In a university lecture, students often need the lecturer to slow down, repeat, or explain a difficult word. English lectures move fast, and the lecturer may use specialised vocabulary. Knowing how to interrupt politely is therefore a vital skill. The key to good clarification questions is to be soft, clear and grateful.

The three-part formula. Almost every polite question in a lecture has three parts:

1. A soft opener — Sorry, Excuse me, or Pardon. This gets the lecturer's attention without sounding rude.
2. A modal verb — could or would. Modals make a request softer and more distant.
3. A closing word — please or thank you. This shows respect.

For example, instead of Repeat that (which sounds rude), say Excuse me, could you repeat that, please?. The three soft parts are Excuse me, could, and please.

Tone matters too. Use rising intonation at the end of a question — your voice should go up. A falling tone sounds like a statement; a rising tone sounds like a question. In polite requests, a slightly high rising tone signals that you are asking, not telling.

Useful phrases for asking for clarification

What NOT to say. Common mistakes include: Tell me the meaning (too direct), What? (too short and rude), You speak too fast (sounds like a complaint). The politeness formula protects you from these errors.

Putting it together. Imagine you are in a history lecture. The lecturer says the word industrialisation very quickly. You do not catch it. You raise your hand, wait for the lecturer to notice, and say: Excuse me, could you repeat the last word, please? The lecturer repeats. You still do not understand, so you ask: Sorry, what does that mean? The lecturer explains. To be sure you understand, you check: So, do you mean that machines started to make things in factories? Finally, you close with Thank you. Polite, clear, and complete.

Listen to a short conversation in a university history lecture. A student does not understand a word and politely asks the lecturer for clarification.

Read this polite question aloud. Keep your voice soft and let it rise at the end on 'please'.

Read this checking question aloud. Your voice should rise on 'worked' at the end — that is the signal of a real question.

You are going to listen to a short dialogue between Dr Smith, a university history lecturer, and Emma, one of his students. They are in the middle of a lecture on the Industrial Revolution. Emma is taking notes carefully, but she misses an important word the lecturer uses. She decides to ask Dr Smith for clarification during the lecture.

Before you listen, think about this: when you do not understand something in a lecture, what is the polite way to interrupt? Do you just shout the word? Do you raise your hand? Do you wait until the end of the class? The answer in English-speaking universities is usually to raise your hand, wait, and start with a soft word like Excuse me or Sorry. As you listen, pay attention to what Emma does and what she actually says.

Setting the scene. The Industrial Revolution (about 1760 to 1840) was a period when many countries in Europe and North America changed from farming economies to industrial economies, with millions of people leaving the countryside to work in city factories. The lecturer is explaining the social effects of this change, and Emma is trying to understand one key term. The word she misses — urbanisation — is central to the whole topic.

The dialogue has ten turns. After you listen, you will answer three questions:

• One question about the main idea (gist). You need to understand why Emma is speaking.
• One question about a specific piece of information. You need to catch a particular fact.
• One question about a detail. You will complete a sentence with a missing word or number.

All the answers are in the dialogue, so you do not need any outside knowledge. Listen carefully, and do not worry if you miss something the first time — you can listen again.

What to listen for. As you listen, focus on three things: (1) the soft openers Emma uses, (2) the modal verbs she chooses, and (3) the specific fact the lecturer gives about Manchester. These three things will be tested in the questions that follow.

Key vocabulary for the dialogue

Listen to a short dialogue in a university history lecture. Emma is taking notes, but she misses an important term. Listen for what she does and what Dr Smith explains.

What is the main purpose of Emma's questions?

The English sound /θ/ is the soft 'th' at the start of the word think. It is one of the most distinctive sounds of English, and it appears very often in academic and polite phrases. In a lecture, you will probably need to say 'thank you', 'I think', 'the topic', 'thirty' or 'something' many times. Mastering this single sound will make your English sound clearer, more confident, and easier to follow.

How to make the /θ/ sound. Place the tip of your tongue gently between your upper and lower front teeth. The flat top of the tongue should be visible, lightly touching the back of the top teeth. Push a thin stream of air out of your mouth. Do not use your voice — your throat and vocal cords should not vibrate. Your lips stay relaxed and slightly open; they do not round. Hold the position for about one second, then move to the next sound.

Common mistakes. The first common mistake is to put the tongue behind the top teeth, which produces a /t/ sound — tink instead of think. The second is to keep the tongue behind the bottom teeth, which produces an /s/ sound — sink instead of think. The third is to use the voiced version /ð/ (as in this or the) when you should use the voiceless /θ/. To feel the difference, put your hand on your throat: if you feel a vibration, you are using /ð/, not /θ/.

Why this matters in lectures. Polite phrases in English are full of /θ/: thank you, excuse me, I think so, the point is. In a lecture, you will say thank you many times, and you will often say I think when you are checking your understanding. If you pronounce these as tank you and I tink, your listener will still understand you, but the sound will sound noticeably non-native. A clear /θ/ makes your speech sound more academic and confident.

Six common words with /θ/

Read each word aloud. Focus on the position of the tongue tip and the absence of vibration in the throat. The minimal pair think / sink is a good place to start practising.

To make /θ/, put the tip of your tongue gently between your upper and lower teeth. Push a thin stream of air out without using your voice — your throat should not vibrate. Practice with the word think: tongue forward, between the teeth, and silent throat.

Read this polite phrase aloud. Push your tongue tip forward between your teeth for the first sound: th-ank you. Your throat should not vibrate.

Read this sentence aloud. Focus on the /θ/ in 'think'. The tongue tip comes forward between the teeth, and the air flows out without voice.

Read this phrase aloud. Both words start with /θ/. Keep the tongue forward between the teeth for each one.

Reading strategy: skim first, then read for detail. When you read a short article on study skills, do not try to understand every word on the first read. Move your eyes quickly over the text and look at the title, the headings and the first sentence of each paragraph. This is called skimming, and it gives you the main idea in about one minute. Then, on a second read, you can look for the specific information you need — this is called scanning.

How to skim well. Move your eyes quickly across each paragraph. Stop only at: (1) the first word of each paragraph, (2) any bold or italic words, and (3) the last sentence of the paragraph. Do not read every word. Do not use a dictionary. Your goal is the gist — the one or two main ideas — not full understanding.

What is the gist? The gist of an article is the single most important message the writer wants you to take away. For a study-skills article, the gist is usually a tip or a piece of advice. You can often find the gist in the first or last paragraph, where the writer summarises their point.

The article you will read. Sara is a third-year psychology student. She has sat through hundreds of lectures and has asked many questions herself. She knows what works and what does not. Her article is short — only about 110 words — but it gives three concrete tips: (1) lecturers prefer questions, (2) use polite language with could and would, and (3) it is better to ask later by email than to stay silent. As you read, see if you can spot all three.

Key vocabulary for this section

Before you read. Look at the title: How to Ask in a Lecture — Without Feeling Embarrassed. What do you think the article will advise? Try to predict two or three pieces of advice before you start reading. Then check your predictions as you read.

How to Ask in a Lecture — Without Feeling Embarrassed

By Sara, third-year psychology student

Many students feel afraid to ask questions during a lecture. They worry about looking stupid in front of two hundred people. The truth is, lecturers actually prefer questions. Questions show that you are thinking, not just writing.

The most important rule is to be polite. Start with 'Excuse me' or 'Sorry'. Use 'could' or 'would', never 'tell me' or 'say'. End with 'please' or 'thank you'.

If you miss a word, do not panic. Write a quick note in the margin and ask after the lecture, or send a short email. The lecturer will respect you more for asking than for staying silent.

What is the main message of the article?

Speaking up in a lecture can feel stressful, especially if you are shy or if the lecture has two hundred people in it. The good news is that, with a small amount of practice, it becomes much easier. The model phrases below are the ones that native-speaker students use most often in English-speaking universities. Pick the ones that feel most comfortable for you, and learn two or three of them well. You do not need to memorise all seven.

Model phrases for asking in a lecture

Body language matters. A polite question is not only words — it is also body language. Raise your hand rather than shouting across the room. Make eye contact with the lecturer and wait until the lecturer pauses. Speak clearly and at a normal speed — do not whisper, as the lecturer and other students will not hear you. After the lecturer answers, say Thank you and give a small nod. These small actions make a big difference.

The conversation pattern. When you ask for clarification, the conversation usually has three moves: (1) you interrupt politely (Excuse me, could you…?); (2) the lecturer answers; (3) you check your understanding (So, do you mean that…?) and close politely (Thank you). The third move is the most important, and the one that B2 students often forget. Asking a follow-up check question shows that you are thinking deeply, and it gives the lecturer a chance to clear up any remaining confusion.

Common mistakes to avoid. Do not say What? (too short, sounds rude), Tell me again (too direct), or You said… followed by a complaint. Always protect the lecturer's face by starting with Excuse me or Sorry. If you cannot catch the word at all, it is fine to say: Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. The word catch here means hear and understand.

What you will do in this section. First, you will hear a short model conversation between Emma and Dr Smith. Notice the three moves. Then you will read two of the model phrases aloud. Finally, you will have a live roleplay with the AI, who will play Dr Smith. Raise your hand (in your mind!), wait for a pause, and use the polite openers you have practised.

Listen to this short model conversation. Notice how the student (Emma) interrupts politely and how the lecturer (Dr Smith) responds.

Read this question aloud. Use a rising tone at the end — your voice should go up on 'please'.

Read this checking question aloud. It is a useful pattern: 'So, do you mean that…?' followed by a simple restatement of the lecturer's idea.

Sometimes you cannot ask a question during a lecture — you miss the moment, you are too shy, or you simply do not have time. In that case, a short, polite email to the teacher is the perfect solution. A good email is short (five to seven sentences is enough), clear, and respectful. Unlike a text to a friend, an email to a teacher should have a clear structure and a polite tone.

Model email

Subject: Question about Monday's lecture

Dear Dr Hassan,

I hope you are well. I was in your history lecture on Monday and I didn't understand the part about the Industrial Revolution. Could you explain what you meant by 'mass production'? Thank you very much for your time.

Best wishes, Layla

Using modal verbs for politeness. Notice how Layla uses the modal verb could — Could you explain…? — instead of the direct Explain…. In English, Could you…? and Would you…? are much softer than imperative verbs. The difference is small but very important. Explain mass production. sounds like a command. Could you explain mass production? sounds like a polite request. Teachers in English-speaking universities expect this softer form.

Using soft openers and closings. Notice the soft opener I hope you are well and the polite closing Thank you very much for your time. These small phrases — which take only a few seconds to write — make the email sound warm and respectful. In English academic culture, a teacher expects a greeting and a closing; without them, the email can feel cold or rude.

Structure of a polite email to a teacher

1. Subject line — short and clear (e.g. Question about Monday's lecture).
2. Greeting — Dear + the teacher's title and family name (e.g. Dear Dr Hassan, Dear Professor Ali).
3. Soft opener — a short friendly sentence (e.g. I hope you are well).
4. Context — which lecture, which day, which part.
5. The question — using Could you…? or Would you…?.
6. Polite closing — Thank you for your time or Thank you for your help.
7. Sign-off — Best wishes or Kind regards, followed by your first name.

Common mistakes to avoid. Three common mistakes in student emails are: (1) using a casual greeting like Hi or no greeting at all — Dear is safer; (2) using imperatives like Explain mass production — always use Could you…?; (3) forgetting to thank the teacher at the end — always close with Thank you or Best wishes. Avoiding these three mistakes will make your email sound professional and polite.

Final tip. When you write the email, keep it short. Teachers receive many emails, and they appreciate messages that get to the point quickly. Four to six sentences is the right length. If your email is longer than eight sentences, it is probably too long — cut the extra information.

Using modal verbs for politeness. In a teacher email, use 'Could you…?' or 'Would you…?' instead of direct commands. Compare: 'Explain mass production.' (sounds rude) with 'Could you explain mass production?' (sounds polite). Also add a soft opener such as 'I hope you are well' and a polite closing such as 'Thank you for your time'.

Which sentence is the most polite way to ask a teacher a question?

Now write your own short email to a teacher (four to six sentences). Ask about one point you did not understand in a recent lecture. Use 'Dear', 'Could you…?', 'Thank you' and 'Best wishes'. When you finish writing, read your email aloud.