University of Rome III - Degree in Languages & International Communication - Convener: Patrick Boylan - Academic year 2005-06



REPAIR SEQUENCE PHRASEOLOGY: Interrupting and Asking for Clarification



  1. INTERRUPT

  • excuse me...

  • What was that?

  • Just a moment...

  • (informal) What?

  • (very formal) Pardon?

  • (Brit.) Sorry?

  • (Brit) Hold on...

  • Do NOT say “Please...” (this is foreigner talk)

  1. SAY YOUR PROBLEM

     Generic

     Specific (MUCH BETTER)

  • I didn't get that

  • I didn't understand that last part.

  • You lost me.

  • I'm not following you.

  • I didn't get the last word...

  • I didn't get the word after “xxxxxxx”... (...the word before “zzzzzzz”)

  • Who... What... When... Where... Why... How... Whose... What kind of...
    Examples of specific questions: Who came? What fell? When is it? Where did you put it?
    NON INVERSION: You did it...why?
    She sang...how? It's...when? You put it...where? It was...what kind of film? You saw...who? You have already done...what?

  • RESTATE WHAT YOU THINK YOU HEARD: “Did you say...”
    The shop assistant: “This perfume is by Dior.”
    You: “Excuse me, did you say: 'door”?
    The shop assistant: “No, I said 'Dior... Christian Dior, the French perfume maker.”
    You: “I see, thanks.”

  1. ASK FOR MORE SPECIFIC HELP

  • Could you say that again?

  • Could you repeat the last part?

  • How do you spell... [“xxxxx”]?

  • What does that mean? Does “xxx” mean “yyy”?

  • AGAIN: THE BEST STRATEGY IS REPETITION   REPEAT WHAT YOU THINK YOU HEARD:
    The shop assistant: “This skirt is a real bargain.”
    You: “Excuse me, you said: 'This skirt's a... is a...' It's a what?” (REPETITION OF “This skirt's a”)
    The shop assistant: “I said it's a real bargain.”
    You: “Sorry, It's a real... what??” (REPETITION OF “It's a real”)
    The shop assistant: “bargain... you save a lot of money.”
    You: “Did you say “bogan”?
    The shop assistant: “No, not bogan, bargain.”
    You: “Ah, 'bargain'... that means 'economical', right?.
    The shop assistant: “Yeah, something like that.”
      

  1. SIGNAL END OF REPAIR   If you just remain silent, your interlocutor doesn't know if it's OK to continue .

  • I see. Thanks. Please go on

  • Now I understand. Please go on..

  • OK, I got it. So, you were say....?

  • Thanks. And so?