Exercises B1 : practice clarifying information (answers)

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Clarifying information in English [B1] — VocaVerb

These exercises are based on the course on clarifying information in English. Practice using key clarifying phrases to correct misunderstandings and express yourself more clearly.

→ See the course : Clarifying information in English : complete course

Exercice 1 — Choose the Right Clarifying Phrase

Read each situation and choose the most appropriate clarifying phrase.

Correction

  1. B) What I mean is that we should delay the project, not cancel it.
  2. C) To clarify, the deadline has been moved to Friday, not Thursday.
  3. B) What I'm trying to say is that your work is really creative and impressive.
  4. A) Let me put it another way: the new system will save us time and reduce errors.

Exercice 2 — Complete the Clarifying Dialogue

Complete each dialogue by writing a full clarifying sentence using the phrase given in brackets.

  1. A: So you think we should fire Tom?
    B: No, not at all! ___ [What I mean is…]
  2. A: Are you saying the meeting is cancelled for good?
    B: ___ [To clarify…]
  3. A: I'm not sure I understand your point about the budget.
    B: ___ [Let me put it another way…]
  4. A: Did you say everyone has to work this weekend?
    B: ___ [What I'm trying to say is…]
Correction

  1. What I mean is that we should give Tom more training and support, not fire him.
  2. To clarify, the meeting is only postponed until next week, not cancelled permanently.
  3. Let me put it another way: we need to spend less money this quarter to avoid going over budget.
  4. What I'm trying to say is that working this weekend is optional, but it would really help the team.

Exercice 3 — Reformulate to Clarify

The following sentences are unclear or could be misunderstood. Rewrite each one using a clarifying phrase from the course to make the meaning clear.

  1. Original: 'I think the plan is bad.' (The speaker actually means only one part of the plan is problematic.)
  2. Original: 'We need to move fast.' (The speaker means the team should prioritise this task above others, not rush carelessly.)
  3. Original: 'She's not right for the job.' (The speaker means her current skills don't match the requirements, not that she is incompetent.)
  4. Original: 'I don't agree with you.' (The speaker actually agrees with the main idea but disagrees with one specific detail.)
Correction

  1. What I mean is that only the budget section of the plan needs to be reviewed, not the whole plan.
  2. To clarify, I mean that we should prioritise this task above the others, but still work carefully.
  3. Let me put it another way: her current skills don't fully match the job requirements, but she could develop them with training.
  4. What I'm trying to say is that I agree with your main idea, but I'm not sure about the way you want to implement it.

To go further on this topic:

Review the lesson · Crossword puzzle

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