Urgent Message Voicemail
You have an urgent but non-emergency message for someone, perhaps about a change in plans or a critical piece of information. You need to convey the urgency clearly.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
unexpected
Something that happens suddenly and is not planned, like a surprise problem. Use it when describing sudden changes in plans.
came up
An informal phrase meaning something arises or happens unexpectedly. It's common in casual conversations about issues that appear.
urgent
Describes something that needs immediate attention but is not an emergency. Use it to politely stress importance in messages.
scheduled
Planned or arranged in advance, like a meeting time. It's useful for talking about appointments or events.
absolutely
Used to emphasize strong agreement or necessity, meaning 'completely' or 'definitely'. It adds emphasis in requests or statements.
short notice
A small amount of warning time before something happens. Apologize with this when changes are made suddenly.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hi Lisa, this is John. I'm calling because something unexpected came up regarding our meeting tomorrow.
This is a polite greeting and introduction for a voicemail, explaining the reason for the call. It's useful to start messages clearly; 'came up' is an idiom for sudden issues, and 'regarding' means 'about'. Use it when leaving professional voicemails.
It's pretty urgent. I won't be able to make it for our scheduled 10 AM slot.
Here, 'pretty urgent' softens the urgency to be polite, and 'won't be able to make it' means 'cannot attend'. The grammar uses future tense for plans. This sentence is practical for canceling or changing appointments without sounding too abrupt.
We absolutely need to discuss the project before the end of the day.
This emphasizes importance with 'absolutely need to', using modal 'need to' for obligation. 'Before the end of the day' specifies a deadline. It's useful in business contexts to request urgent discussions and show why the matter is critical.
Is there any way you could possibly meet around 2 PM instead?
A polite request using 'is there any way' for suggestions and 'could possibly' to make it softer. 'Around' means approximately, and 'instead' suggests an alternative. Use this when proposing changes to plans to sound flexible and courteous.
Please give me a call back as soon as you get this message. My number is 555-123-4567.
This is a clear call to action with 'as soon as' meaning immediately after. It includes contact info, essential for voicemails. The imperative 'please give me a call back' is polite. Always end voicemails like this to ensure follow-up.