Qué vas a aprender
- Abrir una conversación sobre pedir una explicación con una frase clara y adecuada al contexto.
- Usar vocabulario específico de pedir una explicación para dar o pedir la información central.
- Confirmar nombres, números, tiempos o próximos pasos sin depender de traducciones literales.
- Pedir aclaraciones y reformular cuando no entendés una parte de la respuesta.
Vocabulario esencial
instrucciones
“Please read the instructions carefully.”profesor/a universitario/a
“I sent my professor an email.”tema
“What topic are we discussing today?”presentación
“I have to give a presentation tomorrow.”biblioteca
“I borrowed the book from the library.”respuesta
“I’m not sure of the answer.”instrucción
“Could you repeat the instruction?”examen
“The exam is next Thursday.”clase
“The class starts at nine.”fecha límite / plazo
“The deadline for the project is Friday.”ejercicio
“I finished the exercise.”explicación
“Could you give me another explanation?”Frases que realmente podés usar
Could you explain that one more time?
I have a question about this example.
Can I add something to that point?
I have a question about…
Could you give me an example?
I’m not sure I understood the instructions.
What would be the best next step?
Is there anything else I need to bring or prepare?
Would you mind saying that one more time?
Is there a deadline I should know about?
I’d rather check now than make a mistake later.
That works for me. What should I do next?
I have a question about this part.
Diálogo realista
Student: Could you explain that one more time?
Teacher: Of course. I can help with that.
Student: I have a question about this example.
Teacher: Okay. Thanks for explaining that.
Student: Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again?
Teacher: Of course. I’ll say it more slowly.
Student: Can I add something to that point?
Teacher: Of course. Let’s look at it together.
Student: I have a question about this part.
Teacher: Okay. Thanks for explaining that.
Student: Could you give me an example?
Teacher: Of course. I can help with that.
Student: Before we finish, I want to make sure I understood the important part.
Teacher: Of course. Repeat the key information in your own words, and I’ll tell you if anything needs correcting.
Student: Okay. If I miss a word, is it fine to ask the other person to repeat just that part?
Teacher: Absolutely. You can ask them to repeat it, say it more slowly, or write it down if that would help.
Student: That’s useful. I sometimes understand the general idea but worry that I missed one important detail.
Teacher: That happens often. Focus first on names, times, numbers, places, and the action you need to take next.
Student: So I don’t need to understand every single word to keep the conversation moving.
Teacher: Exactly. A short clarification question is usually better than guessing or staying silent.
Student: And if I need a moment to think, can I say something like “Let me check”?
Teacher: Yes. “Let me check,” “Give me a second,” and “Just to confirm” are all natural ways to buy a little time.
Student: Great. I feel much more confident about handling this kind of conversation now.
Teacher: Good. Keep the useful phrases short, practise them out loud, and adapt them to the details you actually need.
Student: No, that covers it. Thanks for your help.
Teacher: You’re welcome. Have a good day.
Cómo suena en inglés natural
Escuchá la función, no cada palabra
En una conversación sobre pedir una explicación, identificá primero si la otra persona está pidiendo un dato, confirmando algo o indicando un próximo paso. Esa función te ayuda a responder incluso si no entendiste una palabra secundaria.
Confirmar es parte de una conversación natural
Pedir confirmación específica —un horario, un nombre o un paso— suena más natural que decir simplemente “I don’t understand”.
Usá bloques de lenguaje reutilizables
No memorices el diálogo completo. Elegí dos frases del bloque anterior y combinalas con vocabulario como “instructions”, “professor” o “topic”. Así podés adaptarte si la conversación cambia.
Errores comunes de hispanohablantes
✕ I have a doubt about this.
✓ I have a question about this.
Para una consulta concreta, “I have a question” es la opción natural.
✕ Can you repeat me that?
✓ Could you repeat that, please?
Con repeat, lo natural es usar directamente el objeto: “repeat that”.
✕ I need that you explain it.
✓ I need you to explain it.
Después de need se usa “person + to + verb”: “I need you to explain it”.
✕ What means this?
✓ What does this mean?
En preguntas con mean se usa el auxiliar does: “What does this mean?”
Mini práctica
Respondé las seis actividades. La corrección aparece en el momento y al final vas a ver tu resultado.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Qué conviene practicar primero en esta situación?
Empezá por una frase para abrir la conversación, una para pedir o dar la información principal y otra para pedir aclaración. Después practicá el diálogo en voz alta.
¿Tengo que memorizar todas las frases?
No. Elegí primero tres o cuatro expresiones que realmente usarías, practicá el diálogo y después agregá alternativas.