Navigating conversations in English can be challenging, especially when you need to ensure understanding. Whether you’re asking for clarification or providing it, mastering these phrases can enhance your communication skills, making interactions smoother and more effective for ESL students.
Phrases for Asking for Clarification
- Could you explain that again, please?
- What do you mean by that?
- Could you repeat that, please?
- I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you say it again?
- Could you clarify what you meant by ‘…’?
- Can you elaborate on that point a bit more?
- I’m not sure I understand. Could you go over it one more time?
- What did you say about…?
- Could you give me more details about…?
- I’m confused about what you said regarding…
- Can you specify what you mean by…?
- Pardon me, but I didn’t quite understand. Could you explain again?
- Could you spell that out for me?
- Are you saying that…?
- Is it correct to understand that…?
- Can you simplify that explanation?
- What do you mean specifically when you say ‘…’?
- I don’t follow what you’re saying about…
- Can you provide an example?
- Could you help me understand that better?
Phrases for Giving Clarification
- Let me explain that again for clarity.
- What I meant was…
- To put it another way…
- Let me put this in different words.
- To clarify…
- I’ll repeat that for you.
- Let me break this down into simpler terms.
- Essentially, what I’m saying is…
- The key point I’m making is…
- What this means is…
- In other words…
- Let me rephrase that.
- The main idea is…
- To be more precise…
- Let me elaborate on that.
- To explain further…
- Let me spell it out.
- What I am trying to say is…
- An example of this would be…
- Simply put…
