When you are having a conversation with colleagues or clients, you want to showcase good manners. When you want to make sure that both of you are on the same page, saying “do you understand” might sound too aggressive. To maintain a good relationship with others, you need to know these ways of speaking!
The Importance of Intonation:
1. Emphasize and stress keywords
A common habit for English-learners is speaking in a flat tone, where everything is at the same pitch and unstressed. By stressing the keywords, it makes you sound more natural.
2. Raise the tone
Remember to raise your tone at the end of a “yes/no” question, when asking for a favor, or making a request. Otherwise, it will sound like a demand.
Common expressions：
3. Am I making sense?
Making yourself (the speaker) the subject of a sentence could sound more polite.
“Am I explaining this clearly? “
4. Does that make sense to you?
You can emphasize the subject of matter, instead of the person you are talking to.
Q：” Does that make sense? “
A：” That makes perfect sense. “
5. Did you get that?
Sometimes you can use some colloquial expressions.
“Did you get/ catch all that? “
6. Is that clear?
This sentence is to confirm someone’s understanding of a given order.
7. Do you know what I mean?
You can also use: “Do you know what I’m saying? “
