![]() So to answer your question, I would use an introductory paragraph and then a bulleted list of options for my client to choose. Finally, you have a situation that most people are not aware of: the date might be different for both parties. In Europe people are used to the 24-hour format but in the USA only people in the military use that format. Then, you need to refer to time in an AM/PM format or in a 24 hour format and this is a cultural issue, more than a language issue. There are significant time differences so 'suitable time' may not exist and people will need to be flexible. To begin with, you have to find a suitable time for two or more busy people. The issue here is not much of English usage but the fact that you are dealing with a complex topic most people think it is not very complex. See: here (funny comic about semicolons). The semicolon is basically the bullet point of a single sentence. This is probably what you are looking for, in fact. Here's my availability for the next two weeks: this Friday after 3pm prior to 5pm next Tuesday any other day after 1pm.Ĭould also use commas instead of semicolons but I believe it's appropriate to use semicolons as a sort of "super comma" when the things you are separating are complex. If I was speaking this to them on the phone, it would sound a lot like me reading that quote as-is. Here's my availability for the next two weeks: If you really need them to understand the full extent of your availability (perhaps because it is very important that you be available to be called at all times) then I really would consider a bulleted list: It's not as accurate but it's simple and probably gives them more than enough options on when to call you. ![]() Unless it's absolutely imperative that they know your every available hour, I would just trim it up a bit:Ĭall me anytime in the next two weeks after 1pm Tokyo time, except I don't need comments like "But bullet lists can actually be better than 'plain English'." I'd like to know "plain English" to express the same thing. Native speakers never bother to use a bullet list like the above for arranging a call in a business scene, for good or bad. In case we use email for arrangement, a single, long and detailed email is preferred over exchanging short ones over and over again. Except, I'll be only available after 3pm this Friday and before 5pm on Tuesday next week.I'll be available only after 1pm every day.(I'm not sure about my schedule for the week after next.) ![]() I'll be available for a phone call for the rest of this week and the next week.It's Wednesday afternoon right now here in Tokyo.I have to tell (perhaps via email) when I'll be available for a call and the condition can easily be as complex as: More often than not, it isn't as simple asįor example, suppose I'm arranging a phone call with someone outside our company, possibly in another continent. In a business scene, we often need to deal with something more complex than some of introductory "business English" texts. ![]()
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