Part 2: Describe a time you missed an important

appointment
Actually, this happened just last week when I was supposed to go to a dentist
appointment to get my tooth fixed because of tooth decay. However, I completely
lost track of time since I was on a holiday with my family in a place that was quite
far away from the city.

The appointment was really important because the decay had been bothering me for a
while, and I didn’t want it to get any worse. Unfortunately, when I missed it, I had to
reschedule, but the dental clinic was fully booked, so it was quite a hassle to find
another slot. Eventually, I managed to get a new appointment, but it was a week later.

To be honest, I felt pretty relieved because, luckily, the tooth didn’t get worse during
that time and the dentist managed to fix it without any complications. But I also felt a
bit guilty since it was totally my fault for forgetting something that important. As the
saying goes, “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”, right? I chose to travel and
had to deal with the consequences. It definitely taught me a lesson — I’ll be more
organized in the future and try not to drop the ball like that again.

Describe a time you missed an important

appointment
Well, this actually happened just last week. I had scheduled a dentist appointment to
get one of my teeth fixed because I’d been dealing with tooth decay for a while. The
appointment was really important since the tooth had started causing discomfort, and I
didn’t want the problem to get any worse.

However, I completely lost track of time because I was on a family holiday in a

province quite far from where I live. To be honest, I was so caught up in enjoying the
trip — visiting new places, trying local food, and spending quality time with my loved
ones — that the appointment just completely slipped my mind. It only hit me when I
got a reminder message from the clinic, but by then, it was already too late.

When I called to reschedule, the receptionist told me the clinic was fully booked for
the entire week. It was honestly a real hassle because the dentist I usually go to is
very popular, and finding another available slot was incredibly difficult. After several
calls back and forth, I eventually managed to secure a new appointment — but it was
a week later than originally planned.

I have to say, I felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, I was quite anxious because I
was worried the delay might make the tooth condition worse. On the other hand, I was
also a bit frustrated with myself for being careless. Luckily though, when I finally
went to the dentist, the tooth hadn’t deteriorated (/dɪˈtɪr.i.ə.reɪ.tɪd/)any further, and
the dentist was able to fix it without any complications.

Looking back, I think it was a valuable lesson for me. As the saying goes, “You can’t
have your cake and eat it too” — I chose to prioritize the holiday and had to face the
consequences. It also taught me not to drop the ball when it comes to health-related
appointments. In the future, I’ll definitely be more mindful about keeping track of my
commitments, no matter how busy or distracted I am.

✅ Part 3 Answers
1. How often do you make appointments?

Well, I’d say quite often. I work as an English teacher, so I frequently set up
appointments with students’ parents to discuss their children’s academic
performance. Apart from that, I sometimes make appointments for personal matters
like medical check-ups or meeting friends.

2. Is it important to be punctual in your country?

Absolutely. In Vietnam, being punctual is considered a sign of respect and

professionalism. If you show up late, it can be seen as being disrespectful, especially
in formal situations. Of course, sometimes people are a bit flexible when it comes to
informal meetings, but generally speaking, being on time matters.

3. Is it easy to make an appointment in Vietnam?

Yes, I think it’s relatively easy. In fact, many people don’t always use formal
channels. Depending on the relationship, they often make appointments over the
phone, via text messages, or even over a cup of coffee. In more formal cases, like
business or medical appointments, it’s straightforward — just a phone call or booking
online does the job.

✅ Advanced Vocabulary & Phrases (with meanings)

Lost track of time – forgot about the time; got distracted

Tooth decay – sâu răng

Reschedule / rearrange an appointment – sắp xếp lại lịch hẹn

Fully booked – kín lịch

A hassle – việc phiền phức, rắc rối

Slot – khung giờ trống

Relieved – nhẹ nhõm

 Without any complications – không có vấn đề gì, suôn sẻ

Drop the ball – (idiom) mắc sai lầm do lơ là, không cẩn thận

You can’t have your cake and eat it too – (idiom) không thể vừa được cái
này lại vừa được cái kia, phải đánh đổi

✅ Collocations used:
Make an appointment

Miss an appointment

Fix my tooth

Reschedule a new appointment

Busy dental clinic

Inform about their studying progress

Show respect / Sign of respect

Set up appointments

✅ 1. How often do you make

appointments?
To be honest, I make appointments on a fairly regular basis, both for work and
personal reasons. As an English teacher, I often have to arrange formal meetings
with students’ parents to discuss their children’s academic progress, strengths, and
areas where they need improvement. These meetings are crucial because they help
parents stay informed and involved in their children’s learning.

Apart from that, I also make personal appointments, like seeing a doctor for health
check-ups or visiting the dentist, as I mentioned earlier. On top of that, I sometimes
set up informal appointments, if you can call them that, like catching up with friends
or planning family gatherings. Nowadays, with modern technology, it's so easy to
arrange things through messaging apps or phone calls. So yeah, I’d say making
appointments is pretty much a part of my routine life.

✅ 2. Is it important to be punctual in
your country?
Yes, definitely. Being punctual is considered a basic form of courtesy and respect in
my country, especially in formal settings like business meetings, job interviews, or
academic events. If you arrive late, it often creates a negative impression and might be
seen as being unprofessional or inconsiderate.

That being said, the level of strictness about punctuality does depend on the context.
For formal situations, people expect you to be on time — or even arrive a bit early to
show seriousness. However, when it comes to informal gatherings with friends or
family, people tend to be more flexible and laid-back about time.

But overall, being punctual is a highly valued trait here. I guess it also reflects the
mindset that “time is money” and no one wants their time to be wasted. Plus,
showing up on time means that you are someone who can be counted on, which is
important in both personal and professional relationships.

✅ 3. Is it easy to make an appointment in

Vietnam?
In my opinion, it’s relatively easy to make an appointment here, but it depends on the
type of appointment and who you’re dealing with. For instance, if it’s a casual meet-
up with friends or relatives, it can be as simple as sending a quick text or making a
phone call. In Vietnamese culture, people often arrange social appointments quite
spontaneously — like over a cup of coffee or during a chat.

However, for more formal situations like booking a medical check-up, a job
interview, or a business meeting, it might require a bit more planning. Some places,
especially popular clinics or government offices, can be fully booked weeks in
advance, so you have to be proactive. But with the rise of online booking systems,
apps, and even social media, making appointments has become more convenient than
ever.

In fact, I’d say the ease of making an appointment also depends heavily on the
relationship. If you have a good rapport with someone, things tend to happen more
quickly and smoothly. It’s kind of a reflection of how relationship-oriented
Vietnamese society is — sometimes who you know matters just as much as what you
know.

✅ Highlighted Advanced Phrases &

Idioms
On a fairly regular basis – thường xuyên

Formal meeting – cuộc họp chính thức

Catch up with friends – gặp gỡ bạn bè để trò chuyện

A basic form of courtesy – phép lịch sự cơ bản

Laid-back about time – thoải mái về giờ giấc

Time is money – thời gian là vàng (idiom)

Be counted on – có thể tin cậy, dựa vào

Spontaneously – một cách ngẫu hứng, không lên kế hoạch trước

Fully booked weeks in advance – kín lịch trước nhiều tuần

Be proactive – chủ động

A good rapport – mối quan hệ tốt

Who you know matters just as much as what you know – (idiom) quan hệ
quan trọng như kiến thức