{"id":1473,"date":"2022-02-01T15:53:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T15:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?p=1473"},"modified":"2024-08-19T06:17:28","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T06:17:28","slug":"10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#What_do_you_mean_by_%E2%80%A6\" >What do you mean by &#8230; ?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#I_dont_understand\" >I don&#8217;t understand.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#Im_a_little_confused\" >I&#8217;m (a little) confused.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#I_dont_quite_follow\" >I don&#8217;t (quite) follow.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#You_mean_%E2%80%A6\" >You mean &#8230; ?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#As_in_%E2%80%A6\" >As in &#8230;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#So_youre_saying_%E2%80%A6\" >So you&#8217;re saying &#8230; ?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#If_I_understand_you_correctly_%E2%80%A6\" >If I understand you correctly &#8230;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#Could_you_elaborate_on_that\" >Could you elaborate (on that)?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#Could_you_break_that_down_for_me\" >Could you break that down for me?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#Wrap-up\" >Wrap-up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Whether you're meeting with a foreign client, seeing a doctor, or <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">taking an online English lesson<\/a>, there will be times when you don't understand what the other person just said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, we'll introduce 10 <span class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">polite English expressions<\/span> for requesting clarification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do you mean by ... ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, the best way to ask someone for clarification is to directly ask them, \"What do you mean by ... ?\" A slightly more polite version of this phrase is \"I'm not sure what you mean by \u2026.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sorry, <strong>what do you mean by <\/strong>that?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><strong>I'm not sure what you mean by<\/strong><\/strong> \"formal dress code.\" Could you show me some examples?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_dont_understand\"><\/span>I don&#8217;t understand.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way to ask for clarification is to let the other person know that you didn't understand them. You can do this by saying \"I don't understand\" or \"I'm not sure I understand.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sorry, <strong>I don't understand<\/strong> your question. Would you mind rephrasing it for me?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hmm, <strong>I'm not sure I understand<\/strong>. Could you explain that again?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Say-You-Don't-Understand\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Im_a_little_confused\"><\/span>I&#8217;m (a little) confused.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of saying \"I don't understand,\" you can also just say \"I'm (a little) confused.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sorry, <strong>I'm confused<\/strong>. Should I take this medicine three times a day or four?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>I'm a little confused <\/strong>about what you just said.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_dont_quite_follow\"><\/span>I don&#8217;t (quite) follow.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way to say \"I don't understand\" is to say \"I don't follow\" or \"I'm not following.\" <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hmm, <strong>I don't quite follow<\/strong> you. Could you explain that to me again?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I'm afraid <strong>I'm not following. <\/strong>Could you be more specific?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You mean ... ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Telling your conversation partner what you think they meant is an effective way to ask for clarification. You can do this by saying \"You mean ... ?\" which is short for \"Do you mean ... ?\"<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-left\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141826\/avatar_33.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">A<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Does Thursday work for you?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141859\/avatar_40.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">B<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\"><strong>You mean<\/strong> tomorrow? Or a week from now?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">As in ... <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An alternative to \"you mean ... ?\" is the phrase \"as in ... .\" This means \"in the sense of ...\" or \"meaning ... .\" <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-left\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141657\/avatar_22.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">A<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Does Thursday work for you?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141702\/avatar_23.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">B<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Thursday <strong>as in<\/strong> tomorrow?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So you're saying ... ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\"So you're saying ... ?\" means \"So you think that ... ?\" or \"So you mean ... ?\"<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-left\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141544\/avatar_5.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">A<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Do you believe in aliens?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141737\/avatar_28.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">B<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Well, the universe is big and there's still a lot we don't know about it.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-left\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141544\/avatar_5.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">A<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\"><strong>So you're saying<\/strong> aliens exist?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"unified-block unified-chat-bubble pos-right\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-user\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/02\/22141737\/avatar_28.png\" class=\"unified-chat-bubble-avatar\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\"><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-name\">B<\/div><\/div><div class=\"unified-chat-bubble-content\"><div class=\"block-align-none\">Yeah, I think it's likely.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If I understand you correctly ...<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\"If I understand you correctly ...\" is a slightly more formal way to check your understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>So <strong>if I understand you correctly,<\/strong> you feel that you were unfairly fired from your job? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let me see <strong>if I understand you correctly<\/strong>. You're saying that this policy would create 10 million new jobs?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You'll also hear native speakers say \"If I <em>understood<\/em> you correctly.\" Both the past and present tense are acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Ask-for-More-Details\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Could_you_elaborate_on_that\"><\/span>Could you elaborate (on that)?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you ask someone to \"elaborate on\" something, you're asking them to explain it in greater detail, which is another good way to ask for clarification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sorry, <strong>could you elaborate<\/strong>, please?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Could you elaborate on that<\/strong> for me? I'm not sure I follow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Could_you_break_that_down_for_me\"><\/span>Could you break that down for me?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you \"break something down,\" you separate it into its parts. So if you ask someone to \"break down\" something they said, you ask them to explain it part by part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I think I know what you mean, but <strong>could you break that down for me<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Could you break that down for me?<\/strong> How much money did he steal and who are all the victims?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrap-up\"><\/span>Wrap-up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>People need to ask for clarification all of the time, so don\u2019t feel nervous about checking your understanding or asking someone to rephrase something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you can use these phrases comfortably, expand your knowledge even further by studying the related expressions in the following articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/how-to-ask-if-you-are-saying-something-correctly-in-english\/\">How to Ask If You Are Saying Something Correctly in English<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/business-work\/8-expressions-for-making-urgent-requests-politely\/\">8 Expressions for Making Urgent Requests Politely<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you're meeting with a foreign client, seeing a doctor, or taking an online English lesson, there will be times when you don't understand what the other person just said. Today, we'll introduce 10 polite...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":2281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-1473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-tips","tag-politeness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This post covers 10 popular expressions native English speakers use to politely ask for clarification.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This post covers 10 popular expressions native English speakers use to politely ask for clarification.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Engoo Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-01T15:53:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-19T06:17:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/01155311\/cropped-politely_ask_to_repeat_final_caller_en.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Engoo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Engoo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e9dfcd49dbf44f24a07101345514eec2\"},\"headline\":\"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-01T15:53:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-19T06:17:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\"},\"wordCount\":611,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"politeness\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Language Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\",\"name\":\"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-01T15:53:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-19T06:17:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"This post covers 10 popular expressions native English speakers use to politely ask for clarification.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":767},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Language Tips\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/category\/language-tips\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Engoo Blog\",\"description\":\"Tips for English Learners\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Engoo\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e9dfcd49dbf44f24a07101345514eec2\",\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/698489651dc22ff906ed664cf6e7edc7ad204493a22054c3bce6d0d659c6315c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/698489651dc22ff906ed664cf6e7edc7ad204493a22054c3bce6d0d659c6315c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Engoo\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/author\/olgazlo\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English","description":"This post covers 10 popular expressions native English speakers use to politely ask for clarification.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English","og_description":"This post covers 10 popular expressions native English speakers use to politely ask for clarification.","og_url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/","og_site_name":"Engoo Blog","article_published_time":"2022-02-01T15:53:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-19T06:17:28+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/01155311\/cropped-politely_ask_to_repeat_final_caller_en.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Engoo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Engoo","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/"},"author":{"name":"Engoo","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e9dfcd49dbf44f24a07101345514eec2"},"headline":"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English","datePublished":"2022-02-01T15:53:24+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-19T06:17:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/"},"wordCount":611,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg","keywords":["politeness"],"articleSection":["Language Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/","name":"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg","datePublished":"2022-02-01T15:53:24+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-19T06:17:28+00:00","description":"This post covers 10 popular expressions native English speakers use to politely ask for clarification.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/01\/01112708\/politely_ask_to_repeat_final.jpg","width":1200,"height":767},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/10-ways-to-politely-ask-for-clarification-in-english\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Engoo","item":"https:\/\/engoo.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Language Tips","item":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/category\/language-tips\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification in English"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/","name":"Engoo Blog","description":"Tips for English Learners","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Engoo","url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/30111438\/engoo-logo.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Engoo"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e9dfcd49dbf44f24a07101345514eec2","name":"Engoo","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/698489651dc22ff906ed664cf6e7edc7ad204493a22054c3bce6d0d659c6315c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/698489651dc22ff906ed664cf6e7edc7ad204493a22054c3bce6d0d659c6315c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Engoo"},"url":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/author\/olgazlo\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1473"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9321,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1473\/revisions\/9321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}