![]() ![]() ![]() We call them signal phrases because people have not very long attention span and sometimes you want to drive attention to what you are saying. These are very popular phrases when you make some kind of short speeches when you explain some concept. If you see that people don’t understand you about something you said or they are confused, you also can give the clarification yourself. If you want to sound polite, you will use Past Simple instead of Present Simple. ‘What do you mean?’ is quite a direct question so it will be more informal. Could I ask for clarification on…? *this is very polite).So, if you need some clarification for what you just heard, you can use phrases like It’s not always your fault!īe sure you are not too hard on yourself, and just stay calm because your ultimate goal is to get a practical result from this situation. ![]() People don’t always express their ideas clearly. Sometimes, you need to ask people for clarification (when you don’t understand what the person wanted to say, when you didn’t understand the idea).Īgain, it doesn’t always happen because your English is bad. Could you please repeat that? (more formal)Īnd it is also very important when people repeat what they said, when they are kind to you, so to say, please confirm that you understood.In the formal style, we will say: ‘I beg your pardon?’ Please remember it’s quite formal. People say it in all the possiиду manners, but the correct pronunciation in English is: /ˈpɑː(r)d(ə)n/.Īnd if you use to ask to repeat what the person just said, you will pronounce it with a rising intonation. We have a special word in English for this. Many people say ‘Excuse me’ or ‘Sorry’ in this situation. So, which phrases to use when you don’t understand or didn’t hear something? Don’t start with blaming yourself immediately! There is no problem with asking to repeat. There are many factors which can interfere with understanding: noises, stress, unclear idea, different background, thinking about something else, a bad day… really many reasons! It’s not always about your bad English. There is nothing shameful about this situation. There are real situations when it’s just…you didn’t hear or maybe it’s too hard to hear or maybe you communicate in some complicated context.ĭon’t be afraid to ask people to repeat what they said or what they meant. But for English learners, it is quite emotional because it could show you are not fluent enough, and we don’t want to look stupid.īut the thing is: it is in your head. It happens all the time with native speakers too. When you have problems with understanding – it is usual, and you shouldn’t be afraid of that. Today we deal with a confusing situation: how to say ‘I don’t understand’ in English. ![]()
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