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?
Speaking about task 1
I don't understand why 'in 2009' is only supposed for the past. I'll be graduated in 2009, for example
Hello Safe_Mode,
It's 2025 so 2009 is in the past and is a finished time. Obviously, if the date were after the current date then it would not be past.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
We are going to set out at dawn tomorrow ------ we have loaded up the car tonight.
Can when be used in the blank in this sentence?
Best regards,
Hello a.kopuz,
When as a time linker suggests that the two events happen at the same time. It's commonly used when one action triggers another:
My wife laughed when I arrived with the flowers.
In your example the two events are separated (tomorrow vs tonight) so when does not fit. Various other linkers are possible, such as after, as or since.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you for your suppport.
“So, if we make this construction based on the Present Perfect tense, can when be used?”
Hello again a.kopuz,
As I said, 'when' suggests that the second action follows the first immediately, so it changes the times of the actions. If you use present perfect it would be like this:
This would mean that you are loading up the car tomorrow and then leaving.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
This lesson is very hard for me, but I can do it.
Hello my Name is gheits en nufus a student in Tanjungpura university, in pontianak city. I'm here I hope can improve my english to be better with this app, hallo every one🙌.
a little bit difficult but not impossible for me.
Having difficulty writing an email