Words (Core Vocabulary)
- plan / schedule / meet-up / get-together
- appointment / booking / reservation
- availability / time slot / confirmation / reminder
- agenda / location / venue
- reschedule / postpone / cancel
- deadline / notice / policy (cancellation/no-show)
- RSVP (please respond)
- potluck (everyone brings a dish)
- virtual / in-person / hybrid
Phrases (From proposing to confirming)
Proposing
- Are you free on Tuesday afternoon?
- Does 2 p.m. work for you?
- Let’s meet at the library around 4.
- Want to grab coffee sometime this week?
- Could we do earlier/later?
Confirming
- Perfect—let’s lock it in.
- I’ll send a calendar invite with the details.
- See you at 10 a.m. sharp.
- Just a reminder about tomorrow’s meeting.
Rescheduling / Cancelling (polite)
- Something came up—could we reschedule for Thursday?
- I’m running late—ETA 10 minutes. Sorry for the delay.
- Can we push it back half an hour?
- I need to cancel—my apologies for the short notice.
Group plans
- Potluck at my place—RSVP by Friday.
- Any dietary restrictions I should know about?
- Let’s set an agenda so we keep it short.
Contextual Examples (Natural, everyday)
- Are you free on Wednesday at 3?
I can do 3:30—could we do a bit later? - Let’s meet at the café on Main. I’ll send the invite.
- I’m running a few minutes late—thanks for your patience.
- Could we reschedule to next week? Sorry for the inconvenience.
- Potluck on Saturday—bring something vegetarian if you can.
Collocations & Phrases (bold the key words)
Setting things up
- make / book an appointment
- set a time/date
- check availability
- find a time slot
- send a calendar invite
- share the location
Managing changes
- confirm the booking
- reschedule the meeting
- postpone until next week
- cancel with notice
- run late
- push back the start time
Group events
- plan a get-together
- host a potluck
- ask for RSVPs
- set an agenda
- follow up after the meeting
Canadian Cultural Context (How to sound natural & polite)
- Punctuality is appreciated; a quick text if you’re late goes a long way.
- Polite hedging (“Could we…?”, “Would it be okay if…?”) keeps tone friendly.
- No-show policies exist for many clinics/salons—cancel with notice.
- For social plans, RSVP helps hosts plan food/seating.
Extra Mini-Patterns (plug-and-play)
- Propose: “Does Thursday at 2 work for you?”
- Confirm: “Great—I’ll send a calendar invite with the address.”
- Reschedule: “Something came up—could we reschedule for Monday morning?”