These expressions are often used to buy ourselves a little more time to think when we’re having trouble getting the words to come out right. They signal that you plan to say things differently this time: But first, introduce what you’re about to say with one of these phrases. You’re going to restate your original thoughts in different words. Once you’ve told your listener that you’d like to try expressing yourself another way, it’s time to clarify what you mean. Like I keep saying, it’s often better to acknowledge that you weren’t quite as articulate as you wanted to be! I often say this with a smile when I have trouble getting the words to come out right. You’ll also hear people include their listener by saying something like this: Let’s try that one more time. It shows that you understand that you’re asking for their patience as you reframe your thoughts. This phrase can be seen as a small apology to your listener. We use the phrase “let me” at the beginning to acknowledge that the listener is being asked to wait. When you’re ready to continue what you’re saying, try one of these expressions: You can also use these expressions when you just feel like you weren’t that clear, or you chose the wrong words, or you want to find a better way to express your idea. It’s a good idea to admit that you didn’t say the right thing, rather than just hoping the other person didn’t notice. These phrases are especially helpful if you’re concerned that what you said could be misinterpreted or misunderstood as inappropriate or rude. ![]() ![]() (Be sure to watch the video to practice saying these expressions along with me!) To admit that you didn’t say precisely what you wanted to say, try one of these expressions. You’re going to go back and fix your mistake, rather than waiting for the other person to ask for clarification.Īdmit That You Didn’t Say The Right Thing You end up sounding more natural and more fluent because you’re taking charge of the situation. You’re admitting that you know you may not have expressed yourself really well, and you’re asking for a little opportunity to fix it. When you say this, you’re asking for their patience as you decide what to say instead. These expressions clearly signal to your listener that you’re still searching for the right words. Or: I need a moment to get my thoughts together. Here’s a related expression to handle this situation: One second, I need to gather my thoughts. You can even say that: Just a moment, I lost my train of thought. ![]() When you say you’ve lost your train of thought, the other person immediately understands that you were trying to express a certain point, but for some reason you got off track and now you need a moment to gather your thoughts. “Train of thought” is an idiom that we use to explain how we connect different concepts, or the reasoning behind our ideas. These phrases I’m about to share tell your listener that you recognize you’ve made a mistake, and you’d like them to give you a chance to try again.įirst, let’s talk about a common expression that I use pretty frequently in my own conversations: Sorry, I lost my train of thought. Identify That You Need to Clarify Your Ideaįirst things first, you should identify that you need to clarify your idea.Īs soon as you realize that you’ve made a mistake when speaking, you should admit that you’d like to try explaining yourself again. Whatever the reason, you can use these conversation skills to show the other person you need to keep talking and subtly ask them to be patient while you find the right words. Or perhaps you saw that the person you’re interacting with looks confused and you realized that your idea wasn’t entirely clear. Perhaps you accidentally said something that could be interpreted as offensive or rude, when that actually wasn’t your intention. Like I said a moment ago, you may have chosen the wrong word, gone off track with your ideas, or needed a few more moments to come up with the right way to express your thoughts. Why You May Need to Clarify What You Mean ![]() You’ll also find out what to say if you realize there’s been a misunderstanding and you need to explain your ideas another way. In this article and video, you’re going to learn the best way to signal that you need a little more time to clarify your thoughts, as well as useful expressions you can use to restate or rephrase your ideas. It doesn’t matter if you’re a native speaker or not – if you’re having conversations in English, at some point you’re going to need to clarify what you mean. Or maybe you just needed a little more time to come up with the words to express yourself clearly. Maybe you got distracted by something happening around you. Maybe you lost your train of thought or forgot what you were saying. Maybe you used the wrong word or expression. You’re in the middle of a conversation with a friend, colleague, or even a stranger on the street, and you say something that just comes out wrong.
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