When you’re working in a team, it’s frustrating to reach an agreed deadline and find that a teammate’s part of the group project is still missing.
The short answer
Contact your teammate privately, specify which work is missing, and ask them to send it or provide an update by a clear, realistic deadline. If the problem continues or the submission is at risk, you’ll need to get your instructor involved; share a factual record of the missing work and your attempts to resolve the issue.
As a PhD student, I still remember an undergraduate group project where I ended up completing a teammate’s unfinished work. That experience taught me to set clear checkpoints so the group could address missing contributions early, before one person had to take over. Here’s how to sort out who’s doing what, keep track of everyone’s contributions, and use the email templates below to follow up with your teammate or instructor.
Start by checking exactly what’s missing, such as the research notes or analysis your teammate agreed to share. Keep the focus on the work itself, because a teammate who says little in meetings may still be doing research between them.
Next, check the shared task plan to see whether your teammate agreed on the task, its deadline, and what the finished work should include. If those details were never agreed, clarify them in a group message and ask everyone to confirm the plan before treating the situation as a missed commitment.
Once the agreement is clear, ask your teammate privately whether they could give you a quick update on the research notes. You can also ask whether the instructions need clarifying, while leaving any personal explanation up to them.
Ask for that update by a specific day and time, taking your teammate’s availability into account and leaving the group enough time to address any gaps before submission. Once they reply, write down what they’ll deliver and when you’ll check progress, then ask them to confirm that the plan is realistic.
If they are confused
Clarify one requirement, then agree what they will produce.
If they are overwhelmed
Ask what they can finish and agree any reassignment with the group.
If they stay silent
Send one clear follow-up with a reply deadline; seek guidance if it passes.
If they refuse
Keep the exchange factual and contact your instructor.
Chapter 2
Reset Responsibilities and Deadlines Clearly
Make the written plan specific by replacing a vague task like “handle the research” with “prepare three findings slides with sources.” Then assign those slides to one person who understands what’s expected and agrees to take responsibility for completing them.
Set a draft checkpoint early enough for the group to review everyone’s work, make improvements, and bring the separate parts together before submission. For a presentation due Monday at 10 a.m., the example plan below sets earlier checkpoints so the group can review the complete deck on Sunday.
Task
Owner
Checkpoint
Done when
Findings
Alex
Thursday 6 p.m.
Three slides with sources
Recommendations
Morgan
Friday 6 p.m.
Two options explained
References
Sam
Saturday noon
Citations checked
Assembly
Jamie
Sunday 4 p.m.
Deck ready for review
Illustrative task plan. All checkpoints use the course’s time zone.
Ask each task owner to confirm the revised plan and, in the same reply, flag any concerns about meeting their checkpoint. If the agreed checkpoint passes without a draft, send a firm follow-up email stating what’s missing and what needs to happen next, and keep a factual record of the exchange.
If a draft arrives but needs work, name the specific fix and agree when it will be ready. Check that tasks are fair in effort, not just in number.
Chapter 3
Document Contributions Without Turning It Into a Fight
Record what each person agreed to deliver and by when, then note what was actually received and any follow-up messages about missing work.
Keep those notes factual, using a specific observation such as:
“No draft in the shared folder at the 6 p.m. checkpoint.”
Save the task plan, relevant messages, and any available document version history so the details in your notes can be checked against the original records. Summarize the agreements and outcomes in a short log like the example below.
Checkpoint
Agreement
Observed status
Next action
Thursday 6 p.m.
Findings draft
No file in shared folder
Private check-in
Friday 6 p.m.
Revised draft deadline
No draft received
Request instructor guidance
Illustrative contribution record.
Treat edit history as one part of the record, since it may not show research your teammate has done outside the shared document. When sharing that record with your instructor, include only material relevant to the agreed work and your follow-up attempts, leaving out unrelated personal conversations.
Chapter 4
When and How to Contact Your Professor or TA
Contact your professor or TA for guidance if a clear request hasn’t resolved the missing work, or sooner if the submission is at risk.
If your course requires earlier reporting, follow its timeline even while you’re still trying to resolve the issue within the group.
Begin your message with the assignment and submission deadline, then explain what your teammate agreed to deliver, what’s still missing, and how you’ve followed up. Ask what steps the group should take to complete the remaining work and how to report individual contributions under the course’s rules.
Is the submission already at risk?
YesNo
Contact the instructor or TA now.
Make a clear request and agree a checkpoint.
Did the agreed work arrive?
YesNo
Review and integrate the work.
Ask the instructor or TA for guidance.
Follow your course’s reporting process.
A clear record can support your request, but grade changes and extensions still depend on course policies, including the use of shared grades, individual assessment, or peer feedback. To make that request, use Template 3 for an unresolved problem or Template 4 when the submission deadline is close.
Chapter 5
Four Email Templates for Group Members Not Doing Their Part
Choose the email that fits your situation and fill in the bracketed details, using the actual dates, times, and time zone for your project.
I’m checking in on [task] for [project], which we agreed would be ready by [agreed day, time, time zone]. I haven’t found it in [shared folder or document], though you may have shared it elsewhere. Could you send me what you have so far or give me a quick update on your progress?
If the task instructions are unclear, I can go through them with you. Please reply by [reply day, time, time zone] so we can plan the remaining work.
Thanks, [Your name]
Template 2
A Firm Follow-Up After a Missed Deadline
Subject:[Project] needs [task] by [day and time]
Hi [Name],
I’m following up on [task] for [project], which was due by [agreed day, time, time zone] and is still missing after my message on [follow-up date]. The delay leaves us less time to review your contribution and bring the project together before submission. Please upload [specific deliverable] to [shared folder] by [new day, time, time zone].
If you can’t meet that deadline, please reply by [earlier reply day, time, time zone] with what you can realistically complete and when. If we can’t agree on a workable plan or the revised deadline is missed, I’ll ask [professor or TA] for guidance through the course’s reporting process.
Thanks, [Your name]
Template 3
Ask Your Professor or TA for Guidance
Subject: Guidance on group contributions for [course/project]
Hello Professor [Surname],
I’m writing about [assignment] for [course], which is due on [submission day, time, time zone]. We’re still missing [agreed deliverable] from [teammate’s name], which is delaying [specific next step]. I requested an update on [first contact date] and followed up on [follow-up date] to confirm what could be delivered and when.
I can share the task plan and relevant messages showing the agreed work, deadlines, and follow-up attempts. Could you advise us on how to complete the remaining work and report individual contributions under the course’s rules? If a brief meeting would help, I’m available at [dates and times, including time zone].
Thank you, [Your name]
Template 4
An Urgent Message When the Deadline Is Close
Subject:[Project] due [day/time]: submission guidance needed
Hello Professor [Surname],
Our [project] for [course] is due on [submission day, time, time zone], and [required section or deliverable] is still missing. We have completed [finished sections or deliverables], and the current draft is available at [document link]. I followed up with [teammate’s name] on [contact dates], but the agreed checkpoint of [checkpoint day, time, time zone] passed without the work arriving.
We plan to [realistic recovery steps] before the deadline and have saved the task plan and relevant follow-up messages. Could you advise us on what to submit by the deadline and how to report individual contributions? While we wait for your reply, we’ll follow the existing submission instructions and deadline.
Thank you, [Your name and group, if authorized]
Chapter 6
What If the Group Project Is Due Tomorrow?
If the project is due tomorrow, focus on what the group can realistically finish and contact your instructor promptly about the missing work.
Use the checklist below alongside Template 4 to organize the group’s next steps and request guidance on submission.
Identify the gaps
Compare the current draft with the rubric and list any unfinished required parts.
Agree on a recovery plan
Decide what available members can realistically finish before the deadline and record any agreed reassignments.
Contact the instructor
Report the deadline, missing work, and proposed recovery plan through the course’s designated channel.
Preserve and submit
Save the current version and contribution record, then follow the existing submission instructions and deadline while awaiting guidance.
Chapter 7
A Group-Project Dispute and What You Can Learn From It
Consider this fictional scenario: four students are preparing a business presentation due on Monday at 10 a.m. Alex agreed to upload three findings slides with sources by Thursday at 6 p.m., but that checkpoint passes without a draft in the shared folder.
One teammate sends Alex a vague “How is it going?” message while the others consider finishing the slides themselves. Without a specific request or reply deadline, they still don’t know what Alex can deliver or how long to wait before changing the plan.
A clearer follow-up asks Alex for an update by Friday noon and a draft by Friday at 6 p.m., with confirmation that the revised deadline is realistic. It specifies the three slides and sources, names the shared folder, and explains that the group will seek instructor guidance if the draft is still missing at that checkpoint.
✗ A vague check-in
“How is it going?”
No clear task or reply deadline.
✓ A clear next step
“Can you upload the three findings slides with sources by Friday at 6 p.m.? Please confirm by noon whether that’s realistic.”
Specific work, deadline and confirmation.
An example message for Alex. Use the group’s agreed time zone.
If Alex sends usable work, the group can review it and add it to the presentation. If not, they have a clear timeline of the original agreement and follow-up attempts to share when requesting help.
Alex replies, “I’ve got notes, but I’m not sure which sources count. I kept putting off asking.” Morgan points him to the assignment guidance and checks that the new deadline is realistic.
On Friday, Alex shares three slides; one still needs a source. He agrees to fix it Saturday morning. At Sunday’s review, Sam spots a repeated point and Jamie trims a crowded slide. The presentation still needs work, but nobody is secretly completing Alex’s section at midnight.
Chapter 8
How to Prevent Unequal Work in Your Next Group Project
Once the plan is agreed, set an early draft checkpoint that leaves time to review and combine everyone’s work. If you can’t all meet, share drafts and brief progress updates in the agreed channel by that checkpoint.
As you plan your semester, add the group’s checkpoints alongside other assignment deadlines so you can spot scheduling conflicts early. When the assignment or someone’s availability changes, revisit the plan together and confirm any revised responsibilities or deadlines.
Chapter 9
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Remove a Group Member’s Name From the Project?
Follow the course’s explicit instructions about contributor names, or ask your instructor before removing a teammate’s name. Explain what that person agreed to deliver, what is still missing, and how you tried to resolve the problem. Ask how the submission should list contributors and where to record each person’s actual work.
What Should I Say in a Peer Evaluation?
Base your evaluation on the work and teamwork you observed, using the course’s stated criteria. Describe completed contributions and missing work with specific examples, dates, or agreed checkpoints. Your instructor decides how that feedback affects grades under the course’s grading policy.
What If the Professor Says We Must Resolve It Ourselves?
Ask your professor what they expect the group to try next and whether they want an updated work plan. Use that guidance to agree on a specific deliverable, who will complete it, and a realistic checkpoint. If the revised plan fails or the submission is at risk, report the new facts through the course’s designated process and ask for further guidance.
Choose the email template that fits your situation and replace the bracketed fields with your project’s actual details. Then confirm the next checkpoint: what will be delivered, who is responsible, and the day and time the group will review it.
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