Describe a time when you sent a message or email to someone but got no reply.

I'd like to talk about a message I sent to my coworker, Mei. I sent it on a Tuesday evening last autumn, after I finished work. I wanted to ask if she could swap her Saturday shift with me, because I had a family dinner that weekend. I sent a short message in our usual chat app and explained the reason. I thought she would answer that night, but I didn't hear anything.

The next morning, I checked my phone a few times, but there was still no reply. I waited until lunchtime and then called her. She didn't pick up, so I asked her about it when I saw her at work later that day. She said she had been busy and had missed the message. Luckily, she agreed to change shifts, and I thanked her. At first, I felt a bit worried and annoyed because I needed to make plans. After we spoke, I felt relieved. I also thought I should have asked her face to face sooner.

Honestly, I remember sending a message to my coworker Mei last autumn, on a Tuesday evening after we’d finished work. We worked in the same small office, and she usually replied quite quickly, so I didn’t expect to be left waiting. I was trying to arrange a shift swap: I had a family dinner on Saturday and wanted to see if she could take my shift while I covered one of hers.

I sent her a message in our usual work chat and explained the situation, but I didn’t get a reply that night. The next morning, I checked my phone several times, partly because I needed to confirm the dinner plans with my family. By lunchtime, I was starting to wonder whether she’d even seen it. I called her, but she didn’t pick up, so when I saw her at work later that day, I asked her in person. She told me she’d been busy and had missed the notification. In the end, she agreed to swap, and we sorted out which shifts we’d cover.

I felt a little anxious at first, since I couldn’t make firm plans without her answer, and I was slightly irritated that I’d had to follow up twice. Still, I knew she wasn’t ignoring me on purpose. I was relieved once we talked, and if something is time-sensitive now, I try to ask face to face rather than rely on a message.