Revision: Questions, Present Tenses, Present Perfect, Used To, and Adjectives

• In this lesson, we review how to form polite indirect questions, choose the correct present tenses, talk about past habits with 'used to', and use logistics adjectives. These structures are essential for conducting professional onboarding calls and coordinating with remote teams.
• Grammar Point
• Form / Rule
• Logistics Example
• Indirect Questions
• Could you tell me + subject + verb?
• Could you tell me where the driver is?
• Present Perfect Continuous
• Have/has been + verb-ing (ongoing action)
• We have been setting up accounts all morning.
• Past Habits
• used to + infinitive (no longer true)
• We used to send faxes, but now we use EDI.
• State Verbs
• Present simple only (no continuous form)
• This customer portal belongs to a shipper in Ohio.
• Remember
• Use indirect questions (e.g., 'Do you know if...') to sound polite and professional during onboarding calls.
• State verbs like 'need', 'know', and 'belong' are not used in continuous tenses.
• Use the present perfect continuous for logistics tasks that started in the past and are still happening now.
• Use 'used to' for past situations or habits that do not happen anymore in your operations.
• Examples
• Do you know why the broker rejected the tender yesterday?
• The dispatcher is currently checking the shipping requirements.
• We have already won three new accounts in Texas this month.
• I used to work the graveyard shift, but now I manage onboarding calls.
• Common mistakes
• Could you tell me where is the customer portal?
• Could you tell me where the customer portal is?
• I am needing the routing guide for BlueRidge Distribution.
• I need the routing guide for BlueRidge Distribution.

Complete the sentences

• Since Tuesday, our remote team (set up) ____ the customer portal for the new account.
• Do you know if the carrier (accept) ____ the load tender yet?
• Our dispatchers (use to) ____ write down shipping requirements on paper, but now everything is digital.
• The fleet coordinator is absolutely (exhaust) ____ after resolving issues on the overnight desk.
• Could you tell me when the onboarding call (start) ____ tomorrow morning?
• This logistics company (belong) ____ to a larger transportation group in Chicago.

Sources: photo by Pixabay on Pexels