Asking for Clarification - IELTS Speaking

CLARIFICATION

If the examiner asks you a question that you did not hear or understand, do not panic. Instead, see this as an opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills by asking for clarification. Study the expressions below.

You didn’t understand something

If the examiner uses a word or phrase that you didn’t understand or that you have
forgotten, for example the verb exaggerate, you can say something like:

• Sorry, but could you explain what you mean by exaggerate?
• I haven’t heard that word before. Could you explain what you mean?
• Sorry, I’m not sure what that word means. Could you explain it another way?
• Sorry, I don’t know what exaggerate means. Could you explain it another way?
• Sorry, I’ve forgotten what exaggerate means. Could you explain it another way?

You didn’t hear something

If you simply didn’t hear what the examiner said or asked, you can say something like:

• Excuse me, I didn't quite catch that. Could you say it again?
• Sorry, I didn’t hear what you said. Could you repeat it?
• I'm sorry, but would you mind repeating that? (MORE POLITE)

Checking understanding

If you want to check that you understood something correctly, you can say:

• Do you mean …?
• Are you asking …?
• When you say …, do you mean …?
• By …, do you mean …?
• When you say …, are you including ...?

Examiner: Who is your favourite family member?

Candidate: When you say ‘family member’, do you mean my close family, or can I talk about my relatives?

Examiner: What is your hometown like?
Candidate: When you say ‘hometown’, do you mean the town where I grew up?

Examiner: Do you find your work satisfying?
Candidate: Are you asking if I like my job?

Examiner: What is your favourite gadget?
Candidate: By ‘gadget’, do you mean things like iPhones and cameras?

Examiner: What typical problems do you have in your hometown?
Candidate: When you say ‘typical problems’, are you including pollution, traffic, and things like that?

Note on asking for clarification

Only ask for clarification if you really need the examiner to repeat or rephrase something. Do not ask for clarification after every question just to show off or use up time. This may negatively affect your score.

The somplete step by step tutorial course is here. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1W0ertWedb9nd-9G82GaNdql4iy0eRu