Everybody needs to change a time to meet sometimes. In this post, I’ll show you some formal and informal ways to reschedule your plans.
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Introducing the topic
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Giving a reason
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Say you need to reschedule
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Make suggestions
Whether casual or formal, when you need to change your plans you have to introduce the topic. Normally this is done by showing that you remember you made plans.
Informal example:
“You know how we planned to get together on Tuesday?” (The intonation rises on ‘Tuesday’, turning it into a question.
Formal example:
“About our meeting on Tuesday.” (This is not a question so the intonation is almost the same as any other statement but with a slightly longer ‘Tuesday’.)
You need to give a reason for changing plans. Sometimes a vague reason is fine, especially if the time originally scheduled is far from the present time. At other times you should provide a suitable reason.
Informal example:
“I’ve got to wait for a delivery.”
Casual but businesslike example:
“Something’s come up.”
Very formal example:
“Due to unforeseen circumstances…”
This should be a question.
Casual example:
“Can we change the time?”
Slightly formal example:
“Could we reschedule?”
Very formal example:
“I was wondering if it would be possible to reschedule. (This is a sentence that acts as an indirect question.
A simple query about times or dates should be fine.
Informal example:
“How about four o’clock?”
Formal example:
“Would four o’clock be convenient for you?”
Special rescheduling vocabulary
bring forward: to change a plan and make it earlier.
“Can we bring it forward to Monday?”
put back/postpone: to change a plan and make it later.
“I’m afraid we need to put our flight back one week.”