[Business English Meetings] How to Reschedule a Meeting in English: Useful Phrases for Moving Meetings Up or Back

In the workplace, we often need to schedule meetings, and with busy work schedules, we may also find ourselves needing to “reschedule a meeting.” When we need to change a meeting time, what is the most polite way to notify everyone? Keep reading to learn how to politely reschedule a meeting in English!

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When to Notify Others About a Meeting Change

First, we should send an email or announcement as soon as possible to notify attendees about the schedule change, giving them enough time to rearrange their schedules. Since a schedule change may affect other people’s work arrangements, we should send the meeting rescheduling notice as early as possible.

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Subject Line for a Meeting Rescheduling Email or Announcement

When sending an English email about a meeting reschedule, the subject line should clearly indicate that the meeting time has changed, while the email itself should clearly provide the relevant details. When necessary, we should also emphasize the urgency of the message. This can help prevent recipients from overlooking the notification while also saving them time when reading it.

_{Reschedule (v.) 改期}

_{When we need to reschedule the 【8/17 sales meeting】:
❌  Meeting Reschedule
✔   Rescheduling 8/17 Sales Meeting}

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Content of a Meeting Rescheduling Notice

Before writing a meeting rescheduling notice, let's first review some English words and phrases for moving a meeting “earlier” or “later.”

Moving a Meeting Earlier:

_{■  (to) bring forward
We need to bring forward our meeting from 4 p.m. to 11 a.m.
我們需將下午四點的會議，提前至上午十一點。}

_{■  (to) move up
Can we move our meeting up to 3 p.m.?
是否方便將會議提前至下午三點嗎？}

_{■  (to) prepone (commonly used in India; uncommon in North America and Europe)
Helen wants to prepone her scheduled visit by one day.
Helen 希望將她的拜訪行程提前一天開始。}

Moving a Meeting Later:

_{■  (to) push back
Can I push the sales meeting back to tomorrow?
是否方便將業務會議時間，延後至明天呢？}

_{■  (to) put off
Ann's presentation has been put off to 5 p.m. today.
Ann 的報告，已延至今日下午五點。}

_{■  (to) postpone
Kelly decided to postpone the deadline until next Friday.
Kelly 決定將截止日期延至下周五。}

When writing an English email about rescheduling a meeting, the key writing principles are similar to those of most business emails: maintain a friendly tone and provide important information clearly and concisely.

Let's review the basic structure and key points of a business email:

_■  Further reading: 【Business English Writing】How to Write a Professional English Email: 5 Essential Tips from Opening to Closing

_■  Further reading: 【Business English Writing】How to Write an English Email: Professional Examples

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Depending on whether the situation is “formal” or “informal,” use the structures and English expressions below to write your meeting rescheduling notice.

Opening 【開頭】

Formal

_{╴ Dear team,
╴ Good afternoon everyone,} 

Informal

_{╴ Hi all,
╴ Hey everyone,}

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Say something nice 【友善問候】

Formal

_{╴ I hope this email finds you well.
╴ I hope your week is going well.}

Informal

_{╴ Hope you had a great weekend!
╴ Hope you're having a great day!}

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Apologize 【致歉】

Formal

_{Regretfully,
I regret to say,
Unfortunately,}

Informal

_{╴ I'm sorry to...
╴ I'm sorry that...}

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Say why 【說明原因】

Formal

_{╴ Due to unforeseen circumstances,
╴ As a result of an airline delay,}

Informal

_{╴ As..., we'll have to...
╴ Because...,}

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Propose a New Date and Time 【提出新的會議日期與時間】

Formal

_{╴ I propose...
╴ I can offer the following dates...}

Informal

_{╴ Would ... work for everyone?}

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Offer Future Help 【提供協助】

Formal

_{╴ If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.}

Informal

_{╴ If anyone has questions, I'd be happy to answer them.}

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Closing 【結尾】

Formal

_{╴ Best / Kind / Warm regards.}

Informal

_{╴ Regards / Cheers!}

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Meeting Rescheduling Email Examples

Formal email:

<sub>【Subject】Reschedule of team meeting on 9/28 
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‍Good afternoon everyone, I hope your day’s going well.
午安，希望各位今日一切順利。

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, this week’s meeting will need to be postponed to next week. I propose Tuesday at 9 am, as this time seems to be free for most of you.
十分抱歉，因發生了非預期的情況，原定於本週的會議時間，將延後至多數人方便的「下周二早上九點」舉行。

If you have any questions or need a different day/time, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. 
若您對於日程上的安排，有任何問題，請隨時與我聯繫。

Thank you and best regards, 
Jim Davis</sub>

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Informal email:

<sub>【Subject】Reschedule of team meeting on 9/28 

‍Hi team, I hope you enjoyed your weekends!
夥伴好，希望你們都有愉快的周末！

I’m really sorry, but we’ll need to push back our business lunch on 9/28 as I have an urgent client meeting on that day.  
不好意思，由於我臨時需參加一場客戶會議，原定於 9/28 的午餐會議，將延後舉行。

Would 9/29 work for everyone?
若我們將午餐會議延至 9/29，各位是否方便呢？

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you’d prefer a different day.
如有任何問題，或是有其他的建議日期，請再讓我知道。

Thanks!
Jim</sub>

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Boost your Business English

Rescheduling a meeting may cause inconvenience for others, so regardless of your role, you should express your apology in the meeting rescheduling notice and politely explain the change. By referring to the vocabulary, structure, and email examples above, you can write a polished notice for “rescheduling a meeting.”

_■  Further reading: 【Business English Meetings】How to Schedule a Meeting, Set a Meeting Time, and Send a Meeting Invitation in English

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