Have you ever had a situation where you can’t hear your groupmates clearly? What can you say in response to his/her opinion? Can I say “pardon” to ask that person to repeat? Here are some tips for you to deal with this problem you may encounter in the group discussion section of DSE Paper4.
First of all, “pardon” is not the best response to this situation. In Cambridge dictionary, “pardon” is an exclamation which is used to politely ask someone to repeat something they have said because you did not hear it.
However, it has another meaning which used to show that someone has said something that offends you. If you say “pardon or I beg your pardon” in response to another’s speech, it makes you sound a bit sarcastic or aggressive, which is definitely not ideal.
1. If you can’t hear someone clearly, you can say
Sorry, can you say that again?
Could you repeat that please?
2. If you hear someone, but did not catch the meaning
I didn’t catch your meaning.
I’m not sure if I understood your point completely, but my opinion is……
3. If someone speaks too quietly/too fast
Could you speak up a little bit?
Could you slow down a little bit?
