Move to an earlier date

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Could you please help me to choose the right verb? "The meeting is on 10 May. If it is too late can I say "Could we move to to an earlier date?" Or if it was too early can I say "We could move it to a later date"? Is it possible to use "move back" or "move forward"? Or maybe there is another verb?

 

[Yankee]

Hello.

Could you please help me to choose the right verb? "The meeting is on 10 May. If it is too late can I say "Could we move to to an earlier date?" Or if it was too early can I say "We could move it to a later date"? Is it possible to use "move back" or "move forward"? Or maybe there is another verb?

I like your originals. But your alternatives would work.

 

[bubbha]

People often use "move forward" and "move back", but beware that people often use them differently.

Thus, some people say "move forward to a later date" while others say "move back to a later date".

For this reason, I recommend not using "forward" or "back".

 

[emsr2d2]

move it forward = bring it forward = make it earlier
move it back = put/push it back = make it later

I didn't know anyone used them the other way round!

 

[Rachel Adams]

People often use "move forward" and "move back", but beware that people often use them differently.

Thus, some people say "move forward to a later date" while others say "move back to a later date".

For this reason, I recommend not using "forward" or "back".

OK. Why do they use ''back'' if they are talking about a later date? Strange...

 

[Rachel Adams]

move it forward = bring it forward = make it earlier
move it back = put/push it back = make it later

I didn't know anyone used them the other way round!

Can I use them if I am talking about time. For example, ''9 am is too early.'' Move it back = put/push it back = make it later. Or ''9 pm is too late.'' move it forward = bring it forward = make it earlier

 

[Yankee]

I can understand why "back" and "forward" could be misunderstood without some additional context e.g. reason(s) as in your examples.

 

[emsr2d2]

Can I use them if I am talking about time? For example, ''9 am is too early. Move it back = put/push it back = make it later." Or ''9 pm is too late. Move it forward = bring it forward = make it earlier".

Yes.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

move it forward = bring it forward = make it earlier
move it back = put/push it back = make it later

I didn't know anyone used them the other way round!

I didn't either. But since one person here has heard it both ways, I'm willing to accept that its meaning varies — like "next Tuesday" and "bi-weekly."

I learned a long time ago (when I was a coffee junkie) that when traveling around the US, you should never order a "regular" coffee to go. The definition of "regular" changes almost state-by-state — milk and sugar; black with sugar; black, no milk or sugar . . . .

 

[jutfrank]

OK. Why do they use ''back'' if they are talking about a later date? Strange...

That's not strange to most people. In fact, I'd say it's the 'normal' way, in which the majority of cultures view future time. Forward is nearer to the speaker and back is farther away.

I don't think this is different for people from Russian-speaking cultures.