Lesson 8 of 125 min read
Work, Appointments & Services
Practical vocabulary should make the action easy to understand. Name the problem, its consequence and the response you need instead of relying on a memorised formal sentence.
Understand the pattern
Book an appointment arranges a time; confirm it checks or states that the arrangement stands; reschedule it changes the time; cancel it removes the arrangement. Choose the action first. A polite request to cancel may produce the wrong result if you really need to keep the appointment at another time.
Learn deadline phrases with their participants. Meet a deadline means finish in time; miss a deadline means fail to do so; extend a deadline gives more time. If you cannot finish a task, say what has happened and request a new date. Do not imply an extension has been granted when you have only requested one.
Service remedies also differ. A repair fixes the original item, a replacement supplies another item and a refund returns money. Give the details needed to identify the problem and ask for the remedy you want. Keep the complaint factual; strong emotion alone does not tell the recipient how to resolve it.
Language in context
| Word or pattern | Meaning or use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| reschedule an appointment | Arrange a different time | Could we reschedule the appointment for Thursday? |
| meet / miss a deadline | Finish on time / fail to do so | I need the figures today to meet the deadline. |
| request a refund | Ask for money to be returned | I would like to request a refund for the duplicate charge. |
| resolve an issue | Bring a problem to a satisfactory end | The support team resolved the access issue. |
Worked example
Reason through the choice
You cannot attend Monday's appointment, but still need the service. Write a clear request without cancelling the service entirely.
Answer: Could we reschedule my Monday appointment for a later date? I am available on Thursday afternoon.
Reschedule preserves the intention to attend. Providing availability helps the recipient act. The sentence asks for a change instead of assuming that the new time has already been accepted.
Try it yourself
Write your answers before opening the key. For open responses, the suggested answer is one possible version; keep the meaning and check the target pattern.
- Choose: I finished before Friday, so I met / missed the deadline.
- Ask for another copy of a damaged product using replacement.
- Correct the meaning: I requested an extension, so the deadline has definitely changed.
Check answers and explanations
1. Met. Finishing before the required time satisfies the deadline.
2. Could you send me a replacement for the damaged item? A replacement means another item, rather than a repair or a return of money.
3. I requested an extension, but I am waiting for confirmation. A request alone does not establish that permission has been given.
Use it in your PTE preparation
PTE Academic
These combinations can support examples about employment, scheduling and access to services. Keep practical examples relevant to the question rather than inserting a workplace phrase merely because you have learned it.
PTE Core
Use a short message structure: identify the booking or issue, explain the relevant problem, then request an action. Choose a register suitable for the recipient and preserve any dates or conditions in the prompt.
Recall and transfer
Write two versions of a request to change a meeting: one to a colleague and one to an unfamiliar administrator. Keep the date and requested action identical, while adjusting the greeting and tone.