language learning center · B2 · Lesson 8
Correcting misunderstandings
Identify a misunderstanding, clarify your intention, and repair the exchange without blame.
Step 1 of 8 — Dialogue
~4 min~35 min total
Work from a natural example to useful language, one small pattern, a spoken attempt, and a response that is relevant to your life.
Nina
I may not have expressed that clearly. I was questioning the schedule, not your work.
Jon
Thanks for clarifying. I took it to mean that you were unhappy with the result.
Nina
I can see how it sounded that way. What I meant was that we need more time to do the result justice.
Jon
That makes sense. We are actually raising the same concern from different angles.
Understand a natural example and learn a small set of useful words, phrases, and patterns.
These items were selected by the lesson curriculum for practical use—not extracted as an every-word list.
I may not have expressed that clearly.
I may not have expressed that clearly. I was questioning the schedule, not your work.
I took it to mean that…
Thanks for clarifying. I took it to mean that you were unhappy with the result.
What I meant was…
I can see how it sounded that way. What I meant was that we need more time to do the result justice.
I can see how it sounded that way.
I can see how it sounded that way. What I meant was that we need more time to do the result justice.
We may be saying the same thing differently.
We may be saying the same thing differently.
Which response repairs a misunderstanding without blaming the listener?
Listen, then choose what you heard.
Write a reply to this line. Use a phrase from the lesson.
I may not have expressed that clearly. I was questioning the schedule, not your work.
Answer before viewing the model
Answer in your own words. Record yourself, listen back, and then compare your response with the model answer.
Repair a misunderstanding in English by naming the interpretation, your intention, and the shared point.
Use a low-stakes misunderstanding that could realistically happen in your life.
Clarify meaning respectfully in English
Learning rewards
Rewards are saved on this device.
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- 1. I may not have expressed that clearly.
- 2. I took it to mean that…
- 3. What I meant was…
- 4. I can see how it sounded that way.
- 5. We may be saying the same thing differently.