Asking or requesting to say again

Method of expressing the lack of understanding : English conversation

You can ask or request to repeat the last said words in a conversation, when you don’t understand or you couldn’t hear properly.

Here are some easy ways.

• Pardon?
• Pardon me?
• Beg your pardon!
• I beg your pardon!
• Sorry?
• I’m sorry. I don’t understand what you just said.
• Excuse me?
• What did you say?
• What was that?
• Say what?
• Come again?
• Say again?
• Pass that by me again?
• I simply don’t catch what you’re saying.
• I’m afraid I don’t follow.
• I’m not clear about what you mean.
• I’m unclear about what you mean.

Levels of spoken English / English fluency

• English fluency can not be reached within a few days.
• It may take months or some times years.
• No one can clearly define what the upper limit is.
• Some people are satisfied with their speaking ability, if they can speak a few words like ‘Thank you’.
• Some people are happy, if they can just understand what others speak.
• Some people will agree only if they could speak for certain time continuously.
• Some people will not agree till they are confident enough to speak in English in various topics.
• The level or standard is determined by the individuals involved and not by someone else.

Some foreign words and phrases

• Ab initio: from the beginning.
• Ad hoc: for the particular end or purpose at hand.
• Au revoir: till we meet again.
• Bon appetit: good appetite.
• Bona fide: with good faith.
• Corrigenda: things to be corrected.
• Crème de la crème: the best of the best.
• Curriculum vitae: course of life, resume.
• De facto: in fact.
• Dixi: I have said it.
• Emeritus: honorably retired.
• En masse: in a large body.
• E pluribus unum: out of many, one.
• Esprit de corps: team spirit.
• Eureka: I have found it.
• Faux pas: social blunder.
• Glasnost: openness.
• Guru: spiritual leader or teacher.
• Habeas corpus: a writ to produce a prisoner before a court of law.
• Haute cuisine: high-class cooking.
• In camera: in secret.
• In situ: in the original arrangement.
• In toto: totally, as a whole.
• Joie de vivre: joy of living.
• Jus civile: the civil law.
• Kitsch: sentimental bad taste.
• Laus deo: praise to God.
• Magnum opus: a great work of art or literature.
• Modus operandi: method of working.
• Non liquet: it is not clear.
• Nota bene: note well.
• Ora pro nobis: pray for us.
• Pax in bello: peace in war.
• Per centum: by the hundred.
• Post meridiem: after midday.
• Post mortem: after death.
• Prima-facie: at first sight.
• Quondam: former.
• Resurgam: I shall rise again.
• Sayonara: goodbye.
• Status quo: existing order of things.
• Terra firma: solid ground.
• Ultra vires: beyond the powers.
• Vis-à-vis: compared with.
• Viva voce: orally.

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

• IELTS is International English Language Testing System.
• It is an English Proficiency test.
• It is useful for studies or works in almost all countries where English is the language of communication.
• It measures the ability to communicate in English through listening, reading, writing and speaking.
• Listening includes answering according to speech delivered by using a CD.
• Reading includes reading a passage and answering questions.
• Writing includes writing essays from the given topics.
• Speaking includes participating in an interview to successfully converse in English.
• Many colleges, universities, government and private organizations and agencies accept the IELTS score.

Prefixes and their numbers

Semi, hemi, demi ----------------------- ½
Uni , mono -------------------------------- 1
Bi, di ---------------------------------------- 2
Tri, ------------------------------------------ 3
Tetra, quadri ----------------------------- 4
Pent, penta, quint ---------------------- 5
Sex, hex, hexa --------------------------- 6
Hept, hepta, sept, septi, septam ---- 7
Oct, octa, octo --------------------------- 8
Non, nona -------------------------------- 9
Dec, deca --------------------------------- 10

Atto ---------------------------------- 0.000000000000000001
Femto -------------------------------- 0.000000000000001
Pico ---------------------------------- 0.000000000001
Nano --------------------------------- 0.000000001
Micro -------------------------------- 0.000001
Milli --------------------------------- 0.001
Centi -------------------------------- 0.01
Deci --------------------------------- 0.1
Uni, Mono -------------------------- 1
Dec, deca –-------------------------- 10
Hect, hector ------------------------ 100
Kilo --------------------------------- 1000
Mega ------------------------------- 1000000
Giga -------------------------------- 1000000000
Tera -------------------------------- 1000000000000

Numbers give meanings

One sided : partial, unfair
One way : requiring no reciprocal action
First aid : emergency treatment before the regular medical
treatment available
One-off : only happening once
One-horse town : a small, old fashioned and boring town
One-liner : a short joke, a funny remark
First footer : the first person to enter a house in the New Year
Second banana : a person in a subservient position
Two-faced : double-dealing, false
Two-way street : situation, depends on co-operation of two people
Three-ring circus : a confused situation due to too much activity
Third party :someone who is not one of the two main people
Fourth dimension : time
Four-eyes : one who wears glasses
Four-flusher : someone who cheats others
Fifth column : a group of people who work secretly for the enemy
Fifth wheel : one who is superfluous, unnecessary or burdensome
To take five : to stop working for a few minutes
At sixes and sevens : in utter confusion or disorder
In seventh heaven : to be supremely happy
Behind the eighth ball : in a highly disadvantageous or dangerous position
On cloud nine : to be extremely happy
Dressed (up) to the nines : wearing the best or most formal clothes
Ten to one chance : very probably
Be ten a penny : a dime a dozen, to be very common, not unusual
Ten-strike : a stroke of great success, a very profitable bargain
Eleventh hour : at the last possible moment, just in time
Talk nineteen to the dozen : to talk very quickly and without stopping
Forty winks : a short sleep, esp. after dinner
Go fifty-fifty : share the cost of something equally
Hundreds of : a lot of
Wife in a thousand : a perfect wife
Look like a million dollars : to look very attractive
On somebody’s last legs : to be very ill, likely to die soon

Easy ideas to learn spoken English.

• Learning to speak English is not a difficult task. If you have the will to learn and spare time, you can start learning even from now.
• Think in English.
• Start using simple vocabulary.
• Speak clearly and concisely.
• Speak aloud. The more you speak English aloud, the faster you will learn to speak it fluently.
• Also practice by talking to yourself (self talk).
• You can learn grammar also while practicing spoken English.
• Read aloud using full voice volume while reading English newspapers.
• Read different variety of articles like jokes, poetry, stories, etc.
• Read with an intention to completely understand the meaning and concept.
• Learn new words every day.
• Read news articles on the internet.
• Also make use of some English teaching web sites.
• Watch English films and listen English conversations.