On the Phone: Rescheduling an Appointment
You have a dentist appointment in Seattle on Friday, but something came up at work. Practice calling the office to move it to next week. · B1 · Role-Play
How to practice: first listen to the whole dialogue. Then play BOTH roles out loud — or take one role and answer the other from memory. When it flows, record the full dialogue below.
A Good morning, Seattle Dental Care. This is Lisa. How may I help you?
B Hi, Lisa. My name is David Clark. I have an appointment on Friday at ten.
A Yes, Mr. Clark, I see it here. Is there a problem?
B I’m afraid I can’t make it. A meeting came up at work. Could I reschedule?
A Of course. Would next week work for you?
B Yes. Do you have anything on Tuesday morning?
A I have nine fifteen or eleven thirty on Tuesday.
B Eleven thirty is perfect for me.
A Done. You’re booked for Tuesday the fourteenth at eleven thirty.
B Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
A You’re welcome. We’ll send you a reminder text on Monday.
B That’s great. Have a nice day!
The full dialogue with real voices. Listen first, then take your role.
Record yourself, play it back, and compare with the model. Recordings stay in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Your task
Practice the call with your phone in your hand but nobody on the line. Say B’s part once while reading, then once from memory — phone English must live in your ears, not on the page.
Coach tips
- Spell names clearly on the phone: “Clark — C-L-A-R-K.” Americans do this all the time.
- Learn the softener “I’m afraid I can’t make it” — it sounds polite, never rude.
- Say times in chunks: “eleven thirty,” not “eleven point thirty.”