESPECTING OWNERSHIP: "I don't want to step on anyone's toes — who owns...?" is a phrase that signals collaboration and awareness of team boundaries. It prevents duplicated work and builds trust with the owning team. Examples: "I don't want to step on anyone's toes — who owns the auth middleware? I'm planning to add a new token validation step." / "I don't want to step on any toes — is there an owner for the design system? I want to propose a new token." / "Who owns the billing module? I'm adding a webhook handler and want to make sure it fits the existing pattern." Options B/C either don't ask permission at all. D asks too passively — it suggests you only want to look, not act.
4 / 10
You've noticed something in the codebase that seems odd — a piece of code that looks like a bug. How do you raise it professionally?
RAISING OBSERVATIONS AS A NEW JOINER: "I noticed [specific observation] — is that intentional, or is it something we should look into?" is perfectly calibrated for a new joiner. It surfaces the concern without claiming certainty, and gives the team an easy way to confirm or clarify. Examples: "I noticed the migration doesn't have a rollback script — is that intentional, or is there a separate process for that?" / "I noticed the integration tests only run on main, not on PRs — is that by design?" / "I noticed the rate limiter configuration in staging doesn't match prod — is that expected?" Options A/B sound accusatory or lack specificity; D is too tentative to prompt action.
5 / 10
You're joining a team meeting for the first time. How do you introduce yourself?
FIRST-WEEK TEAM INTRODUCTION: A strong introduction includes your name, role, team, and a forward-looking phrase that signals engagement. "I'm excited to be here and looking forward to getting up to speed with everyone" is warm, professional, and opens a collaborative dynamic. Examples: "Hi — I'm Marco, joining as a senior frontend engineer. I come from a fintech background and I'm looking forward to contributing to the design system." / "Hi everyone, I'm Yuna, the new data engineer. I'll be working on the pipeline team. Great to meet you all." / "I'm Dmitri, recently joined as a DevOps engineer. Happy to be here and keen to learn how the infrastructure is structured." Options A/B/C are either too terse, too passive, or signal unpreparedness.
6 / 10
Sarah, a new developer, needs to understand the team's preferred workflow for submitting code changes. During a standup meeting, she asks David: 'What's the typical process we use before merging pull requests?'
This scenario focuses on understanding team conventions. The correct answer describes a common and professional workflow involving PRs with reviews and testing – this is a standard practice in many development teams. Options A suggests bypassing established processes, B highlights the importance of review & testing, and C is completely unprofessional. D shifts the focus away from the core question.
7 / 10
You've been assigned to investigate a reported issue with the API endpoint /users/{user_id} returning unexpected data. After reviewing the logs and code, you identify a potential problem. You want to inform your team lead, Mark, about your findings.
This question tests clarity and technical precision. The correct response clearly states the issue (API endpoint) and the type of problem (incorrect data), providing Mark with actionable information. Option A is too vague. Option B is more specific than A but lacks crucial detail about the nature of the error. Options C and D are unhelpful and avoid responsibility.
8 / 10
During a code review for your first PR, Liam comments on your code with: 'This section needs more documentation.' How should you respond to Liam's comment?
This question addresses a common code review interaction. Asking for clarification demonstrates engagement and a willingness to improve your code. Option A is dismissive. Option B seeks specific guidance – crucial in a collaborative environment. Options C and D are defensive and unhelpful.
9 / 10
You're preparing a PR to implement a new feature. In the PR description, you should include:
This question assesses understanding of PR documentation best practices. A good PR description explains the *why* behind the changes, not just the *what*. It's important to provide context for reviewers and link to related issues for traceability. Options A and B are too brief; C is a better starting point but lacks detail, while D is entirely inappropriate.
10 / 10
You're joining a team meeting where the discussion revolves around performance optimization of a critical service. The team lead, Emily, asks: 'Who can shed some light on the current load testing results?'
This question focuses on quickly contributing to a discussion. The best response demonstrates initiative and willingness to provide relevant information. Option A avoids participation. Option B provides partial information but doesn't actively seek data. Option C is the most proactive approach – checking monitoring dashboards for recent load test results.
What will I practise in "Onboarding as a New Developer: First-Week Phrases"?
This module focuses on Phrasebook — 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?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account or sign-up required.
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 Phrasebook exercise for?
It's aimed at IT professionals with working English who want to sound more natural and precise around phrasebook — 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 Phrasebook exercises?
See the Phrasebook 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.