Clarifying the question
“If I understood correctly, you're asking…”
When to use it
When the interviewer's accent or phrasing was hard to follow. Confirms without blaming anyone.
What it replaces
"Sorry, my English is not so good, please say again."
The hedged version is not wrong English. It is English that asks the interviewer to do the work of deciding whether you meant it. The confident version makes the decision for them.
In an answer
“If I understood correctly, you're asking how I'd handle a family who refuses a treatment plan.”
How to make it automatic
- Say it aloud five times now, at normal speed, with contractions.
- Pick one story from your own work where it fits, and say that story once using it.
- Record a 60-second answer tomorrow and listen for whether it came out on its own.