Your work calendar: talking about meetings

A2
90 min
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1

Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.

  1. What meetings do you have in a normal week at work or school?
  2. How do you remember your appointments and meetings? Do you use a paper diary, a phone app, or something else?
  3. Is it easy or difficult to find a good time for a meeting with your team? Why?
2

Scheduling a Meeting

Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.

3

Read the article and answer the questions.

01NOTE: This question must be replaced. It should be about the content of the source article on scheduling meetings.
Sample answerThis sample answer should correspond to the new, valid question.
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Key vocabulary for scheduling

Vocabulary
These expressions will help you talk about meetings and appointments.
Examples
check my calendar — to look at your schedule to see when you are free or busy.
This is a very common and polite phrase to use before you agree to a meeting time. For example: 'Can I check my calendar and get back to you?'
find a time — to look for a day and time that is good for everyone for a meeting.
You often use this with 'Let's...'. For example: 'Let's find a time to talk next week.'
That works for me. — a phrase you use to say that a suggested time or day is good for you.
This is a friendly and common way to agree to a plan. You can also say 'Tuesday at 10am works for me.'
call off — to cancel something, like a meeting or an event.
This phrasal verb is a synonym for 'cancel'. For example: 'They had to call off the meeting because the manager was sick.'
send an invite — to send a message (usually an email) to ask someone to a meeting, often with a calendar link.
'Invite' is a common short word for 'invitation' in this context. For example: 'I will send you an invite for Friday afternoon.'
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Vocabulary for your calendar

Learn these useful words for talking about meetings.

Match each word with its meaning.

Drag or click to match
Definitions
6

Grammar: Using 'can', 'could', and 'should' for scheduling

Grammar
We use modal verbs like 'can', 'could', and 'should' to ask about availability, make suggestions, and give advice about meetings. 'Could' is often more polite than 'can' when making a request.
Examples
Can we meet at 10 AM on Tuesday?
Use 'can' to ask about possibility or to make a simple request.
Could we move the meeting to Friday? I'm busy on Thursday.
Use 'could' to make a more polite or formal request.
We should send the agenda before the meeting.
Use 'should' to give advice or say what is a good idea.
Key points
  • Use 'can' and 'could' to ask questions about time and possibility.
  • Use 'should' to give advice or make a strong suggestion.
  • After 'can', 'could', and 'should', always use the base form of the verb (e.g., 'meet', not 'meets' or 'meeting').
7

Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.

Word bank
01Let me check my to see if I am free on Tuesday.
02I will send you an email for the meeting tomorrow morning.
03Yes, 3 p.m. on Friday for me. See you then.
04I'm sorry, but we have to the meeting. I am sick today.
05What is good for you to meet next week?
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Planning a team meeting

Read this short message about scheduling a meeting.

Fill in each blank with the correct word or phrase from the word bank.

Word bank
Hi team, I need to schedule a meeting for next week. Please and let me know when you are free. We need to that is good for everyone. Once we agree, I will from my work account. If we can't find a good time, we might have to the meeting until the week after. Let me know if Tuesday at 10 AM is a good option. If you say, '', I will book it.
9

Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.

  1. In your country, is it a big problem if someone needs to push back or call off a meeting at the last minute? Why?
  2. Your boss wants to pencil in a meeting during your lunch break. Is it okay to say 'no'? Why or why not?
  3. What is the best way to find a time for a meeting with five busy people? Should one person choose the time, or should everyone discuss it?