Business English Dialogue and Quiz:
Deliveries and Suppliers
Susan: Doug, can I talk with you for a moment?
Doug: What can I do for you Susan?
Susan: I'm concerned about the delays we're experiencing with some of our
suppliers.
Doug: We're doing everything to get back on schedule.
Susan: Could you give me an approximate timeline?
Doug: A number of deliveries are arriving tomorrow. Unfortunately, this time of
year is often troublesome.
Susan: That's not good. We can't make excuses to our clients. Are all shipments
affected?
Doug: No, but it is summer and some companies are cutting back until
September.
Susan: Where are most of our suppliers located?
Doug: Well, most of them are in China, but there are a few in California.
Susan: How does that affect deliveries?
Doug: Well, there are weather delays and shipment delays due to reduced
production. Sometimes, larger packages are delayed because of a bottleneck at
the distribution point.
Susan: Is there any way around these delays?
Doug: Well, we often work with delivery services such as UPS, Fed ex or DHL for
our most urgent shipping. They guarantee door-to-door deliveries within 48
hours.
Susan: Are they expensive?
Doug: Yes, they're very expensive at that cuts into our bottom line.
Key Vocabulary
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delay = (noun / verb) put back in time something that is scheduled
supplier = (noun) a manufacturer of parts, items, etc.
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to get back on schedule = (verb phrase) when you are behind schedule,
try to catch up
timeline = (noun) the expected times when events will happen
delivery = (noun) when products, parts, items, etc. arrives at a company
shipment = (noun) the process of sending products, items, parts, from
the manufacturer to the client company
to cut back = (phrasal verb) reduce
to make excuses = (verb phrase) give reasons why something bad
happened
increased / reduced production = (noun phrases) production which is
becoming more or less
package = (noun) items in a box that are shipped
bottleneck = (noun - idiomatic) difficulties in keeping something going
because of some limitation
distribution point = (noun) the place where items are divided up for
deliveries to individual clients
bottom line = (noun) total profit or loss
to cut into = (phrasal verb) reduce something
Check your understanding with this multiple choice comprehension quiz.
1. Why is Susan concerned?
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They're delaying shipments to suppliers.
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They're back on schedule.
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They're experiencing delays from suppliers.
2. What are they doing?
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Trying to get back on schedule
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Not worrying about the problem
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Taking legal action against the suppliers
3. Which excuse does Doug give?
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That the suppliers are unreliable.
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That the time of year is often troublesome.
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That they changed suppliers.
4. Where are most of the suppliers located?
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In California
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In Japan
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In China
5. . Which is NOT a reason given for the delays?
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Weather delays
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Reduced production
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Payment difficulties
6. How do they sometimes resolve these problems?
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They change suppliers.
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They use delivery services.
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They manufacture their own products.
7. We'll need to get a new __________ for those parts.
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delay
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supplier
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shipment
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timeline
8. What's the __________ for the project? When will it start and when
will it finish?
 timeline
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deadline
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bottom line
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bottleneck
9. I'm afraid we need to __________ travel because it's hurting our
__________.
 get back on schedule / package
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increase / timeline
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cut back / bottom line
10. Do you think we can __________ by the end of next week? This
__________ is killing our business!
 get back on schedule / delay
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make excuses / shipment
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cut back / delivery
11. Please take that __________ to room 34.
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supplier
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bottleneck
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package
12. We received a __________ last Friday of various parts. Unfortunately,
the __________ was more than five days late!
 package / distribution point
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delivery / delay
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shipment / delivery