Unit 5: Making arrangements
Making arrangements
Think about these points when the purpose of your email is to make an arrangement.
Useful questions
Here are some typical questions used for making arrangements:
- Are you free next Tuesday afternoon?
- What time would you like to meet?
- When would be convenient for you?
- Could you please let me know?
Expressions of time
Use on with days: Could we meet on Monday?
Use in with months, years and other expressions: I'm going to visit my grandparents in October.
Use at with times and other expressions: Could you please call me at 3pm?
Use next to refer to future times: I hope we can meet again next week.
Use when to start a future time clause: Let's meet again when it is convenient.
Tenses
To speak about a timetable, use the present simple: Next term runs from 1 September until 16 December.
To speak about a future arrangement, use the present continuous: Mr Toshiko is coming to our next meeting.
To speak about a plan, use 'be going to': Next term we are going to learn about pollution.
See the talking about the future page for more practice.
Tenses in complex sentences about the future
Use the present simple after when, if and next time in future time clauses:
- I will call you when I get to the station.
- I'm going to work with my dad when I finish school.
- Let's go for a walk if the weather is good.
- Will you visit the Eiffel Tower next time you are in Paris?
Hello ali shah,
Normally we use an indefinite pronoun in this kind of sentence, so in most cases 2 would be better. There are some contexts, however, when 1 could be correct. For example, if we had been speaking about the two or three different positions Imran could be assigned, we could say 1. But, as I said, in most cases, 2 would probably be best.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello ali shah,
Yes, ellipsis is often used to avoid being redundant. I'm afraid we can't really predict how your teachers will mark your writing, but in general I would encourage you to use ellipsis, but not excessively. I know that's not very specific advice, but there is simply no easy rule to explain it. I think the best thing you can do is pay attention to ellipsis -- or the lack thereof -- as you read in English. For example, in the Orwell quote, as Peter explained, Orwell avoids ellipsis because the repetition emphasises his point and makes the ideas memorable in a way that a more normally phrased sentence would not.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team