Performance review questions with verb patterns speaking

Performance review questions with verb patterns speaking

Take turns using verbs from below to ask each other questions in a performance review with your line manager, with the other person answering the question each time. The responses can be true, made up, or a mix of the two.

admit	afford
aim	allow	appreciate
avoid	celebrate	claim
consider	contemplate	continue
decide	discuss	dread
enjoy	expect	fail
get used to	hope	intend
involve	keep	let
look forward to	manage	mind
object	permit	plan
prepare	regret	remember
stop	struggle	suggest
train	volunteer	would prefer

Use the questions on the following page to continue the same performance review.

Ask about any verbs that you are not sure that you used correctly, questions which were difficult to answer, etc.

Find and/ or think of examples of these kinds of verbs:

• similar meanings with the same verb pattern(s)
• opposite meanings with the same verb pattern(s)
• two different possible verb patterns following the same verb

Switch roles and do the same, first of all with no help but copying the questions from the previous discussion if you like and you can remember them.

 

Performance reviews discussion

Which of the questions would be good in a real performance review? Can you think of any better questions (not worrying about what language you use this time)?

 

Performance reviews roleplay

Roleplay performance review meetings with your line manager in the one of these ways that your teacher chooses:

• Tell your partner about your job, roleplay the interview with them as your line manager, then discuss which questions were good and what other ones might have been good
• Tell your partner about your job, discuss good questions for your performance review, roleplay it together, then discuss how it went
• Tell your partner about your job, then roleplay your performance review, but with you as your line manager and your partner as you

 

• admit – Would you admit (to) feeling a bit overwhelmed during the last twelve months?
• afford – Is there any outside training which you need (that we can afford to pay for)?
• aim – What do you aim to achieve in the next six months/ twelve months?
• allow – If you were allowed to take a sabbatical, what would you do with it?
• appreciate – Do you think that your boss appreciates having you in their team?
• avoid – Is there anything you did last year that you should avoiding doing this year?
• celebrate – How will you celebrate having such a great performance review?
• claim – Would you claim to have achieved all your goals in the last year?
• consider – Would you consider doubling your targets compared to last year?
• contemplate – Do you have time to be able to contemplate doing things differently?
• continue – Are you happy to continue setting/ to set goals in the same way?
• decide – What rating have you decided to give yourself?
• dread – Is there anything that you are dreading having to do this year?
• enjoy – Did you enjoy facing the challenge of the last twelve months?
• expect – When do you expect to have achieved these new goals by?
• fail – Were there any targets which you failed to reach?
• get used to – Did it take you long to get used to doing your new duties?
• hope – What do you hope to improve this year?
• intend – Do you intend to apply for any internal job openings?
• involve – Are you interested in being in roles which involve using foreign languages?
• keep – Are you happy to keep doing the same job, or are you looking for change?
• let – What would you do if we let you do any project you liked?
• look forward to – What are you looking forward to doing in the next twelve months?
• manage – How will you manage to achieve your goals?
• mind – Would you mind moving to another team?
• object – Would you object to moving/ being moved between departments?
• permit – If you were permitted to do so, how would you like to expand your role?
• plan – How do you plan to exceed last year’s performance?
• prepare – What can you do to prepare to have more responsibility in the future?
• regret – Are there any goals which you regret agreeing to?
• remember – Did you remember to keep note of your achievements during the year?
• remember/ discuss – Do you remember discussing mentoring someone in last year’s performance review?
• stop – Did you have enough time to stop to consider how well you were doing?
• struggle – Is there anything you struggled to do in the last year?
• suggest – Who would you suggest talking to if someone had your issues?
• train – Would you like someone to train you to do programming?
• volunteer – Have you volunteered to do anything that isn’t part of your job description?
• would prefer – Would you prefer to specialise more or to widen your range of skills?

 

Which of the questions above would be good in a real performance review? Can you think of any better questions (not worrying about what language you use this time)?

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Gapfill version

• Would you admit __________ (feel) a bit overwhelmed during the last twelve months?
• Is there any outside training which you need (that we can afford _________ (pay) for)?
• What do you aim _______________ (achieve) in the next six months/ twelve months?
• If you were allowed _______________ (take) a sabbatical, what would you do with it?
• Do you think that your boss appreciates _______________ (have) you in their team?
• Is there anything you did last year that you should avoiding _________ (do) this year?
• How will you celebrate ________________ (have) such a great performance review?
• Would you claim ______________________ (achieve) all your goals in the last year?
• Would you consider ________________ (double) your targets compared to last year?
• Do you have time to be able to contemplate _______________ (do) things differently?
• Are you happy to continue _______________________ (set) goals in the same way?
• What rating have you decided _______________________________ (give) yourself?
• Is there anything that you are dreading __________________ (have to) do this year?
• Did you enjoy ___________________ (face) the challenge of the last twelve months?
• When do you expect ___________________________ (achieve) these new goals by?
• Were there any targets which you failed _____________________________ (reach)?
• Did it take you long to get used to _______________________ (do) your new duties?
• What do you hope _____________________________________ (improve) this year?
• Do you intend ___________________________ (apply) for any internal job openings?
• Are you interested in being in roles which involve _________ (use) foreign languages?
• Are you happy to keep _________ (do) the same job, or are you looking for change?
• What would you do if we let ________________________ (do) any project you liked?
• What are you looking forward to ________________ (do) in the next twelve months?
• How will you manage ________________________________ (achieve) your goals?
• Would you mind _________________________________ (move) to another team?
• Would you object to _________________________ (move) between departments?
• If you were permitted ___________ (do) so, how would you like to expand your role?
• How do you plan __________________________ (exceed) last year’s performance?
• What can you do to prepare ______________ (have) more responsibility in the future?
• Are there any goals which you regret _____________________________ (agree) to?
• Did you remember ___________ (keep) note of your achievements during the year?
• Do you remember ____________________________________________ (discuss) mentoring someone in last year’s performance review?
• Did you have enough time to stop _________ (consider) how well you were doing?
• Is there anything you struggled ________________________ (do) in the last year?
• Who would you suggest ________________ (talk) to if someone had your issues?
• Would you like someone to train ________________________ (do) programming?
• Have you volunteered _________ (do) anything that isn’t part of your job description?
• Would you prefer _____________ (specialise) more or to widen your range of skills?

 

Listen to a performance review and write down the (good and/ or bad) questions. Then listen again for positive and negative things which are said.