How do you write an appointment email?

Being able to make, change and cancel appointments is an important skill in

business English. Here are some expressions you can use to do this concisely
and clearly.

Asking for an appointment

(formal situations)
I would like to arrange an appointment to discuss.
Please would you indicate a suitable time and place to meet?

(neutral)
Would it be possible to meet on (date) at your / our offices to discuss?

(informal)
Can we meet (up) to talk about?

Suggesting a time

(neutral)
Would Tuesday suit you?
Would you be available on Tuesday?

(informal)
What about?
Let's say

Agreeing to an appointment

(formal)
Thank you for your email. I would be available to discuss. on (date) at (time
and place).

(neutral / informal)
Tuesday sounds fine. Shall we say around (time) at (place)?

Saying a time is not convenient

(formal)
Unfortunately, I will be away on business during the week of July 6 11, so I
will be unable to meet you then. However, if you were available in the following
week, I would be glad to arrange a meeting with you.

I will be out of the office on Wednesday and Thursday, but I will be available on
Friday afternoon.

Cancelling an appointment
(formal)
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen business, I will be unable to keep our
appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

Would it be possible to arrange another time later in the week?

(neutral)
Im afraid that I have to cancel our meeting on Wednesday, as something
unexpected has come up.

Would you be free to meet early next week?

Apologising

(formal)
I apologise for any inconvenience.

(informal)
I'm sorry about cancelling.

Asking for confirmation

(neutral)
Please confirm if this date and time is suitable / convenient for you.

(informal)
Can you let me know if this is OK for you?

Writing to someone you don't know

If you don't know the person, you'll need to give some background information
about yourself or your company.

I am and I would be interested to meet you to discuss

I would be grateful if you could indicate a convenient time to meet during this
week.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Useful phrases for making and changing appointments.

Asking to meet

"Are you available on the 17th?"

"Can we meet on the 16th?"

"How does the 3rd sound to you?"

"Are you free next week?"

"Would Friday suit you?"

"Is next Tuesday convenient for you?"

"What about sometime next week?"

Agreeing on a date

"Yes, Thursday is fine."

"Thursday suits me."
"Thursday would be perfect."

Suggesting a different date

"I'm afraid I can't on the 3rd. What about the 6th?"

"I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it on Monday. Could we meet on Tuesday

instead?"

"Ah, Wednesday is going to be a little difficult. I'd much prefer Friday, if that's
alright with you."

"I really don't think I can on the 17th. Can we meet up on the 19th?"

Setting a time

"What sort of time would suit you?"

"Is 3pm a good time for you?"

"If possible, I'd like to meet in the morning."

"How does 2pm sound to you?"

Changing the arrangement

"You know we were going to meet next Friday? Well, I'm very sorry, but
something urgent has come up."

"I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to meet you after all. Can we fix
another time?"

"Something has just cropped up and I won't be able to meet you this afternoon.
Can we make another time?"

Suggesting an Alternative Time/Date

How about next Friday, instead?

Can you make the afternoon, instead?

Could you do it at . . .

Can we put it off till Monday?

What about the following week?

Can we leave it open(decide not to fix a day) for the time being?

Requesting an Appointment

Can we arrange an appointment/ a meeting?

Could I meet with you about this?

If possible, I would like to come by and see you [om Monday]?

Would it be useful to meet up soon?

Could I visit you [later today]?

Making Appointments and Suggesting a Time/Date

How about Monday?

What about Monday?

Shall we say Monday?

Would Thursday be suitable?

Would Thursday suit you?

Would Thursday be good for you?

Could we meet at 11AM on Monday the 3rd of February?

Agreeing to a Time and Date:

Thats fine.

Thats fine. Ill see you then.

That sounds fine/good/great to me.

Rejecting a Time/Date:

Im sorry, Ive got another meeting then.

I cant / wont be able to make Monday. Ive got to..

I wish I could, but . . .

Monday is not good for me, Im sorry.

Making an appointment

Being able to make and cancel an appointment is an important skill in English.

You need to be able to:

make an appointment,

respond to an appointment and

cancel an appointment.

Here are some expressions you can use to do this concisely and clearly.

Asking to meet:

Are you available on... / next...?

free on... / next...?

Can we meet on... / next ...?

would next ... be ok?

What about next ... ?

Is next ... ok?

Examples:

"Are you available on the 17th?"

"Can we meet on the 16th?"

"How does the 3rd sound to you?"

"Are you free next week?"

"Would Friday suit you?"

"Is next Tuesday convenient for you?"

"What about sometime next week?"

Responding to an appointment:

Yes, ... is fine

 .... would be fine.

.... suits me
would be perfect.

I'm afraid I can't on ....

I'm sorry I won't be able to... on ...

I really don't think I can on ...

Examples:

"Yes, Monday is fine."

"Monday suits me."

"Thursday would be perfect."

"I'm afraid I can't on the 3rd. What about the 6th?"

"I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it on Monday. Could we meet on Tuesday

instead?"

"Ah, Wednesday is going to be a little difficult. I'd much prefer Friday, if that's
alright with you."

"I really don't think I can on the 17th. Can we meet up on the 19th?

Cancelling an appointment

You can cancel an appointment as follows

Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen business, I will be unable to keep our

appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

Would it be possible to arrange another time later in the week?

Im afraid that I have to cancel our meeting on Wednesday, as something

unexpected has come up.

You know we were going to meet next Friday? Well, I'm very sorry, but
something urgent has come up.

I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to meet you after all. Can we fix another
time?
Asking for an appointment

(formal situations)
I would like to arrange an appointment to discuss.
Please would you indicate a suitable time and place to meet?

(neutral)
Would it be possible to meet on (date) at your / our offices to discuss?

(informal)
Can we meet (up) to talk about?

Suggesting a time

(neutral)
Would Tuesday suit you?
Would you be available on Tuesday?

(informal)
What about?
Lets say

Agreeing to an appointment

(formal)
Thank you for your email. I would be available to discuss. on (date) at (time
and place)

(neutral / informal)
Tuesday sounds fine. Shall we say around (time) at (place)?

Saying a time is not convenient

(formal)
Unfortunately, I will be away on business during the week of July 6 11, so I
will be unable to meet you then. However, if you were available in the following
week, I would be glad to arrange a meeting with you.

I will be out of the office on Wednesday and Thursday, but I will be available on
Friday afternoon.
Cancelling an appointment

(formal)
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen business, I will be unable to keep our
appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

Would it be possible to arrange another time later in the week?

(neutral)
Im afraid that I have to cancel our meeting on Wednesday, as something
unexpected has come up.

Would you be free to meet early next week?

Apologising

I apologise for any inconvenience. (formal)

Im sorry about cancelling. (informal)

Asking for confirmation

Please confirm if this date and time is suitable / convenient for you. (neutral)
Can you let me know if this is OK for you? (informal)

Writing to someone you dont know

If you dont know the person, youll need to give some background information
about yourself or your company.

I am and I would be interested to meet you to discuss

I would be grateful if you could indicate a convenient time to meet during this
week.

I look forward to hearing from you.

(Requesting for an Appointment)

You can start making polite statements requesting for an appointment with the
following:

1. I'd like to make an appointment with _____.

2. I'd like to schedule a meeting with _____.
3. Could I schedule a time to meet with _____?

(Suggesting a Time/Date)

1. What time is best for you?

2. When would be a good time for you?
3. Would 8:00 PM on Friday be okay?
4. She'll be in on Friday.
5. Her schedule is open all day Wednesday.
6. He's free any day but Monday.
7. Mr. Clark will be away until Friday next week.

(Rejecting a Time/Date)

Always apologize and give the reason afterwards:

1. Sorry, her calendar is full on Monday.

2. She will be out on Wednesday.
3. He doesn't have time on Tuesday.
4. I'm sorry Monday at 8:00 is not good for me.
5. I'm afraid Wednesday is not possible day for me to meet you.

(Suggesting an Alternative Time/Date)

1. Will Mr. Smith be in tomorrow?

2. Is he available next Wednesday?
3. Does she have any openings on Tuesday?
4. Does he have any time on Thursday?
5. How about Friday at 4:00 PM?

(Agreeing to a Time/Date)

1. Thursday at 10:00 will be fine.

2. Friday at 11:00 sounds good.
3. Okay. Tuesday morning at 9 would be perfect.
4. He'll be available by then so it wouldn't be a problem.

Making appointments

Before you can meet people, you will usually need to set a date and time. While
making appointments, you should opt for a time convenient for both of you.
Here are a few phrases that you can use while asking people to meet.

Are you free tomorrow?

Can we meet on the 26th?

Are you available tomorrow?

Are you available next Monday?

Are you free this evening?

What about the 15th of this month? Would it suit you?

Is next Monday convenient for you?

Can we meet sometime next week?

Agreeing on a date

Yes, Im free tomorrow.

Yes, we can meet on the 26th.

Yes, next Monday is fine.

No problem, we can meet tomorrow.

Suggesting a different date

Here are a few phrases that you can use to suggest a different date for the
meeting.

Im afraid I cant make it on the 16th. Can we meet on the 17th or 18th?

Monday isnt quite convenient for me. Could we meet on Tuesday instead?

15th is going to be a little difficult. Cant we meet on the 16th?

Changing the arrangement

Here is how to make changes to an arrangement you have already made.

You know we had agreed to meet on the 15th? Well, Im really sorry. I cant
make it after all. Some urgent business has come up. Can we fix another date?

Some urgent business has suddenly cropped up and I wont be able to meet you
tomorrow. Can we fix another time?

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

English letters emails

I would be grateful if you would send me some information on

I would be interested to find out more about

your products / your services / your offers.

 Please could you send me

a brochure / a catalog / your current price list?

REQUESTING SOMETHING

English letters emails

I would be grateful if you would

Would you / Could you please

It would be great if you would

REQUESTING A QUOTE

English letters emails

Please could you send me a quote for

I would be grateful if you could send me a quote for the following:

CONFIRMING

English letters emails

I am pleased to confirm that

I just wanted to

confirm the meeting / our appointment

REFERRING TO ATTACHMENTS / ENCLOSURES

English letters emails

Please find attached

 Please find enclosed

THANKING

English letters emails

I would like to express my sincere thanks for

I am deeply grateful for

Thanks very much for

CONGRATULATING

English letters emails

I would like to wish you a very happy

birthday / anniversary

I am writing to send you my warmest congratulations on

your promotion /anniversary / new venture / new job.

I wish you all the best for

your retirement / new job.

INVITING

English letters emails

You are warmly invited to

I would be delighted if you would join us / me for

 Would you like to

MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

English letters emails

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person.

Would you like to get together for lunch / coffee / dinner to discuss
this in person?

When are you free this week?

It would be great if we could arrange to meet sometime. When are

you available?

GIVING BAD NEWS

English letters emails

I (deeply) regret to inform you that

Unfortunately we have no choice but to

Unfortunately

COMPLAINING

English letters emails

Your product / your service regretably did not meet my

expectations.

I am (deeply) disspointed in

I regret that I must call your attention to

 I would be grateful if you could look into this.

APOLOGIZING

English letters emails

Please accept my sincere apologies for

the misunderstanding / the mistake.

I apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause / have

caused.

I am very sorry about

Sorry about

the mix up / misunderstanding / mistake.

Ejemplos:

I'd like to make an appointment with Dr. Bill

I'd like to schedule a meeting with Ms. Terry

Could I schedule a time to meet with Mr. East?

What time is best for you?

When would be a good time for you?

Would 9:00 on Thursday be okay?

He'll be in on Tuesday

His schedule is open all day Monday.

She's free any day but Wednesday

Dr. Itup will be away until Friday

Will Mr. Rodgers be in tomorrow?

Is he available next Wednesday?

Does he have any openings on Tuesday?

Does she have any time on Thursday?

Sorry, her calendar is full on Monday.

She will be out on Wednesday.

He doesn't have time on Tuesday.

How about Friday at 4:00?

Thursday at 10:00 will be fine.

Friday at 11:00 sounds good.

Okay. Tuesday morning at 9.

Monday at 8:00 is not good for me.

Wednesday is not posible

Business English - Making Appointments

Asking for an appointment.....

Formal situations
I would like to arrange an appointment to discuss....
Please would you indicate a suitable time and place to meet?

Neutral
Would it be possible to meet on (date) at your / our offices to discuss...?

Informal
Can we meet (up) to talk about...?

Requesting an appointment

If possible, I would like to come by and see you [tomorrow]?

I was wondering if we could get together [on Tuesday]?
Do you think we could get together [next week]?
Do you mind if we get together [sometime]?
Could I visit you [later today]?
Could I meet with you about this?
Can we get together and talk about this?
Is there a good time for us to get together [on Monday]?

Are you

available on these dates

available on the 17th?
available next ...
free on ...
free next ...

Can we

have a meet now.

have a meeting on 20th May 2015.
have a meeting next Sunday
meet on Monday.
meet next week.
fix an appointment on Sunday
fix an appointment next Monday

Will it be convenient for you if

Is it okay with you if

we can meet on...

we can meet next...

I would like to

fix/make/arrange an appointment with you on/next Monday.

Responding to the request.

Ok, I'll be free all Wednesday afternoon.

Yes, I am free on.../next...
Yes, I am free on.../next..
All right, what time shall we make it?
Yes, I'm free then.
No, not yet. What's up?
Sorry, I'm not free. I will have a meeting.
Let me see. Today is not so good. / Today won't do. / Today is a bit of problem,
I'm afraid.
Sorry, I'm being pressed for time.
Sorry, I won't be back until next Tuesday.
I'm afraid, not in the morning/ afternoon/ today.
Sorry, but that's taken too. / I am engaged at that time. / I have got another
appointment.
Sorry, I am ( He is) not available before 7:00 p.m.

Confirming and Agreeing on time and place

Yes, this afternoon is perfect.

Okay. I will see you next week at around 3 P.M.
Sure, you may come meet me at the office.
Yes, Thursday is fine.
Friday would be nice to meet.
You are most welcome to come at your convenience.
All right. I'll see you there.
I'll be there at U-Hotel at 7P.M.
I'll wait for you there.
It's a deal.
No, problem. I am free on that day.

Disagreeing on time and/or place and suggesting another date and

place.

I'm sorry I can't on the 9th. How about the 12th?

I'm sorry I am not free on that day but I will be the next day.
Ah, Wednesday is going to be a little difficult for me. I'd much prefer Friday if it's
alright with you.
I can't make it at that time. Suppose I come over at 3 tomorrow afternoon?

Disagreeing on time and/or place and suggesting another date and

place (2)

How about meeting you at 5p.m.today at the lobby?

I really don't think I can make it on the 16th. Can we meet upon the 19th?
I am very sorry but I have arranged another meeting on that day.
I wish I could, but, I have to be away on that day.
Let me see. Today is not so good.

Disagreeing on time and/or place and suggesting another date and

place (3)

Today won't do.

Today is a bit of problem, I'm afraid.
Sorry, I'm being pressed for time.
Sorry, I won't be back until next Tuesday.
I'm afraid, not in the morning/ afternoon/ today.
Sorry, but that's taken too.
So sorry I am engaged at that time.
What a pity I have got another appointment.
Sorry, I am ( He is) not available before 7:00 p.m.

Canceling an appointment

Sorry, can we make some other time because I really need to finish something
at the office?
I am sorry I have to cancel our appointment. We have to make it some other
time when I have the time.
Could we meet another time because I am too busy right now?
Would you prefer some other time. Is that all right? I need to catch a flight to
Chiang Mai now.
I have something urgent tomorrow, so the appointment will have to be
canceled.
Let's postpone our appointment, if you don't mind.

Request for information

I am writing to inquire about . . .

I am writing in reference to . . .

I read/heard . . . and would like to know . . .

Could you please send me . . .

at the address below/above

Thank you for your assistance.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Response to request

Thank you for your interest/inquiry

Enclosed is the information you requested.

You can learn more about this at . . .

If you have further questions,

If you require assistance, please contact:

If I can be of more help, please feel free to contact me at . . .

Sample Sentences: Requests

Could you please send me your most recent brochure?

Could you fax me the results of the market survey?

I would like to order ten copies of the book, Touchy Situations.

I would be very grateful if you could send me this information.

Please return the enclosed envelope with your payment.

Sample Sentences: Goodwill

Thank you for your hospitality.

I enjoyed having lunch with you last week while I was in New York.

Congratulations on your promotion to General Manager.

I want(ed) to congratulate you on your new position.

I was happy to hear that contract negotiations went well.

Sample Sentences: Introduction of Product/Service.

I am writing to tell you about . . .

(Our new product) is coming out next month.

This product/service is designed to (help you) . . .

Sample Sentences: Reference

I am writing in regard to . . .

I am writing in reference to . . .

Please refer to the enclosed invoice/brochure.

I hope you have had a chance to look over the materials we sent.
Sample Sentences: Confirmation

I am writing to confirm . . .

I would like to confirm what we discussed last Friday.

I would just like to confirm the main points we discussed . . .

Sample Sentences: Notification

I am writing to let you know that . . .

Please be aware/informed that . . .

I would like to inform you of a recent policy change.

I am happy to inform

you that . . .

Your request for funding has been approved.

Sample Sentences: Offering Assistance

We would be happy to . . .

If we can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sample Sentences: Collection

According to our records . . .

Our records show that . . .

Your monthly installment is past due.

Please send payment as soon as possible.

Expressions for thanking

Thank you for your help. / time / assistance / support

I really appreciate the help. / time / assistance / support youve given me.

Thank you once more for your help in this matter.

Expressions with a future focus

I look forward to hearing from you soon / meeting you next Tuesday.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Im looking forward to your reply.

We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.

We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.

Please advise as necessary.

I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

Expressions for showing them you want to help

If I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.

If you require any further information, let me know.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any further information.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

I hope the above is useful to you.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please contact me if there are any problems.

Let me know if you need anything else

Drop me a line if I can do anything else for you.

At the beginning of an email : Thank the reader is a good way to start the email,
thank the reader may make the reader feel happy, especially when you ask for
some help later.

Some commonly used sentences for starting an email:

Thank you for contacting us. -- If someone writes an email to ask for the service
of the company, you can use this sentence to start.

Thank you for your prompt reply. -- When a client or colleague replies your
email very fast, remember to thank him/her. If they don't reply in time, just
remove the prompt, You can say "Thank you for getting back to me".

Thank you for providing the requested information. -- If you ask somebody for
some information and he/she spends some time on finding the information, you
can use this sentence to thank him/her.

Thank you for all your assistance. -- If someone gives you some special help,
them you must thank them. If you want to express your special thanks, use " I
truly appreciate your help in resolving the problem" .

Thank you for your feedback --Even if someone gives some criticisms, you still
need to thank him/her.

At the end of an email : At the beginning of an email, you thank others for what
they did in the past. While at the end of the email, you thank others for what the
will do in the future.

Some commonly used sentences for ending an email::

Thank you for your kind cooperation. -- If you ask the reader for help.

Thank you for your attention to the matter.

Thank you for your understanding

Thank you for your consideration

Thank you again for everything you've done.

Expressions in 10 situations

1. Greeting message

Hope you have a good trip back

How are you?

How is the project going?

2. Initiate a meeting

I suggest we have a call tonight at 9:30pm with you and Brown. Please let me
know if the time is okay for you and Brown.

I would like to hold a meeting in the afternoon about our development planning
for the project A

We'd like to have the meeting on Thu Oct 30. Same time

Let's have a meeting next Monday at 5:80 pm SLC time

I want to talk to you over the phone regarding issues about report development
and the XXX project

3. Seeking for more information/feedback/suggestions/

Should you have any problem accessing the folders, please let me know

Thank you and look forward to having your opinion on the estimation and
schedule

Look forward to your feedback and suggestions soon

What is your opinion on the schedule and next steps we proposed?

What do you think about this?

Feel free to give your comments

Any question, please don't hesitate to let me know

Any question, please let me know

Please contact me if you have any questions

Please let me know if you have any questions on this

Your comments and suggestions are welcomed

Please let me know what you think.

Do you have any idea about this?

It would be nice if you could provide a bit more information on the user's
behavior

At your convenience, I would really appreciate you looking into this

matter/issue.

4. Give feedback

Please see comments below

My answers are in blue below

5. Attachment

I enclose the evaluation report for your reference

Attached please find today's meeting notes

The attachment is the design document, please review it.

For other known issues related to individual features, please see attached
release notes

6 Point listing

We would like to finish following tasks by the end of day: 1....2.....

Some known issues in this release: 1....2....

Our team here reviewed the newest SCM policy and has following
concerns:1....2....

Here are some more questions/issues for your team:1....2....

The current status is as following: 1....2....

Some items need your attention: 1....2.....

7. Raise question

I have some questions about the report XX-XXX

For the assignment ABC, I have the following questions

8. Proposal

For the next step of platform implementation, I am proposing...

I suggest we can have weekly project meeting over the phone call in the near
future

Achievo team suggest to adopt option A to solve outstanding issue...

9. Thanks note

Thank you so much for the cooperation

Thanks for the information

I really appreciate the effort you all made for the sudden and tight project

Thank you for your attention

Your kind assistance on this is very much appreciated

Really appreciate your help

10. Apology

I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding

I apologize for the late asking but we want to make sure the correctness of our
implementation ASAP

Expresion I appreciate your help" or "Thank you so much" or "I'm very

grateful"

Thank you for the information

If you have asked someone for information, and they took the time to send it to
you, use this sentence to demonstrate that you value what theyve done. Again,
you can use about or regarding to refer to the specific information provided.
For example Thank you for the information about your current pricing.

Thank you for all your assistance

If someone has gone out of their way to help you, thank them! If you want to
offer more specific recognition for what they have done, follow this sentence
with, I really appreciate your help in resolving the problem.

Thank you for contacting us

If someone writes to enquire about your companys services, begin your email
with this sentence. Show your appreciation for their interest in working with your
company. This is also a useful way to introduce the main topic of your email
when used with the prepositions about or regarding. For example, Thank
you for contacting us regarding our current products and prices.

Thank you for your prompt reply

When a client or colleague replies to a previous email in a short amount of time,

let them know and thank them. If the reply wasnt quick, simply removing
prompt will work, or, you can opt for, Thank you for getting back to me.

Thank you for the information

If you have asked someone for information, and they took the time to send it to
you, use this sentence to demonstrate that you value what theyve done. Again,
you can use about or regarding to refer to the specific information provided.
For example Thank you for the information about your current pricing.

Thank you for all your assistance

If someone has gone out of their way to help you, thank them! If you want to
offer more specific recognition for what they have done, follow this sentence
with, I really appreciate your help in resolving the problem.

Thank you raising your concerns

Even if a client or manager writes to express some concerns they have regarding
your work, you can still thank them. This shows that you value their input and
will take their concerns seriously. Alternatively, you may wish to use, Thank
you for your feedback.

While thank yous at the beginning of an email are typically written to thank the
reader for past actions, thank yous at the end of an email tend to imply you are
thanking the reader for a future action. By showing your appreciation in
advance, you are more likely to get a positive reaction.

Thank you for your kind cooperation

If you need the reader to cooperate by assisting you with something, then thank
them in advance for their cooperation. You can add the expression in advance
to this sentence and say Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter

Similar to above, this sentence implies that you would appreciate the readers
further assistance. This expression also shows that the request you have made
is important and that the reader should pay special attention to it.

Thank you for your understanding

This sentence isnt to congratulate the reader on understanding the words you
have written. We use this sentence to say Thank you in advance if we have
done something or requested something that may cause inconvenience to the
reader.

Thank you for your consideration

If you are requesting a benefit or an opportunity, such as when you apply for a
new job, end your email with this sentence.

Thank you again for everything youve done

This sentence, which is used at the end, is a bit different from those above. Use
this if you have already thanked the reader at the beginning of the email, but
due to their great efforts, you wish to thank them again for their past actions.