HOW TO ASK FOR PRONOUNCEMENT

Helpful Phrases:


Where do you stand?
Where do you stand regarding Leo's attitude? Are you for or against him?
Whose side are you on?
Whose side are you on? Ours or Starbucks'?
Who do you intend to back?
Who do you intend to back? Freddy or Peggy?
Which one do you agree with?
Which line of thought do you agree with, Mac?
Make up your mind, please.
Make up your mind, please. You have to choose between Jenny and me.

HOW TO ASK FOR CONTRIBUTION FROM OTHERS

Helpful Phrases:


What do you think?
What do you think about this proposal?
Would you like to add?
Would you like to add anything, Clive?
Has anyone else got anything?
Has anyone else got anything to contribute?
Are there any more?
Are there any more feedback?
How do you feel?
How do you all feel about this issue?

HOW TO ASK TO COMMENT

Helpful Phrases:


Could I make a point here?
Could I make another point here? Apart from high price, the space is too small.
I’d like to add
I'd like to add that Marlon has generally been right in his forecasts.
Could I say something?
Could I say something about Hugh's proposal?
May I interrupt?
May I interrupt you for a minute, Jess?
I’d like to make a comment.
I'd like to make a quick comment. We need to submit this in ten minutes.

HOW TO ASK FOR CONFIRMATION

Helpful Phrases:


Do you actually mean that?
Do you actually mean that CDB will be taken over?
Is it true that?
Is it true that Jonas is leaving?
Are you certain about this?
Are you completely certain that these numbers are correct?
Is it sure?
Is the takeover sure?
Are you positive?
Are you positive? If so, we'll buy the system.

HOW TO ASK FOR SOLUTIONS

Helpful Phrases:


What should we?
What should we do now?
How can we work it out?
How can we work it out? Do you think we can overcome this?
What’s the way?
What's the best way to contact you?
What is the solution?
What is the solution? Shall we change the system?
How do we?
How do we allow the people to enter?

HOW TO ASK FOR REPETITION

Helpful Phrases:


Sorry, I didn't catch that
Sorry, I didn't catch your last sentence. It's too noisy here.
I missed that. Could you repeat it, please?
I missed your explanation. Could you repeat it, please?
Pardon?
Pardon? I didn't get what you said about Harvey.
Excuse me
Excuse me. Could you read that once again please?
What did you say?
What did you say? I think I understood you wrongly.
What was that again?
What was that again? I'm afraid I'm a bit deaf.

HOW TO ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION

Helpful Phrases:


Could you explain?
Could you explain your reasons for being late?
How can you justify?
How can you justify this increment in price?
I don't understand why
I don't understand why we always have problems with Mark.
Why is it that?
Why is it that you're charging us a commission?
How come?
How come your cheque always gets returned?

HOW TO ASK FOR A SUBSTITUTE

Helpful Phrases:


Could you replace me?
Could you replace me tomorrow? I've got an appointment with the dentist.
Would it be possible for you to take over?
Would it be possible for you to take over from me? I don't feel well.
You might have to stand in for
You might have to stand in for Ben. He has to go to Head office.
We need a substitute
We need a substitute teacher for a few days. Could you come in?
Can you take my place?
Can you take my place for an hour? I'm meeting a client at the station

HOW TO ASK ABOUT THE FUTURE

Helpful Phrases:


What are your plans?
What are your plans for next five years?
What’s your projection?
What's your projection on developments in the field?
What’s your forecast?
What's your forecast for this coming Christmas season?
What do you expect?
What do you expect will happen once the loan is approved?
What do you anticipate?
What do you anticipate? Will the new model outsell the old one?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT PRESENT ACTIVITIES

Helpful Phrases:


What's up?
What's up? Why have the lines stopped production?
What's happening?
What's happening in Glasgow?
What are you working on?
What are you working on now? Still on the CDB project?
Anything new?
Anything new in the Chelsea branch?
What’s the current situation?
What's the current situation in the sales department?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT JOBS

Helpful Phrases:


What do you do?
What do you do? I'm a lawyer.
What business are you in?
What business are you in? IT? Sales?
What’s your line of work?
What's your exact line of work? All I know is that you're a manager.
What’s your job?
What's your job? Are you in the IT world too?
Where do you work?
Where do you work? At City Bank?

HOW TO ASK FOR THE PURPOSE

Helpful Phrases:


Why?
Why do we need to open another branch? We already have forty-one!
What can you use this for?
What can we use this product for?
What does it do?
What does this new software do that makes tasks more efficient?
What the purpose?
What's the purpose of manufacturing bags if demand is slow?
Could you explain the object?
Could you explain the object of calling for yet another meeting?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT PROJECTS

Helpful Phrases:


What are your?
What are your current projects in the solar energy sector?
What are you developing?
What is the R&D department developing nowadays?
What are your initiatives?
What are your initiatives in the field?
What are you up to?
What exactly are you up to? A new type of windmill?
Have you come up with anything?
Have you come up with any exciting new idea recently?

HOW TO ASK FOR HELP LESS POLITELY

Helpful Phrases:


I could use your help.
I could use your help. Can't you see I'm carrying heavy boxes?
I need some help
I need some help. I know you understand this better than I do.
Help!
Help! Can anyone explain Economics to me?
I need a favor
I need a favor. Do you see those books? Can you bring them down?
Could you lend me a hand?
Could you lend me a hand? I tried to fix this by myself but couldn't.

HOW TO ASK FOR HELP POLITELY

Helpful Phrases:

Could you please help me?
Could you please help me with this report?
Would you mind helping me out?
Would you mind helping me out? My math skills are not that good.
Could you possibly assist me?
Could you possibly assist me? I can't understand this ATM.
Can you spare a few minutes?
Can you spare a few minutes? I need a bit of support here.
Could I ask you for a favor?
Could I ask you for a favor? How does this program work?

HOW TO ASK FOR PERMISSION

Helpful Phrases:


Could I?
Could I have a look at the new designs?
May I?
May I use your washroom?
Do you mind?
Do you mind if we borrow your printer for a couple of hours?
Is it okay?
It is OK to bring Sally with me the next time?
Would it be all right?
Would it be all right for Danny to use your car tomorrow?

HOW TO ASK TO BORROW

Helpful Phrases:


Could you lend me?
Could you lend me $100? I'm broke!
May I borrow?
May I borrow your laptop? .
Do you mind if I use?
Do you mind if I use your car this evening?
Will you let me have?
Will you let me have your boat over the weekend?
I would need to use
I would need to use a Mac for the presentation. Do you have one?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED

Helpful Phrases:


What do you need?
What do you need a new plotter for?
What are the requisites?
What are the requisites? For instance, can a foreigner buy property here?
What is required?
What documents are required for the whole importation process?
Is this necessary?
Is it necessary to spend so much money in new equipment?
Is it a must?
Is a coffee machine a must? Can't we just all have tea at the office?

HOW TO ASK FOR STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Helpful Phrases:


What are their strengths?
What are their mains strengths? Marketing? We can beat them there.
What do you do best?
What do you do best? I need to know before I help you write your CV.
Don’t they have any weak point?
Doesn't this team have any weak point? Are they all great players?
What is she good at?
What is Ben good at? Selling. He's a pro at that.
Aren’t they vulnerable at all?
Aren't they vulnerable at all? What if we reduce all our prices?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT ABILITIES

Helpful Phrases:


Could he?
Could he lead a team of ten experienced salesmen?
Are you able to?
Are you able to work under pressure?
How well do you?
How well do you know the UNIX system?
What about her?
What about her experience in public relations? Could she handle the press?
Do her skills include?
Do her skills include touch typing?