Email to dental office to reschedule an appointment (CLB 7)
Task prompt
You have a dental appointment next Monday at 2:00 p.m., but a work meeting has been scheduled at the same time and you cannot change it. Write an email to your dental office explaining the conflict, apologizing for the short notice, and asking to reschedule.
Your task
Write a semi-formal email to reschedule a dental appointment. Your email must:
- Explain why you cannot keep the appointment
- Apologize for the short notice
- Ask to reschedule and suggest some availability
- Be polite and concise
Word count target: 100–130 words
Model answer (CLB 7)
Subject: Appointment Reschedule Request — Monday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m.
Dear Sunridge Dental Team,
I am writing to request a reschedule of my appointment on Monday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m. Unfortunately, a mandatory work meeting has just been scheduled for the same time, and I am unable to miss it.
I sincerely apologize for the short notice and understand that this may be inconvenient. I would be grateful if I could reschedule to later in the week. I am available on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon after 3:00 p.m., or any time on Friday.
Thank you for your understanding, and I hope to find a time that works for both of us.
Regards, Yuki Tanaka Patient ID: 88-4401
Why this scores CLB 7
| CLB Criterion | What this response does well |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Clear reschedule request with reason |
| Detail | Specific date, time, reason, patient ID, alternative availability |
| Organization | Problem → apology → request → availability → close |
| Tone | Polite, acknowledges inconvenience to the other party |
| Vocabulary | ”mandatory,” “sincerely apologize,” “inconvenient” |
| Grammar | Accurate use of conditionals and polite requests |
Common mistakes at CLB 5–6
| Weak version | Why it loses marks |
|---|---|
| ”I can’t come Monday. Call me.” | Rude and incomplete |
| No apology | The prompt says “apologizing for short notice” — this is required |
| Not offering alternative times | Makes the office do extra work — a professional always offers availability |
| ”I have a meeting” (no further context) | Adding “mandatory” signals you cannot change it — important for credibility |
Examiner tip
Rescheduling emails seem simple but many test-takers lose marks by omitting the apology or forgetting to suggest alternative times. Both are explicitly in the prompt. Read the prompt carefully and treat each instruction as a required element. Missing even one drops your completeness score by at least one CLB level.