Confirming a Business Appointment

Read/Listen first

Laura is on the phone with a new client in London. She has already sent two emails to confirm their first meeting, but the client was travelling and did not answer. Now she is looking at her online calendar while she speaks. She says, “So we are meeting on Thursday, March fourteenth at three thirty in the afternoon, right?” The client hesitates and explains that he had to change the time last week. He says the meeting was planned for the morning, but they have moved it to four thirty. Laura corrects the note in her calendar and repeats the details. She wants to be sure she has not made a mistake again, so she asks one more time. The client laughs and says, “Don’t worry, I would never forget an important appointment like this.” She knows she should double-check the date and time before she leaves the office.

⚡ Learning goals

• I can confirm the date and time of a business meeting on the phone.
• I can correct a mistake in an appointment and restate the details clearly.
• I can understand common phrases when someone checks a meeting in their calendar.

✨ Key language

• So we are meeting on… “So we are meeting on Thursday at four thirty.”
• Actually, it was… “Actually, it was planned for the morning.”
• I just wanted to check… “I just wanted to check the date and time.”

⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures

1️⃣ Past simple for past arrangements

Rule: Use the past simple to talk about finished actions and arrangements at a specific time in the past.
Examples: Laura called the client last week.; The meeting was planned for the morning.; He changed the time yesterday.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use present simple for finished actions — remember to use the past form of the verb (for example: planned, changed, was).

2️⃣ Present perfect for recent changes

Rule: Use the present perfect to connect a past action to now, especially for recent changes or results.
Examples: She has already sent two emails.; They have moved the meeting to four thirty.; He has changed the calendar entry.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “has” or “have” — always use has/have + past participle (for example: has sent, have moved).

3️⃣ Future with going to

Rule: Use “going to” to talk about future plans and appointments that are already decided.
Examples: We are going to meet on Thursday afternoon.; She is going to check the calendar again.; They are going to call the client tomorrow.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use only “going” — remember to use be + going to + verb (for example: are going to meet).

4️⃣ Modals: had to / should / would

Rule: Use “had to” for past obligation, “should” for present advice, and “would” for polite promises or imaginary situations.
Examples: He had to change the time last week.; She knows she should double-check the date.; He said he would never forget the appointment.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes mix modals with normal past forms — keep the modal and use the base verb after it (for example: should check, would forget).

✍️ Vocabulary

  appointment

Meaning: a planned meeting at a specific time and place.
Synonyms: meeting, session, booking.
Chunk/Idiom: make an appointment with a client.
Example: She checked the appointment in her calendar before calling.
Morphology: noun; countable; plural: appointments.
Self-practice: Write one sentence about an important appointment this week.

  calendar

Meaning: a chart or app that shows days, weeks, and months.
Synonyms: schedule, planner, agenda.
Chunk/Idiom: look at the calendar to find a free day.
Example: Laura is looking at the calendar while she speaks.
Morphology: noun; countable; plural: calendars.
Self-practice: Describe how you use a calendar at work or school.

  confirm

Meaning: to check and say that something is correct or true.
Synonyms: verify, check, approve.
Chunk/Idiom: confirm the date and time of the meeting.
Example: She called to confirm the appointment with the client.
Morphology: verb; regular; past: confirmed.
Self-practice: Say one sentence to confirm a meeting with a partner.

  Thursday

Meaning: the fifth day of the working week in many countries.
Synonyms: weekday, workday, business day.
Chunk/Idiom: meet on Thursday afternoon with a client.
Example: They are going to meet on Thursday at four thirty.
Morphology: noun; proper; plural: Thursdays.
Self-practice: Make one sentence about what you usually do on Thursday.

  double-check

Meaning: to check something again to be very sure it is correct.
Synonyms: review, verify, recheck.
Chunk/Idiom: double-check the time before you leave the office.
Example: She will double-check the details before the meeting starts.
Morphology: verb; regular; past: double-checked.
Self-practice: Write one thing you should double-check before a meeting.

  client

Meaning: a person or company that buys your professional services.
Synonyms: customer, buyer, partner.
Chunk/Idiom: speak to an important client on the phone.
Example: The client laughed and said the meeting time was fine.
Morphology: noun; countable; plural: clients.
Self-practice: Describe one client you often speak to at work.

☁️ Examples (+ audio)

🔊 Play So we are meeting on Thursday at four thirty.

🔊 Play She has already sent two emails to confirm the meeting.

🔊 Play They have moved the appointment to the afternoon.

🔊 Play You should double-check the date before you leave.

✏️ Exercises

Grammar

Vocabulary & Comprehension

✅ Guided practice

Mini-dialogue:

A: Hi, I just wanted to check our meeting time for Thursday.
B: Sure, we are meeting at four thirty in the afternoon.
A: Great, I will double-check my calendar before I leave the office.

Why this matters:

Confirming appointments helps you avoid mistakes, respect other people’s time, and feel more confident in business calls.

Verb & Adjective Pack:

confirm — Please confirm the date with the client today.
reschedule — We might reschedule the meeting for next week.
confident — She feels confident when she knows the details.

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