schedule
schedule — noun
1. A written or printed plan that lists the tasks, events, or work items to be done
A written or printed plan that lists the tasks, events, or work items to be done and states the target dates for completing each one.
Kian checked his work schedule to find out when the next team meeting was.
work schedule / daily schedule — common nouns modified by schedule
The construction company posted a schedule showing when each stage of the building would be finished.
Feng keeps a busy schedule with classes, a part-time job, and sports practice every week.
Iris wrote a cleaning schedule so each room in the house gets tidied once a week.
常見錯誤
2. A list showing the fixed times at which regular events take place, such as class
A list showing the fixed times at which regular events take place, such as classes at a school, departures of buses or trains, or television programmes being broadcast.
The bus schedule says the number 42 arrives at this stop every 15 minutes.
bus schedule / train schedule / class schedule — transport & education
Andrés checked the train schedule before booking his ticket to Tainan.
The school schedule shows that maths class starts at 9 o'clock every morning.
Nadia looked up the TV schedule to find out what time the documentary was on.
用法筆記
In British English, 'timetable' is more widely used than 'schedule' for public transport and school classes. In American English, 'schedule' is the standard word for both contexts.
常見錯誤
3. An official written list of items such as prices, rates, fees, or conditions, of
An official written list of items such as prices, rates, fees, or conditions, often included as part of a contract, catalogue, or legal document.
The hotel's rate schedule shows different prices for weekdays and weekends.
rate schedule / fee schedule / price schedule — financial lists
The lawyer attached a schedule listing everything included in the sale of the house.
The fee schedule on the university website lists the cost of tuition, housing, and meals.
The contract includes a payment schedule showing when each instalment is due.
用法筆記
Common in formal, legal, and financial contexts. Often used with nouns like 'fee,' 'price,' 'rate,' 'payment,' or 'tax' as modifiers.
常見錯誤
4. The state of being completed or happening earlier than the time that was origina
The state of being completed or happening earlier than the time that was originally planned.
The construction team finished the bridge two weeks ahead of schedule.
ahead of schedule — fixed prepositional phrase
Rohan submitted his report ahead of schedule and impressed his manager.
Because the band learned all their songs ahead of schedule, they had extra time to rehearse the stage show.
The farmer harvested the crop ahead of schedule because the weather stayed warm all month.
- early
simpler and more general; 'ahead of schedule' is specifically about meeting a plan's timeline
- behind schedule
the opposite: later than planned
用法筆記
Only used in the fixed phrase 'ahead of schedule,' which functions as an adverbial phrase describing completion earlier than planned.
常見錯誤
5. The state of happening or being done at the time that was originally planned, ne
The state of happening or being done at the time that was originally planned, neither early nor late.
Despite the heavy rain, the festival opening ceremony started right on schedule.
on schedule / right on schedule — fixed prepositional phrase with optional intensifier
The train from Taipei arrived on schedule at 3:15 PM.
The research project is still on schedule, and the team expects to publish results in June.
Élise's flight landed on schedule, so she made the connection to Kaohsiung easily.
- behind schedule
the opposite: later than planned
- ahead of schedule
earlier than planned, the other deviation from being on schedule
用法筆記
Only used in the fixed phrase 'on schedule,' which functions as an adverbial phrase. Often paired with 'right' for emphasis: 'right on schedule.'
6. The state of being later than planned or making slower progress than expected, s
The state of being later than planned or making slower progress than expected, so that less work has been completed relative to the original deadline.
The film crew fell behind schedule after three days of heavy rain.
fall behind schedule / run behind schedule — common verb pairings
Daichi realised he was behind schedule on his thesis when the deadline was only a month away.
The delivery was behind schedule, so the customer did not receive the package on Friday.
The new software update is running behind schedule because the testing team found several problems.
- ahead of schedule
the opposite: earlier than planned
- on schedule
exactly as planned, the ideal state
用法筆記
Only used in the fixed phrase 'behind schedule.' Commonly paired with the verbs 'fall' (fall behind schedule) or 'run' (run behind schedule) to describe the start of being late.
常見錯誤
schedule — verb
1. To plan that an event, activity, or task should take place on a specific date or
To plan that an event, activity, or task should take place on a specific date or at a specific time.
The school scheduled the final exams for the last week of June.
schedule + noun + for + time/date
Soraya scheduled a meeting with her supervisor for Tuesday afternoon.
The hospital scheduled Christopher's surgery for 8 AM on Thursday.
The flight from London is scheduled to arrive at Taipei Taoyuan Airport at 6:30 PM.
- cancel
to decide that a planned event will not happen
- postpone
to move a planned event to a later time
- reschedule
to change the time of a planned event to a different time
文法句型
schedule + noun phrase
schedule + noun phrase + for + time
be scheduled + to-infinitive
be scheduled + for + time
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice: 'The meeting is scheduled for 3 PM.' or 'The train is scheduled to depart at 9 AM.' In American English, 'schedule' can be followed by a to-infinitive; British English prefers 'is scheduled to' or 'is due to.'