5 exercises on sprint-planning language — committing to work, estimating, capacity and breaking down stories.
Key patterns
I’ll take that one on / I can pick that up — claim work.
I’d put it at around 5 points — estimate with reasoning.
I’m close to capacity / I have some bandwidth — talk load.
break it down / lock it in — split work, confirm commitment.
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
You want to volunteer to do a ticket in sprint planning. Which is the MOST natural way to commit to it?
“I’ll take that one on” is the standard way to claim work.
take (something) on = accept responsibility for a task.
I’ve touched that part of the code before — touch = have worked in that area.
move fast — make quick progress.
Why the others fail: “Give me that ticket, I do it” is curt and drops the auxiliary (I’ll do it); “That ticket is for me to take” is stiff and indirect; the last option hedges so much (possibly…maybe) that you haven’t actually committed. Other natural alternatives: I can pick that up, I’ll grab that one, put me down for that.
2 / 5
Someone asks how big a task is. You think it’s medium-sized with some unknowns. Which estimate is phrased MOST naturally?
Good estimates pair a number with the reasoning and the risks.
I’d put it at around 5 points — put it at = estimate; around signals it’s approximate.
there are a couple of unknowns — surfaces risk honestly.
Story points measure relative effort/complexity, not hours or money.
Why the others fail: “5 points definitely no question” is false confidence (estimates are uncertain); “maybe big, maybe small” gives the team nothing to plan with; “it costs 5 points of story” misuses the term — you say it’s about 5 story points, not points of story, and points aren’t a cost.
3 / 5
The team is trying to fit work into the sprint. You are nearly full. Which is the MOST natural way to talk about capacity?
Talk about capacity in clear, plannable terms.
I’m close to capacity / I’m nearly at capacity — almost fully loaded.
I could take one more small ticket — offers a realistic option.
I’d rather not commit to anything big — commit to = formally take on; sets a boundary politely.
Why the others fail: “destroyed” is hyperbole; “no time for nothing” is a double negative and unhelpfully absolute; “capacity is unlimited” invites over-commitment. Useful related phrases: I have some bandwidth, I’m maxed out, I have room for one more.
4 / 5
You think a story is too big to finish in one sprint. Which is the MOST natural way to raise that?
Propose splitting work rather than just rejecting it.
too big for a single sprint — states the concern clearly.
break it down into smaller tickets — break down = split into parts.
deliver incrementally — ship in small, working pieces.
Why the others fail: “huge, impossible, forget it” offers no path forward; “we cannot do never” is a double negative; “too much big” mis-forms the comparative (use too big) and “sprint of us” is non-idiomatic (our sprint). In planning, the strong move is always to suggest a concrete alternative.
5 / 5
You want to confirm the team’s shared commitment at the end of planning. Which is the MOST natural phrasing?
Confirm commitment as a shared, checked decision.
are we all comfortable committing to…? — invites genuine buy-in.
let’s lock it in — lock in = finalise the plan.
Naming the scope (these eight stories) makes the commitment concrete.
Why the others fail: “So we agree, yes?” is vague and rushed; “that is final, no changes ever” ignores that scope can shift; “guaranteed 100 percent” over-promises — agile commitments are a forecast, not a guarantee. Related closers: shall we call it?, are we agreed?, let’s commit to that.