Asking for and Giving Clarification
In conversations — especially in a second language — you will often not understand something fully or need to explain something more clearly. Knowing how to ask for clarification and how to give it is essential for effective communication.
Asking for Clarification
| Situation | Expressions |
|---|---|
| Did not hear | Sorry, could you repeat that? / I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. |
| Did not understand | Could you explain what you mean by…? / I’m not sure I follow — could you say that differently? |
| Need more detail | Could you give me an example? / What exactly do you mean by…? |
| Confirming you understood | So what you’re saying is…? / If I understand correctly,…? / Do you mean…? |
Giving Clarification
When someone asks you to clarify, use these patterns:
| Approach | Expressions |
|---|---|
| Rephrase | What I mean is… / In other words,… / To put it another way,… |
| Give an example | For example,… / Let me give you an example. / Take [X] as an example —… |
| Be more specific | To be more precise,… / What I’m specifically referring to is… |
| Acknowledge confusion | Sorry, let me try again. / I may not have explained that well — what I meant was… |
Asking for clarification is not a sign of poor language ability — it shows you are listening carefully and want to understand correctly. Native speakers ask for clarification regularly.
Checking Understanding
After explaining something, check the other person understood:
- Does that make sense?
- Is that clear?
- Do you follow me?
- Let me know if that’s not clear.
Avoid “Do you understand?” alone — it can sound condescending. Prefer “Does that make sense?” or “Does that answer your question?” which are more collaborative.
Useful Clarification Patterns in Practice
You didn’t catch a word:
“Sorry, could you repeat the last part? I didn’t quite catch it.”
You need a definition:
“When you say ‘stakeholders’, who exactly are you referring to?”
Confirming your understanding:
“So if I understand you correctly, you’re suggesting we delay the launch — is that right?”
Rephrasing your own point:
“What I mean is — rather than cancelling, we could postpone.”
Table: Clarification Checklist
| Stage | Check this |
|---|---|
| Before asking | Is the answer already clear and you missed it? |
| When asking | Are you polite and specific about what you didn’t understand? |
| When answering | Are you rephrasing, not just repeating the same words? |
| After clarifying | Have you checked the other person now understands? |