Question
Updated on
2 Dec 2022
- Simplified Chinese (China)
-
English (US)
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Japanese
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English (UK)
Question about English (US)
Does this sound natural?
“I’d like to reserve an eye exam for my cousin.”
Does this sound natural?
“I’d like to reserve an eye exam for my cousin.”
“I’d like to reserve an eye exam for my cousin.”
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2 Dec 2022
Featured answer
- English (US)
No, you don’t “reserve” medical exams. You make appointments for or schedule medical exams.
Highly-rated answerer
- English (US)
No, you don’t “reserve” medical exams. You make appointments for or schedule medical exams.
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 So I have to say these, right?
1. I’d like to make an appointment for an eye exam for my cousin.
2. I’d like to schedule an eye exam for my cousin.
1. I’d like to make an appointment for an eye exam for my cousin.
2. I’d like to schedule an eye exam for my cousin.
- English (US)
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 Thank you. Do these sound natural to you too?
1. I’d like to make an eye appointment for my cousin.
2. I’d like to make an eye exam appointment for my cousin.
1. I’d like to make an eye appointment for my cousin.
2. I’d like to make an eye exam appointment for my cousin.
- English (US)
- English (US)
@studiousboy “An eye exam appointment” is a little wordy, but it’s still fine. The first sentence sounds more natural in my opinion.
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@klassiandreams @bsloan7 Thank you! Can I ask, what’s the difference between “book” and “reserve” when talking about arranging a seat, a room and similar things beforehand?
- English (US)
@studiousboy I don’t think there is a difference, but you’re more likely to hear “reserve a seat” than “book a seat”. I actually don’t think I’ve ever heard “book a seat” 🤔
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 Thank you! But when talking about a room, a table, a performance, a ticket, and a flight, both “book” and “reserve” are natural and common, right?
- English (US)
@studiousboy You can use both “book” and “reserve” for rooms and tables. I’ve only ever heard “book” with flights. But when referring to a flight someone has scheduled, you might hear people calling it a “flight reservation”.
For tickets, I think I’ve heard “reserve” once or twice. But it wasn’t used in a situation where someone was buying tickets. It was used in a situation where tickets were being given away and a person wanted a certain number of tickets to be set aside for them and the people accompanying them.
I guess you could use “book” for a performance if you meant you wanted to hire someone to perform for you. But in that case, it’d be more natural to say “book a *performer*”. I’ve never heard “reserve a performance”. You reserve *seats* at/for a performance. Or you can say “buy tickets for a performance”.
Highly-rated answerer
Read more comments
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 Why do “book” and “reserve” not work for the haircut and doctor situations? I don’t quite understand. What’s the difference between “book/reserve” and “make an appointment”?
- English (US)
@studiousboy
Book/Reserve= to save or buy something in advance
Make an appointment = to schedule a time to meet with someone in order to accomplish something
You can technically say “book an appointment”, but I don’t think it’s as common as “make/schedule an appointment”.
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 Thank you for the great explanation! Then does this sound natural?
“Hi, my cousin has been having an upset stomach recently. I’d like to make an appointment with a doctor for him. Can you arrange it for me as soon as possible?”
“Hi, my cousin has been having an upset stomach recently. I’d like to make an appointment with a doctor for him. Can you arrange it for me as soon as possible?”
- English (US)
@studiousboy It’s fine, but I think this would be a little more natural:
Hi, my cousin has been having an upset stomach recently, so I’d like to make/schedule a doctor’s appointment for him. What's your earliest availability?
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 Thank you! For that last sentence, can I say this instead?
“When’s your earliest availability?”
“When’s your earliest availability?”
- English (US)
@studiousboy Yes, that’s natural too 👍🏾
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
@bsloan7 Thanks! What about these? Do these sound natural too?
1. What’s the earliest time you are available?
2. When’s the earliest time you are available?
1. What’s the earliest time you are available?
2. When’s the earliest time you are available?
- English (US)
@studiousboy Those are okay as well, but of course I think the shorter sentences are better in this situation. Also, these questions would only work if you’re talking to the doctor directly. The others are better if you’re speaking to a receptionist.
“What’s/when’s your earliest availability would be understood as “what openings do you have in the schedule that you maintain (for the doctor) and when is the earliest one” if you’re talking to a receptionist. But you can use them if you’re talking to the doctor himself/herself as well.
“What’s/when’s the earliest time you are available” is a lot more direct. It sounds like you’re asking the person on the other end of the line when he/she is free to do something because the focus is more on “you”.
I hope that’s not too confusing 😅
Highly-rated answerer
- Simplified Chinese (China)
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