Presenting to Non-Technical Stakeholders: Plain-English Phrases
5 exercises on KEY PHRASES. Choose the most natural and professional option.
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
You're about to explain what an API is to a non-technical executive. What's the best opener?
"In plain terms, what this means is..." signals a conscious shift to plain language — it's a verbal contract with your audience that you're going to simplify. It reassures non-technical listeners. Real examples: "In plain terms, what this means is our database is full — like a filing cabinet with no more drawers"; "In plain terms, the build failed — the app isn't ready to ship yet." Option B is accurate but technical — it uses "programmatic" and "interface" without explanation. Option C is too casual and vague. Option D is a textbook definition, not a plain-English translation.
2 / 10
You need to explain what a load balancer does without technical jargon. What's the best approach?
"Think of it like..." is the gold-standard technique for technical-to-non-technical translation. A concrete analogy (receptionist directing patients) makes an abstract concept immediately intuitive. Real examples: "Think of it like a traffic cop at a junction — directing cars to the least congested road"; "Think of it like a hotel concierge — routing requests to whoever can help fastest." Option A is a definition, not an explanation. Option B is imprecise and anthropomorphises poorly. Option D uses "load" and "overwhelmed" — still somewhat technical.
3 / 10
You want to explain why a technical issue matters to the business, not just the engineering team. What do you say?
"The business impact is..." is the phrase that translates engineering into the language executives care about. Attaching a number (cost per minute) makes the impact concrete and compelling. Real examples: "The business impact is a 15% increase in checkout abandonment"; "The business impact is that we can't onboard new enterprise clients until this is resolved." Options A and D frame it as a technical/engineering problem — the wrong lens for a business audience. Option C is vague and doesn't quantify impact.
4 / 10
A stakeholder asks why a feature is taking so long. How do you explain?
"The reason this takes time is..." opens with the stakeholder's question and gives a specific, concrete answer. Explaining the trade-off (foundation first, or constant breakage) gives non-technical people a genuine understanding of why the work is necessary. Real examples: "The reason this is taking longer is that we discovered the old approach would have scaled poorly"; "The reason this takes time is that we're migrating 10 years of data — we can't rush it." Options A-C are defensive or vague.
5 / 10
A non-technical stakeholder wants to understand a complex architecture decision. You don't have time to explain all the details. What do you say?
"You don't need to know the details, but..." is a professional way to acknowledge complexity while still giving the stakeholder what they need. The key is the "but" — you follow it with the essential takeaway so they're not left empty-handed. Real examples: "You don't need to know the details, but the outcome is we'll save 30% on infrastructure"; "You don't need to know the details — the headline is: this is the safer, more reversible option." Option A is dismissive. Option B can sound condescending without the follow-up. Option D defers and creates extra overhead.
6 / 10
Sarah, a product manager, asks you to explain the concept of 'retries' in a recent deployment. She's heard it mentioned but doesn't understand why the system is automatically trying again after failing. Which of the following is the clearest way to respond? retry=3
Sarah is likely confused because 'retries' sounds overly technical. The key is to explain the *purpose* – handling temporary errors and maintaining uptime. Framing it as 'trying again' avoids jargon and emphasizes a positive outcome. Option A is dismissive, options C & D introduce irrelevant details about infrastructure or settings.
7 / 10
During a Slack conversation with the marketing team regarding a new feature release, they ask: 'Can we just push this out to all users?' You need to explain why that's not feasible. Which phrase best conveys this without overwhelming them with technical details? Rollout=Phased
This scenario requires explaining a limitation without diving into technical specifics. Option 2 accurately describes the situation – acknowledging complexity and preventing immediate deployment. Options A is overly simplistic, C introduces beta testing (which isn't the core issue), and D focuses on testing rather than release strategy.
8 / 10
You're writing a PR description for a change that improves database query performance. A non-technical stakeholder asks: 'How much faster will this be?' What's the most effective way to respond? Improvement=15%
The stakeholder wants a tangible understanding of the impact. Option 3 provides a clear and measurable outcome (15% improvement) translated into user benefit (faster response times). Options A & B are overly technical descriptions, while option C focuses on the implementation details instead of the result.
9 / 10
During a standup meeting, your team lead asks: 'What's blocking John on the user authentication service?' You need to provide a concise explanation for other stakeholders who aren't involved in the technical details. What's the best way to phrase this? Blocker=Third-party API unavailable
This situation requires clearly stating the root cause without getting bogged down in technical troubleshooting. Option 3 identifies the *actual* blocker – the third-party API – and explains its impact on John's work. Options A & B describe potential underlying issues but aren't the immediate reason for the delay.
10 / 10
A senior executive asks you to explain why a recent code review flagged a 'deadlock' in the payment processing system. They have no understanding of concurrency or distributed systems. What is the most appropriate explanation? Deadlock=Two services are waiting for each other
The executive needs a high-level understanding of what a deadlock *is*, not how it happens. Option 2 provides this – two services are blocked waiting for each other's data. This avoids technical jargon like 'concurrency' and focuses on the consequence: prevented transactions. Options A & B introduce error/vulnerability terms, while C is too specific.
What will I practise in "Presenting to Non-Technical Stakeholders: Plain-English 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.