English · B2 · Speaking · about 5 min
Spot and fix a misunderstanding on the phone before it turns into a costly mistake.
Roman manages supply at a machinery company in Kharkiv. He calls a supplier in Manchester about missing replacement parts. The line is poor, the supplier speaks fast, and halfway through it becomes clear they are discussing different orders. On the phone you have no body language, so B2 speakers use explicit repair strategies: ask for repetition, paraphrase, name the confusion, rephrase, spell and summarise.
MomentYou ask for repetition.
SaySorry, the line's breaking up a bit — could you say that last part again?
WhyBlaming the line is a face-saving way to ask again; say that last part again is precise.
MomentYou paraphrase to check.
SayJust to make sure I've got this right, you're saying the shipment will arrive on the 14th, not the 4th?
WhyJust to make sure I've got this right… + paraphrase checks key facts; 4th and 14th sound alike.
MomentYou name the mix-up.
SayI think we may be talking about two different orders here.
Whymay be talking about … here: a soft, shared way to say 'you're wrong'.
MomentYou rephrase your point.
SayWhat I meant was the replacement parts, not the original delivery.
WhyWhat I meant was … reframes without blaming the listener.
MomentYou get exact details.
SayCould you spell the reference number for me, please?
WhyNumbers and names need spelling; for me, please keeps it polite.
MomentYou summarise and confirm.
SayGreat, so to sum up: order 5521, replacement parts, arriving on the 14th. I'll send you an email to confirm.
Whyso to sum up + confirm by email closes the loop.
| Moment | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You ask for repetition. | Sorry, the line's breaking up a bit — could you say that last part again? | Blaming the line is a face-saving way to ask again; say that last part again is precise. |
| You paraphrase to check. | Just to make sure I've got this right, you're saying the shipment will arrive on the 14th, not the 4th? | Just to make sure I've got this right… + paraphrase checks key facts; 4th and 14th sound alike. |
| You name the mix-up. | I think we may be talking about two different orders here. | may be talking about … here: a soft, shared way to say 'you're wrong'. |
Cleft sentences add focus: What I meant was …, What I need is … Paraphrase with 'you're saying …?' using statement word order and rising intonation. Modal 'may' softens: we may be talking about different things. Numbers like 13/30, 14/40 are classic traps — repeat them as one-four.
Keep a notepad ready. Paraphrase every number, date and name. If a call gets confusing, stop and say: 'Can I just check where we are?' Always follow important calls with a short written summary.
Related topics: /topics/english/b2/meetings/disagreeing-politely, /topics/english/b1/work/requesting-more-time. To keep going, continue with the English course on MyAnya.
Ask for repetition politely, paraphrase with just to make sure I've got this right, name the confusion with may be talking about, rephrase with what I meant was, ask for spellings and summarise with so to sum up.
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You missed part of a sentence. What do you say?
Sorry, the line's breaking up a bit — could you say that last part again?
Blaming the line is a face-saving way to ask again; say that last part again is precise.
Roman is calling from a noisy warehouse.
Just to make sure I've got this right, you're saying the shipment will arrive on the 14th, not the 4th?
Just to make sure I've got this right… + paraphrase checks key facts; 4th and 14th sound alike.
Fourteen and forty also cause confusion.
I think we may be talking about two different orders here.
may be talking about … here: a soft, shared way to say 'you're wrong'.
The supplier was looking at last month's order.
What I meant was the replacement parts, not the original delivery.
What I meant was … reframes without blaming the listener.
Roman stays calm — it is nobody's fault.
Could you spell the reference number for me, please?
Numbers and names need spelling; for me, please keeps it polite.
He writes the number on a sticky note.
Great, so to sum up: order 5521, replacement parts, arriving on the 14th. I'll send you an email to confirm.
so to sum up + confirm by email closes the loop.
He sends the email straight after hanging up.
| You rephrase your point. |
| What I meant was the replacement parts, not the original delivery. |
| What I meant was … reframes without blaming the listener. |
| You get exact details. | Could you spell the reference number for me, please? | Numbers and names need spelling; for me, please keeps it polite. |
| You summarise and confirm. | Great, so to sum up: order 5521, replacement parts, arriving on the 14th. I'll send you an email to confirm. | so to sum up + confirm by email closes the loop. |