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3AM Asking For Clarification

This document provides guidance on asking for clarification when a speaker's message is not clearly understood. It notes that clarification should be requested to avoid misunderstanding. A variety of polite expressions are listed for requesting repetition or elaboration, including formal phrases like "Excuse me, could you repeat that please?" and more informal options like "What did you say?". The document encourages checking understanding when providing clarification and offers additional expressions for clarifying a point or specific part of a message that was unclear.

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Emir Khan
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983 views

3AM Asking For Clarification

This document provides guidance on asking for clarification when a speaker's message is not clearly understood. It notes that clarification should be requested to avoid misunderstanding. A variety of polite expressions are listed for requesting repetition or elaboration, including formal phrases like "Excuse me, could you repeat that please?" and more informal options like "What did you say?". The document encourages checking understanding when providing clarification and offers additional expressions for clarifying a point or specific part of a message that was unclear.

Uploaded by

Emir Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Asking for clarification

Sometimes we don't hear or understand what the speaker has said. When this happens, we need to ask for
repetition or clarification.
In order to avoid misunderstanding one has to ask for clarification to make sure one understands the message in
the right way. If one is asked for clarification one has to give it and check for understanding. Here are some useful
expressions you can use in both situations:

Requesting Clarification:

Formal
Excuse me. What was that again?
Pardon me. Would you mind repeating that ?
Pardon me. Could you repeat that please?
I beg your pardon. Would you mind repeating that?
Im sorry. I didnt get the last part.
May I interrupt? Could you say that again please?
Informal (with friends)

o
o
o
o
o

What? I didnt catch that.


What did you say? I didnt get the last part.
Huh? (impolite) You lost me.
I didnt get that. Can you make yourself clear?
I am completely in the dark.
Asking for clarification for good understanding
If I understand the terms correctly.............. Is that right?
Could you elaborate on that?
Do you mean......?
I was under the impression that.........
Let me see if I have that right. .................. Is that so?
Use Question Tags.
I cant understand.......
I am not sure I got your point.
Would you clarify that a little, please?
P48 physique relizane www.physique48.org

Further expressions

POLITE / FORMAL

I beg your pardon ,but I don't quite follow / understand.


Pardon me.

Can / Could / Would you repeat that again, please?

I wonder if you could say that in a different way?

Do you think we could / Can we / go over that again?


Would you mind repeating that?

Would you mind saying that again?

Sorry, but I'm not sure I'm following you.

Excuse me, but I didn't catch the last part / the part about...

I'm sorry, but what did you say about...?

Do you think you could repeat the part about...once again please?

NEUTRAL

LESS POLITE / INFORMAL

I didn't / don't get that.


What was that?

You lost me.

What did you say?

Again, please.

Say that again.

I don't get it.

I'm lost / confused.

What?

Huh?

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