Coordinating Schedules & Availability
Roommates compare their individual schedules and commitments to find a time slot that works for everyone to do an activity together.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
free
Available and not busy; used to describe when someone has time for activities, like 'Are you free on Saturday?'
tricky
Difficult or complicated to arrange; often used for schedules, as in 'Sunday is a bit tricky because of my plans.'
volunteering
Doing unpaid work to help others or a community; common in discussions about free time, like 'I'm volunteering this afternoon.'
out of town
Away from your home city or area, usually for travel; useful for explaining why you're unavailable, e.g., 'I'm out of town until evening.'
time slot
A specific period of time when everyone is available; practical for planning group activities, like 'We found a time slot on Saturday evening.'
aim for
To plan or target a specific time or goal; used in scheduling, such as 'Let's aim for 6 PM.'
open to
Willing to consider or accept ideas; helpful in group decisions, like 'I'm open to either option.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hey everyone, I was thinking about doing something fun this weekend. Are you guys free on Saturday or Sunday?
This sentence starts a conversation by suggesting a group activity and asking about availability. It's useful for initiating plans with friends. Note the casual 'you guys' for informal groups and the question form to check schedules.
Saturday works for me, I'm pretty open then.
Expresses that a day fits your schedule and you're flexible. 'Works for me' means it's convenient, and 'pretty open' shows high availability. Great for responding positively in planning talks.
I'm the opposite. Saturday I'm volunteering until late afternoon, so I'd prefer Sunday.
Contrasts your availability with others using 'the opposite,' explains a commitment, and states a preference with 'I'd prefer.' This pattern helps when your schedule differs, using 'so' to connect reasons.
Okay, so Saturday evening seems like the only time we all might be able to make it work.
Summarizes group availability and proposes a compromise. 'Make it work' means to arrange it successfully. Useful for finding common ground; 'seems like' softens the suggestion.
Yeah, if we aim for like 6 or 7 PM, that should be fine.
Agrees conditionally with a specific time suggestion. 'Aim for' plans the time, 'like' is casual for approximations, and 'should be fine' shows mild acceptance. Ideal for flexible agreements.
What are we thinking of doing, a movie night or dinner out?
Asks for activity ideas by offering options. 'What are we thinking of doing' invites group input. This is practical for deciding plans after settling on time; uses alternatives with 'or.'