In, on or at for time: days, dates and clock times
Choose time prepositions for schedules, learn at night and on Monday morning, and know when no preposition is needed.
Appointment: arrange, change and keep a time
Use appointment for an arranged visit, choose useful booking phrases, and distinguish a meeting from a reservation.
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Learn
Read the examples, then check each idea as you go.
An appointment is an arranged time to meet someone or receive a service. Use it when booking a visit to a dentist, an adviser or a hairdresser, then add the details the other person needs.
An agreed time
An appointment is arranged in advance. The word is a countable noun in this meaning: one appointment, two appointments. Use an before the singular noun when you introduce a visit.
I have an appointment tomorrow morning.
She has two appointments on Thursday.
Arrange the visit
Make, book and schedule can all describe arranging an appointment. Have describes the arrangement after it exists. Choose the verb that matches the stage of the conversation.
I'd like to book an appointment for next week.
I have an appointment at eleven.
Add the person, day and time
Use with before the person you will meet. At can introduce a clock time or a place; on introduces a day or date. For can also introduce the time for which a visit is booked, or its purpose.
My appointment with Dr. Chen is on Tuesday at 9:30.
I booked an appointment for a haircut.
Cancel or reschedule
Cancel an appointment when you no longer want that arranged visit to happen. Reschedule it when you want a different time. A request to reschedule is clearer if you offer a time you can attend.
Please cancel my appointment. I no longer need the consultation.
Could I reschedule my appointment for Friday afternoon?
Keep or miss an appointment
Keep an appointment means attend as agreed. Miss an appointment means fail to attend it. Canceling in advance and missing a visit are different actions; the verb tells the listener what happened.
I left work early so I could keep my appointment.
I wrote down the wrong day and missed my appointment.
Understand by appointment only
A notice saying by appointment only means you need to arrange a time first. It does not tell you the price or promise immediate availability. Ask for an available time before visiting.
Studio visits are by appointment only.
Could I make an appointment to view the apartment?
Appointment, meeting or reservation?
Use appointment for an arranged individual visit or service. Meeting often describes people gathering to discuss something. Reservation is the usual word for holding a restaurant table or a hotel room. Some situations can take more than one word; the purpose helps you choose.
The team has a meeting to plan the next project.
I have a reservation for a table for four.
Recognize the job meaning
Appointment can also mean officially choosing someone for a job, or the job they receive. This meaning often appears in formal announcements. The related verb is appoint. Check whether the sentence describes a visit or a work role.
The school announced Maya's appointment as head teacher.
The school appointed Maya as head teacher.
Practice
Try the questions in order. Use a hint when you need one, then read the explanation after checking.
Use it in your own words
Write a short message to change an appointment. Include the current day and time, ask to reschedule, and offer another time.
Write in English, then compare your writing with the checklist. This activity uses self-review, so it does not give a score.
Check your writing
Read an example response
Hello, I have an appointment with Ms. Li on Wednesday at 2:00. Could I reschedule it for Friday morning? I can come any time after 9:30.
Test
Answer without hints. Your result shows which questions to review; you can change your answers and try again.
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