| Presenter | Questioner |
| Turnover was …… | Sorry, turnover was what? |
| The greatest demand was in ….. | Sorry, the greatest demand was where? |
| We contacted ……… in Novosibirsk | Sorry, you contacted who? |
| We finished the study last ………. | Sorry, you finished the study when? |
| The whole project needs…… | Sorry, the whole project needs what? |
| Our main market is in ……… | Sorry, our main market is where? |
| We've known this since …….. | Sorry, you've known this since when? |
| Start-up costs could be ….. | Sorry, start-up costs could be how much? |
| The study took…….. to complete. | Sorry, the study took how long to complete? |
| We've had…………of enquiries. | Sorry, you've had how many enquiries? |
The following question frames here and in Annex 4 may also help you:
1) Could we go back to what you were saying about……….?
2) How did you arrive at the figure of ………?
3) I think I misunderstood you. Did you say ……….?
4) You spoke about……………… Could you explain that in more detail?
5) Going back to the question of…… Can you be more specific?
6) You didn’t mention……… Why not?
7) If I understood you correctly, …… Is that right?
8) I’m not sure. I fully understood…… Can you run through that again, please?
9) There’s one thing I’m not clear about…. Could you go over that again, please?
In addition, it's important to keep a positive atmosphere while debating. Speakers try to explain why the other side should change its position and make compromises.
You may find several steps here:
1) State your position/say your opinion/suggest something. Support your point of view.
2) The other speakers accept or reject and suggest something else.
3) You accept or reject and support your opinion.
4) Make compromises [1, P. 110].
Sometimes there is an absence of contradictions between communicative intention (“plan”) and its realization. For example, you want to prove to the person you are talking to your rightness (this is your communicative aim). You can:
1) present some reasons to support your ideas (non-conflict steps);
2) analyze (show) the errors of the person you are talking to (conflict steps).
It is not necessary to show the errors of the person you are talking to. It is enough to present your own reasons. You contact to people having your own purposes, not just “to have a talk”. That is why you have something to do. You transfer “your own object of speaking” to the person you are talking to. You can replace your object as:
1) positive;
2) negative (to censure, to criticize, to refuse, etc.);
3) neutral (to state, to discuss, to analyze, etc.).
In addition to be successful in communication you should remember “the laws of successful communication”:
I. The principle of cooperation:
1) your reply should contain neither less nor more information than it is required; the information should be useful at the moment of speaking;
2) don’t speak things you suppose to be fails;
3) don’t forget the purpose of your speech;
4) be clear:
5) avoid the expressions that are not clear to the person you are talking to;
6) avoid ambiguity;
7) be short;
8) be organized (remember about the composition of your speech).
II. The principle of politeness:
1) maxim of tact (remember about the borders of your personality);
2) maxim of generosity (don’t overburden the person you are talking to);
3) maxim of approval (be positive to the others);
4) maxim of harmony (be out of opposition);
5) maxim of sympathy.
