Conversation Gambits - Eric Keller, Sylvia T Warner 1988

48. Right or wrong
3. Responding Gambits

If someone asks you a question, you answer it if you can But conversations do not consist of questions and answers. We very rarely ask direct questions. We make observations and pass comments. We expect other people to respond to us. How they respond tells us how to develop what we say. This means that successful conversations depend partly on how we respond to what other people say. For example, if you disagree very strongly with what someone says, you could say Yow must be joking! and the other person knows that you are surprised — this will make the person think more carefully before continuing.

The gambits in this section allow you to agree or disagree at different levels, to show surprise, disbelief, or polite interest. Among the most useful gambits are Sorry, I don't follow you — to get people to repeat what they said, and Really? to get them to develop what they said.

If you learn the responses in this section, other people will find you much easier to talk to and you will find yourself more relaxed and fluent in conversation.

48. Right or wrong

There are many ways of saying that a person is right or wrong about a piece of factual information.

Work in pairs or small groups of 3 or 4 saying what each of the following signs and abbreviations means Your partners will tell you whether you are right or wrong by using one of the phrases from the list

Traffic Signs

Mathematical Signs

Abbreviations

13. cm  14. °C   15. etc

16. PS  17. MP   18. PM

19. BC  20. Ph.D   21. TV

22. RSVP  23. IOU   24. POW

25. ETA  26. COD   27. DC

28. hp  29. mph   30. UN

31. WHO  32. GNP   33. MD

34. LTD  35. EEC   36. NATO

37. CD  38. Pta   39. %

40. PLC

Answers on page 95.

Correct

That’s right.

Right.

OK.

Yes.

Exactly!

Wrong

No, I’m afraid not.

Not quite.

You’re close.

?????

I don’t know.

I’m not sure.