Scheduling an appointment with a client
Read/Listen first
Jennifer is looking at her weekly planner on Monday morning. She has a conference on Tuesday, a production meeting on Wednesday afternoon and several phone calls on Friday. She wants to visit her client, Mr Gomez, before the end of the week. She calls him and asks, “Are you free this week for an appointment?” He checks his schedule and says, “Hmm, I am not free tomorrow. I am on the train all day.” Jennifer looks again and says, “How about Thursday at eleven in the morning?” Mr Gomez thinks for a moment, checks his calendar and replies, “Ok, that’s fine. I am free on Thursday at that time.” Jennifer writes the appointment in her planner in big letters and underlines it twice so she will not forget it. With the new appointment on the page, her week looks busy but clear and easy to understand.
⚡ Learning goals
- Can ask if a business partner is free on a specific day or time.
- Can refuse an appointment and offer another day or time politely.
- Can read a simple weekly planner and talk about a busy or free week.
✨ Key language
- Are you free on … ? “Are you free on Thursday morning?”
- How about … ? “How about Thursday at eleven?”
- I’m not free, I’m busy. “I’m not free tomorrow, I’m busy on the train.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Questions with “Are you free/available?”
Rule: Use Are you free/available to ask if someone has time for an appointment.Examples: Are you free this week for an appointment?; Are you available on Thursday morning?; Are you free tomorrow afternoon?
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often forget the verb are. — Start the question with Are + subject + free/available.
Choose the correct question to ask about time.
Tip: Start the question with Are + you.
Fill with the best answer: ___ you available this week?
Tip: Use Are you to start the question.
2️⃣ Time expressions with “on” and “at”
Rule: Use on with days and at with clock times to talk about appointments.Examples: on Monday; on Thursday morning; at eleven; at four pm.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often mix the prepositions. — Remember: on + day, at + exact time.
Choose the best option to complete the sentence: The meeting is ___.
Tip: Use on with the day and at with the time.
Fill with the best answer: The conference is ___.
(day: Friday, time: afternoon)Tip: Combine the day with on and the period of the day.
3️⃣ Present simple for fixed schedules
Rule: Use the present simple to talk about fixed meetings, trains and conferences in a timetable.Examples: The train leaves at eight nineteen.; The conference starts at eleven.; She has a meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes add will. — For fixed schedules, use the present simple without will.
Choose the correct sentence about a timetable.
Tip: For fixed schedules, use the present simple form.
Fill with the best answer: She ____ a meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Tip: Use the present simple: has, not will have.
4️⃣ Offering another day or time
Rule: Use How about … ? or What about … ? to propose a new appointment when the first time is not possible.Examples: How about Thursday at eleven?; What about tomorrow afternoon?; How about this week on Friday?
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget to repeat the day or the time. — Include both a clear day and time in your offer.
Choose the best way to offer a new appointment.
Tip: Start with How about or What about and add day and time.
Fill with the best answer: ______ Thursday at eleven?
Tip: Use How about or What about plus the day and time.
✍️ Vocabulary
appointment
Meaning: a meeting arranged at a specific day and time.Synonyms: meeting, session, visit
Chunk/Idiom: make an appointment with a client
Example: I have an appointment on Thursday at eleven.
Morphology: noun; countable noun
Self-practice: Write two appointments in your own planner and say them aloud.
free
Meaning: not busy; having time available.Synonyms: available, open, not occupied
Chunk/Idiom: be free on Thursday morning
Example: I am free on Thursday morning for a visit.
Morphology: adjective; comparative freer; superlative freest
Self-practice: Say three times when you are free this week.
busy
Meaning: having many things to do; not free.Synonyms: occupied, engaged, tied up
Chunk/Idiom: be busy on Tuesday afternoon
Example: He is busy on Tuesday afternoon on the train.
Morphology: adjective; comparative busier; superlative busiest
Self-practice: Say three moments this week when you are busy.
planner
Meaning: a book or digital tool for organising days, weeks and months.Synonyms: diary, calendar, schedule book
Chunk/Idiom: write it in your planner
Example: She writes the new meeting in her planner.
Morphology: noun; countable noun
Self-practice: Describe how you use a planner in your daily work.
tomorrow
Meaning: the day after today.Synonyms: the next day, the following day, the day after today
Chunk/Idiom: tomorrow afternoon / tomorrow morning
Example: I am not free tomorrow, I am travelling.
Morphology: adverb; sometimes noun
Self-practice: Say three things you must do tomorrow using full sentences.
afternoon
Meaning: the period from about twelve to six in the day.Synonyms: midday, daytime, later day
Chunk/Idiom: Thursday afternoon meeting
Example: The production meeting is on Wednesday afternoon.
Morphology: noun; usually singular
Self-practice: Plan one professional activity for each afternoon this week.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
Are you free this week for an appointment?
I am busy tomorrow, but I am free on Thursday.
How about Thursday at eleven in the morning?
She writes the new meeting in her weekly planner.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct question to ask a client.
Tip: Remember the order Are + you + adjective.
The appointment is ___.
Tip: Use on with the day and at with the time.
Fill with the best answer:
___ free on Friday morning.Tip: Start with I am to make the sentence correct.
Fill with the best answer:
She ___ a conference on Tuesday.Tip: Use the present simple: has.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
In the text, Jennifer cannot meet tomorrow because she is ___.
Tip: Look for the opposite of free in the mini text.
What does Jennifer use to see all her meetings for the week?
Tip: Think of the object where we write our appointments.
Fill with the best answer:
She writes the appointment in her ______.Tip: Use the word that means a schedule book.
Fill with the best answer:
On Thursday at eleven, she is ______.Tip: Look at how Mr Gomez answers in the mini text.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Are you free this week for an appointment?B: Hmm, I am busy tomorrow. How about Thursday at eleven?
A: Ok, that’s fine. I will write it in my planner.
Why this matters:
Clear questions about time help you organise your week. Polite refusals and new offers keep business relationships positive. Using the correct prepositions makes your appointments easy to understand.Verb & Adjective Pack:
be free — I am free on Thursday morning.be busy — He is busy on Tuesday afternoon.
schedule — We schedule a visit every month.
organise — She organises her week in a planner.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: ______ Friday at three in the afternoon?
Tip: Use How about plus day and time.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: I no free tomorrow afternoon.
Tip: Remember to use am not after I.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
The appointment is on Thursday at eleven.
Tip: Pay attention to the prepositions on and at.