How to Organize Time and Schedules in English
Time and schedules in English is a necessary area to master if your job is in English. Learn how to organize (and reorganize!) meetings and appointments, and project pure professionalism when you speak English for work.
Time and schedules in English: The basics
Remember these words when you talk about time and schedules in English?
- “At” is used for a specific time. Imagine pointing to the exact spot on a clock.
E.g. The meeting is at 9am.
- “For” is typically used when scheduling something for the future.
E.g. Can we schedule the meeting for 9am tomorrow?.
- “In” is for parts of the day.
E.g. in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.
(Exception! at night.)
- “On” is for days of the week, and dates in the calendar.
E.g. The meeting is on Monday.
E.g. The meeting is on the 4th of November
(Quick tip for dates in English: remember not to say the number of the month. 01/12 is not “the one of December”, it’s “the first of December”. You need to say the second, third, fourth etc).
Now that you know the basics, you’re ready to organize your time and schedules in English!
Discussing your work hours
A core part of discussing time and schedules in English is expressing your availability and the hours that you normally work. Here are some useful phrases in English.
- Start work
E.g. – What time do you start work? – I start work at 9 AM.
- Finish work
E.g. – What time do you finish work? – I finish work at 6 PM.
- Take a break.
E.g. – What time do you take your break? – I take my break at 1 PM.
We’re just warming up: there are plenty more ways to organize your time and schedules in English.
“Or if you want to speak English for work like a pro, say “Can we move our meeting to an earlier / later time?““
Scheduling a meeting
When you speak English for work, you almost definitely need to schedule meetings and agree on specific time and schedules in English. Here’s how you can do that:
- To suggest a meeting, say:
Let’s schedule a meeting.
Or you can also use the expression “set up” (which means organize).
E.g. Can we set up a meeting?
- To suggest a specific time for your meeting, say “How about…? “
E.g. How about 4:30 on Wednesday?
- To agree to a time, say “Sure, sounds good.” Or “____ works for me”.
E.g. 4.30 works for me.
Great…but what if you need to reschedule when you organize your time and schedules in English?
Rescheduling a meeting
You just realised that you need to reorganize your time and schedules in English. Here are some English phrases to help:
- Explain the situation: “I can’t do _____”
E.g. I can’t do 4.30.
(To “do” a time means to be available at that time.)
- Ask to re-organize: “Can we reschedule?”
Or if you want to speak English for work like a pro, say “Can we move our meeting to an earlier / later time?“
And now refer back to the section “Scheduling a Meeting” to organize the new time and schedules in English!
Time and schedules in English: solved
Now you know the best way to talk about time and schedules in English, you are ready to put these tips into action! However, remember to be kind to yourself, and don’t worry about getting absolutely every sentence correct the next time you speak English for work. The important thing is to practice and improve your language skills as you go along, including when you organize your time and schedules in English.
Susie Shields
I train people to use English in a professional context. In my one-to-one sessions, online course and social media platforms, you’ll master tools to flourish in your English-speaking workplace. From job interviews to work meetings to presentations and more, you’ll prepare for professional challenges and speak with success.
