I can’t make it at 8

[diamondcutter]

A: Tom has a lot of things to do in his garden. I want to help him tomorrow morning and I’ll get there at 8 o’clock. Will you come?
B: Sure, but I can’t make it at 8. What about 9 o’clock?
(By me)

I’d like to know if I use “I can’t make it at 8” correctly in this context, which I take to mean “I can’t get there at 8”.

 

[Skrej]

Yes, it's grammatical and natural.

 

[diamondcutter]

What about this situation?

A: Shall we have a picnic in the new park on Sunday?
B: Good idea. Shall we meet at the gate of the park?
C: No problem. When?
D: What about 9:00 in the morning?
B: Sorry, I’m not free in the morning. How about 3:00 in the afternoon?
C and D: That’s OK.
A: All right. Let’ make it (at) 3:00.
(By me)

I’d like to know if both “Let’ make it 3:00” and “Let’ make it at 3:00” are appropriate in this context. I take the first to mean “Let’s set 3:00 for our meeting at the gate of the park” and the second to mean “Let’s get to the park gate at 3:00”. What do you say?

 

[jutfrank]

You don't need at, for the same reason you don't need at in What about nine in the morning?

I take the first to mean “Let’s set 3:00 for our meeting at the gate of the park”

Exactly. The idea is that the people are selecting the time to meet. The meeting time is 3.00.

 

[Tarheel]

I'd be surprised to learn that anybody uses "Shall" that way.

 

[5jj]

There is at least one ageing Brit who does.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd be surprised to learn that anybody uses "Shall" that way.

Get ready to be very surprised if ever you come to Britain!

 

[diamondcutter]

It seems that it's "Should we have a picnic in the new park on Sunday?" not "Shall we have a picnic in the new park on Sunday? " in AmE. Am I right?

 

[Tdol]

There is at least one ageing Brit who does.

And one slightly less so who does.

 

[emsr2d2]

There is at least one ageing Brit who does.

And one slightly less so who does.

And another one here!

 

[Tarheel]

It seems that it's "Should we have a picnic in the new park on Sunday?" not "Shall we have a picnic in the new park on Sunday? " in AmE. Am I right?

More natural, I think, would be:

Would you like to have a picnic in the park?

Or:

How about having a picnic in the park?

Those are both quite informal, but so is the situation.

 

[Tdol]

And another one here!

We've moving backwards along the timeline.