English Communication Skill: Ask the Critical Questions to Clarify Pesky “Relative Words.”

Here’s an important situation to ask questions – when people use relative words.  Relative words are nonspecific descriptive words which only have meaning in relation to something else.

Here are examples of relative words that can create a great deal of confusion:

• Cheap
• High quality
• Large
• Many
• Soon
• Substantial

Don’t be shy about asking clarification when someone uses one of these words.   If the person insists on using generalities, as some people do, press for a range.  If you still don’t get a specific answer, supply two or three ranges and ask the person to choose one.  For example, you can say, “Do you mean more like 20, or maybe a hundred, or a thousand?”

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.