Check out today’s Teatime Titbit: Thursday Tiny Titbit: Getting SHIT done!
It’s very frustrating when you are waiting for somebody to do something for you and they don’t seem to be pulling their finger out (Gas geben).
Here are five easy phrases to give them a (gentle) prod (jdn stoßen):
Have you (finished ………) yet?*
Can you send ……. to me (get it to me**) by*** Friday, please?
Could you ……?
I need .. (to know if)
I’d like to have (the Report)
*NB (Anm.) use of Present Perfect with ‘yet’ i.e. (d.h.) up to now.
** more colloquial
*** want to set a deadline (Frist setzen), use ‘by’ not ‘until’
If you happen to be at the receiving end of (etw. abbekommen) the request, here’s how to reply:
I’ve (already) sent/finished/forwarded* ….
I haven’t done …… yet*
I’ll send****/finish it by Tuesday (at the latest)
*NB. use of Present Perfect.
****NB. Use of simple future when ‘promising’ an action.