Say it like this
- We'll carry forward the remaining tickets to next sprint.
- Let's carry these action items forward to the next meeting.
- This bug wasn't fixed, so we're carrying it forward.
- Can we carry this discussion forward to tomorrow's sync?
Use it at work
End of sprint
- We'll carry forward the two unfinished tickets.
- Let's carry this action item forward to next week.
Finance and planning
- Unused budget doesn't carry forward to next year.
- Can I carry forward my holiday days?
In reports
- We're carrying forward the same goals from Q1.
- The open risks carry forward to the next phase.
Don't say this
'Carry on' means to continue doing something. 'Carry forward' means to move something to a later time.
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. A team lead is explaining why a ticket is in the next sprint:
2. The bug fix wasn't completed, so we're _______ it _______ to Sprint 15.
3. Let's carry on the remaining work to the next sprint.
4. This task will be moved to the next sprint because we did not finish it.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 4
"We'll carry forward the remaining tickets to next sprint."
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More about Carry forward
Real examples(7)
- Standup
"We didn't finish the API integration, so we'll carry it forward to today."
- Slack message
"FYI, carrying forward the design review ticket since we ran out of time."
- GitHub PR
"This refactor is too big for this PR. Let's carry forward the remaining changes to a follow-up."
- Jira ticket
"Carrying forward to Sprint 24 due to blocked dependency."
- Retrospective
"We carried forward three tickets this sprint. Let's discuss why."
- Sprint planning
"We have five tickets carried forward from last sprint. Let's prioritize them first."
- Pair programming
"Let's carry this refactoring idea forward and tackle it after we finish the feature."
More mistakes(2)
- ✕We need to carry forward this ticket yesterday.✓We carried forward this ticket from last sprint.
Carry forward refers to moving something to the future, not the past.
- ✕I will carry forward finishing my task.✓I will carry forward my task to next sprint.
Carry forward takes a noun (the task), not a verb (finishing).
Other forms(4)
- carry forward base form
"We need to carry forward these items."
- carrying forward present continuous
"We're carrying forward two tickets."
- carried forward past tense
"The task was carried forward to Sprint 12."
- carryforward / carry-forward noun form
"We have a lot of carryforward this sprint."
Often used with(5)
- carry forward tickets · Most common usage in agile teams.
- carry forward action items · Used for meeting follow-ups.
- carry forward to next sprint · Standard phrasing for sprint planning.
- carry forward from last week · Describes where the item came from.
- carry forward the discussion · Used when a topic needs more time.
Similar words(4)
- roll over · Very similar meaning, slightly more casual.
- push to next sprint · More direct, often implies the work was delayed.
- defer · More formal, suggests a deliberate decision to postpone.
- move to backlog · Implies the work may not happen soon.
Opposites(5)
- close out
- complete
- finish
- drop
- remove from scope
Questions(5)
- What does carry forward mean in sprint planning?
- Carry forward means moving unfinished tickets or tasks from the current sprint to the next sprint. Teams use this phrase when work was not completed on time.
- Is carry forward the same as roll over?
- Yes, carry forward and roll over mean the same thing. Roll over is slightly more casual. Both mean moving work to the next period.
- Can I use carry forward for meetings?
- Yes. You can carry forward action items or discussion topics to the next meeting. For example: 'Let's carry forward this topic to tomorrow's sync.'
- Is carry forward negative?
- Not necessarily. Carry forward is neutral. It simply means work is continuing. However, too many carried forward items might show a planning problem.
- What is the noun form of carry forward?
- The noun form is 'carryforward' or 'carry-forward.' Example: 'We have a lot of carryforward this sprint.' Some teams also say 'carryover.'
