Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 2

Unit 6 • Lesson C: Excuse me?

Vocabulary
airport (n)
cab company (n)

Conversation strategies
Checking information
In a conversation, you may need to check something that you didn't hear or understand. You
can:

• repeat words as a question to check information

A Well, there's a Mexican restaurant within walking distance.

B Within walking distance?

• use the expression Did you say . . . ? or What did you say? to check information

A There's usually about a 15-minute wait.

B Did you say fifteen or fifty?

• use the expression I'm sorry? or Excuse me? to ask the speaker to repeat what
he / she said

A Are there any nice places to eat around here?

B Excuse me? Did you say places to eat?

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 6, Lesson C, Page 1

Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 2

"Echo" questions
You can use "echo" questions to check information.

In an "echo" question, you repeat something you heard, and add a question word to check
the information you didn't hear:

A There's a Vietnamese place on Park Avenue.

B I'm sorry. There's a Vietnamese place where?

You can use a checking expression before an "echo" question:

A Is there a drugstore around here?

B I'm sorry, a what?

A It opens at 10:00.
B Excuse me? It opens at what time?

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 6, Lesson C, Page 2