A2 · Elementary · Work · 161 words · ~2 min read

💻 Negotiating a Remote-Work Schedule

Language focus: Present Perfect Continuous · requests

Before you read

This story introduces the longest tense in the A2 syllabus: the present perfect continuous. Its job is to emphasise how long something has been going on, and it appears here five times. Watch what it adds that the plain present perfect would not.

Priya has been working at the same company for two years, and she has been commuting two hours every day. This morning, she decides to bring up the idea of remote work with her manager.

“I have been thinking about my schedule,” she says. “Could I work from home three days a week?” Her manager listens carefully and considers the request.

Together they work out a flexible plan. Priya will come into the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays for meetings, and work from home on the other days.

“We have taken on more staff, so the team can manage,” her manager says. “Let’s try it for a month.” Priya is delighted with the arrangement.

Priya has been saving four hours a week since the new arrangement started. She has been sleeping better too.

Her team has been meeting online on Mondays, and nobody has complained. If the trial goes well, the manager will offer the same deal to two other colleagues.

Key vocabulary (8 words)

flexibleadjective: Able to change easily to suit a situation.
commutenoun: The regular journey between home and work.
managernoun: The person who is in charge of a team or business.
arrangementnoun: A plan or agreement about how something will happen.
requestnoun: The act of politely asking for something.
productiveadjective: Doing or achieving a lot.
staffnoun: The people who work for a company.
remoteadjective: Done from a distance, away from the office.

Phrasal verbs in this story

bring up — To bring up a topic means to start talking about it.
work out — To work out means to find a solution or make a plan.
take on — To take on staff means to employ new people.

The grammar in this story

The present perfect continuous emphasises duration

“Priya has been working at the same company for two years, and she has been commuting two hours every day.” The structure is has/have been plus the -ing form. Compare it with she has worked here for two years: both are correct, but the continuous form draws attention to the ongoing effort rather than the fact.

It also explains a present situation

“I have been thinking about my schedule.” Priya is not reporting a finished thought; she is explaining why she is raising the subject now. This is one of the most useful functions of the tense in real conversation — it gives a reason for what you are about to say.

Could I…? for a careful request

“Could I work from home three days a week?” Could is softer than can and much softer than I want to, which is exactly right when you are asking a manager for something. The verb after it stays in the base form, and could never takes an -s.

bring up, work out, take on

Bring up = raise a subject. Work out = find a solution together, or calculate. Take on = hire, or accept extra responsibility. All three are separable, so a pronoun goes in the middle: we worked it out, they took her on.

Phrases you can reuse today

I have been thinking about my schedule.: Explains why you are raising something now.
Could I work from home two days a week?: A careful request. Could, not can, with a manager.
Let’s work out a plan together.: Work out = find a solution.
We have taken on two new people.: Take on = hire.

Comprehension quiz

How long has Priya worked at the company?
- Two months
- Two years
- Ten years
Show answer
Two years
What does she bring up with her manager?
- Remote work
- A pay rise
- A holiday
Show answer
Remote work
How many days does she want to work from home?
- One
- Three
- Five
Show answer
Three
Together they ___ a flexible plan.
- work out
- throw away
- put off
Show answer
work out
“We have taken on more staff” means they have…
- employed new people
- closed the office
- lost workers
Show answer
employed new people
“Bring up” a topic means to…
- mention it
- forget it
- end it
Show answer
mention it

Now use it yourself

Reading builds recognition; writing your own sentences is what turns it into something you can actually say. Three short tasks:

Write three sentences with have been plus -ing about your own routine.
Ask for something at work in two sentences using Could I…?
Would you prefer to work from home or in an office? Give one reason.