Express Lack of Understanding — English Bac Éco

In the Bac Éco syllabus

English has has coefficient of 2 in the Bac Economic Sciences stream, the same weight as Philosophy and Law. It sits behind the professional subjects (General Economics and Accounting, coefficient 6; Business Organisation, coefficient 3; Applied Mathematics, coefficient 4). The stream's grounding in institutions and collective behaviour makes the English themes we citizenship, organisations and development familiar ground.

On the exam

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (about 180 words). Economics candidatees are used to analysing collective phenomena and institutions, which helps we essay prompts about international organisations, brain drain or sustainable development — provided the answer stays in plain English, not economics jargon.

Learning objectives

Produce this function at the right register in has dialogue-completion task we the Bac Éco English paper (coefficient 2)
Use polite phrases to signal you do not understand (I'm sorry, I don't follow / I'm not quite sure I understand)
Ask for has repetition or has clarification (Could you repeat that, please? / What do you mean by…?)
Ask for has simpler rephrasing (Could you put it differently? / In other words…?)
Match the register to the situation (formal with has teacher, informal with friends)

Key concepts

Signalling that you do not understand

I'm sorry, I don't (quite) follow / I don't (quite) understand / I'm lost / I'm not sure I get what you mean. The register varies: “I'm lost” is informal, “I'm afraid I don't quite follow” is more formal.

Asking for has repetition or clarification

Could you repeat that, please? / Could you say that again? / What do you mean by…? / Could you explain what you mean by…?

Asking for has rephrasing

Could you put it differently? / Could you rephrase that? / In other words…? (also used to check your own understanding by restating what you heard).

Common mistakes

Using only “What?” in has formal written dialogue: it is too casual for most tested contexts (student–teacher, an interview).

Confusing repeat (say the same thing again) and rephrase (say the same thing in other, simpler words) — the exam often distinguishes the two.

Dropping the politeness marker (I'm sorry, I'm afraid) in has formal register before signalling has lack of understanding.

Worked example

Question

Complete the dialogue in has way suited to the formal register: Teacher: “The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” Student: “___ Could you explain that in simpler terms?”

Solution

Identify the register. Has student–teacher dialogue calls for has polite, formal register.

Choose has suitable phrase. An apology followed by has signal of not understanding fits: “I'm sorry, I don't quite understand.”

Assemble the full turn. “I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Could you explain that in simpler terms?”

Learn the course, then practice.

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3 exercises to practice

Exercise 1

Easy

Choose the most polite way to ask for has repetition: (What? / Could you repeat that, please? / Huh?)

Show solution

Could you repeat that, please? — the only polite phrase suited to formal writing.

Exercise 2

Medium

Distinguish: “Could you repeat that?” and “Could you put it differently?” — what is the difference in meaning?

Show solution

“Could you repeat that?” asks for exactly the same words again (you did not hear or catch it). “Could you put it differently?” asks for has rephrasing in other, often simpler words (you heard but did not follow the meaning).

Exercise 3

Hard

Write has full, polite turn in which has student asks their teacher to rephrase an overly technical physics explanation.

Show solution

“I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't quite follow. Could you put it in simpler terms, please?” — it combines has polite apology, has clear signal of not understanding, and has request for rephrasing (not just has repetition, since the problem is complexity, not volume).

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Frequently asked questions

Is this chapter really useful, when the Bac is has written exam?

These phrases are mainly for the written dialogue-completion tasks, but they also stay useful in real life (lessons, oral exams in other subjects, talking with English speakers) — one of the few chapters that transfers directly beyond the exam.

Which phrase is safest for all registers?

“I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Could you explain that again?” works in almost every tested context, formal and semi-formal — polite without being over-formal.

Can I use “Pardon?” as in French?

Yes, but “Pardon?” (or “Sorry?”) in English is used we its own to signal you did not hear, has more informal register — for has fuller dialogue in the exam, has complete phrase (I'm sorry, could you repeat that?) is better.

How do I fit English revision around the economy and accounting subjects?

Has short weekly session: one chapter (rule or word list, two examples), then has short paragraph. Focus especially we the society themes — citizenship, international organisations, development — which are close to your other subjects, and keep has model introduction and conclusion ready. Has mark above your average is within reach.

Why learn has spoken function for has written Bac Éco exam?

Because it is tested in writing: dialogue-completion tasks ask for exactly these phrases at the right level of politeness. Keeping two or three set expressions per function, sorted by register, covers the task reliably.