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How to Ask for Clarification |
In the humorous American television program Seinfeld,
the characters often find themselves in strange
situations because of small communication failures.
These little misunderstandings grow to the point of
total confusion.
For example, in one show, Jerry and George take a
limousine, or limo, meant for other passengers. They act
like they are those passengers by using their names.
Listen to George express excitement about what they have
done:
This is incredible! This is one of the greatest things
I've ever done in my life! I'm going to call my mother.
What for?
To tell her I'm in a limo.
Hello, ma. It's me. Guess where I am – in the back of a
limo! No, nobody died.
Some of the planned passengers later unexpectedly get in
the limo and begin to make unusual comments. Jerry and
George are unsure what these comments mean. But they
soon find out they are among very, very bad people.
On television, communication failures can make for funny
stories. But in real life, you probably want to avoid
such confusion.
In today’s program, we will tell you how to get
clarification on what someone has said or written.
When you ask someone for clarification, you are asking
them to say something in a different way or provide more
information so that you understand them better. This is
different from asking a person to repeat something.
The person might not have explained themselves clearly,
for example. Or maybe they used difficult language. Or
maybe you think you know what the person means but want
to make sure that you are correct.
Here is how you can respectfully get the information
that you need.
Express lack of understanding
The first step is to tell the person that you are not
sure that you have understood them fully. Let’s listen
to a few useful phrases:
I’m sorry but I’m not sure (that) I understand.
Sorry, I’m not sure (that) I know what you mean.
Sorry but I don’t quite follow you.
Using the word “that” in two of the phrases is more
suited for formal written communication, such as
work-related emails.
Other times, you may understand part of what someone has
said but need clarity on another part. In such
situations, you can be more exact. Let’s hear a few
examples:
I’m sorry but I’m not sure I understand what you mean by
"tech giants."
Sorry but I don’t quite follow what you’re saying about
the new policy.
Ask for clarification
After you express your lack of understanding, the next
step is to ask the person to clarify what they have
said. Here are some phrases you can use.
For many of them, you can use “can” or “could,” with
could being a little more formal:
Could you say it in another way?
Can you clarify that for me?
Could you rephrase that?
When you say…, do you mean…?
The phrase “When you say…, do you mean…?” of course is
not a complete sentence. Here is how it sounds when
complete:
When you say workers are on furlough, do you mean
they’re temporarily laid off from work?
Other times, you may simply need more information or a
helpful example. In such situations, the following are
useful:
Could you be more specific?
Can you give me an example?
Could you elaborate on that?
“Could you elaborate on that?” is usually more suited to
formal situations, such as in the workplace.
Put it together
OK, we have talked about the two steps. But we haven't
yet put them together. Let’s do that now. Listen to
someone expressing lack of understanding and asking for
clarification:
I’m sorry but I’m not sure I understand. When you say
workers are on furlough, do you mean they’re temporarily
laid off from work?
Here’s another example:
Sorry but I don’t quite follow what you’re saying about
the new policy. Could you be more specific about gift
card restrictions?
Confirm understanding
There are some social or professional situations in
which you may want to avoid directly saying you haven’t
understood. In such cases, you can check your
understanding by rephrasing what the person said. For
instance, you might say, “Let me see if I understood you
correctly. You are saying that…”
Let me see if I understood you correctly. You’re saying
that airport security workers are now working without
pay?
Here is a very similar phrase: “If I understand you
correctly, you’re saying that…”
If I understand you correctly, you’re saying that
airport security workers are now working without pay?
Another phrase you might use is, “So, what you’re saying
is…”
So, what you’re saying is (that) some hotels offer
discounts to guests for not using their cellphones?
Or, you might say, “So, in other words…,” which we
usually use when we are restating something in a simpler
way:
So, in other words, complex carbohydrates are starches
that have not been refined.
Offer thanks
After the person clarifies themselves, you can let them
know that you now understand and are thankful. Have a
listen:
I got it. Thank you!
Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying.
Now I understand. Thanks a lot.
Clarify your ideas
There are other times when someone will ask you for
clarification. In such cases, phrases like these can
introduce what you want to say:
In other words,…
Let me clarify that.
To put it another way,…
Of course, there are many ways to ask for or offer
clarification, but we hope these examples help.
I’m Alice Bryant.
Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English.
Ashley Thompson was the editor. |
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