How to ask questions


Ø  Watch Keira Knightley sharing her experience with dyslexia and take notes of the main ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLb6ehPPc4E











Ø  Work in pairs. Student A, get ready to re-tell Keira´s experience based on your notes. Student
B, think of some follow-up questions you would like to ask Student A about Keira´s experience (see
the useful phrases below).









Ø  Student A, re-tell Keira´s story. Student B, check your understanding and ask follow-up
questions (see the useful phrases below).



Useful phrases for asking questions


Asking general questions

Would you mind …?

I was wandering if you could …?

May I ask …?



Asking for further information

I am sorry, but could you explain in a little more detail …?

Could you give us some details about …?

Could you please further explain …?




Useful phrases for clarifying

Asking for confirmation

If I´ve understood correctly …

Correct me if I´m wrong, but

When you say …, do you mean that …?

Are you saying that …?

Asking for repetition

I´m afraid I´m not quite clear what you mean by that.

I´m sorry, I didn´t quite follow what you said about …

I´m afraid I don´t understand what you mean.

I´m afraid I didn´t quite get your last point. Can you go over it again please?


Correcting misunderstandings

I am afraid there has been a misunderstanding.

That isn´t quite what I meant.



Re-phrasing

Perhaps I haven´t made myself clear. What I´m trying to say is …

Let me put it another way.

Let me rephrase that.

Put simply, …


(Adapted from The Language of Meetings, Thomson, 2007)