Lingoda Group Class Notes 12
Topic: Pointing out a mistake Relatedskill: Communication
Date: 31 May 2024 Teacher: David(South Africa)
What I've learned
Idioms
to put your foot in it - Meaning: to say or do something that upsets, offends or embarrasses someone. - Example: I really put my foot in it when I told my boss he was dressed too casually.
Vocabularies & Phrases
| V&P | Definiation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| slip-up | n. 疏漏；差错 | I had a couple of slip-ups at work today. |
| hiccup | n. 嗝；一连串的打嗝；小问题 | There’s been a hiccup with the printer! |
| oversight | n. 疏忽；失察 | Not signing the document was a bit of an oversight! |
Expressions
...didn't exactly go to plan
- Oh dear, that presentation didn’t exactly go to plan. Let’s see if they understood what the new product is!
- Well, that didn't exactly go to plan, did it?
to get your wires crossed
- I think we got our wires crossed, I didn't actually want to buy it, I wanted to rent.
to get the wrong end of the stick
- You've got the wrong end of the stick. John was never coming to the party.
Politely pointing out a mistake
Use more impersonal language
- There’s been a misunderstanding.
- There’s been a mix-up with the times.
- There’s been a lack of communication.
- There’s some room for improvement here.
Use a positive adjective negatively
- I agree, the speech wasn’t particularly great.
- You didn’t give the best performance last night.
- She didn’t do brilliantly on that part of the exam.
Add 'softeners'
e.g. slight, minor, a bit of
- There’s been a slight misunderstanding here. I ordered 15 pizzas, not 50.
- There was a minor mix-up with your order, but I assure you the wine is coming.
- There’s been a bit of confusion over what time the meeting is starting.
Additional materials
Review
4.5/5
This class was supposed to be a two-student communication class, but another classmate didn't show up, so it became a one-on-one class. And that's the reason why I learned so much today. David is a highly experienced professional English teacher. He has taught in many countries as an English teacher, including 2 years in Chengdu. He gave me a lot of encouragement and helpful feedback patiently. This class experience was excellent.