General English · C1

Ask Precise Questions

At C1, a good question does analytical work: it narrows the scope, tests the evidence and exposes hidden assumptions, while keeping the conversation constructive.

By the end of this lesson, you can:

✓
Use embedded questions to ask with polite precision.
✓
Use negative questions and question tags to signal expectation, surprise or challenge.
✓
Frame an argument with a well-placed rhetorical question.
✓
Pin down vague claims and clarify ambiguous terms with follow-up questions.
✓
Probe the evidence and underlying assumptions behind a claim.
✓
Challenge ideas diplomatically in speech and in writing.

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