Sorting game
French debate interventions: clarify, challenge, redirect or close?
Sort French debate interventions by their actual purpose: clarify, challenge, redirect or close. Use complete context to distinguish questions from challenges.
- B2
- 6 words to sort
- 4 boxes
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In short
Read what the intervention does in context, not only its question mark. A request for a definition clarifies; an objection challenges; a return to the agenda redirects; a bounded summary can close an unresolved point.
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The same polite opening can serve several purposes. Pourriez-vous préciser… ? may be a genuine request for a missing detail. Comment pouvez-vous affirmer cela alors que le tableau dit l’inverse ? challenges the evidence behind a claim. The contexts below make the intended purpose explicit.
| Purpose | Question answered | Example cue |
|---|---|---|
| Clarify | What exactly do you mean? | Quel groupe désignez-vous ? |
| Challenge | Why should this claim be accepted? | Le tableau contredit votre chiffre. |
| Redirect | Which topic should we address now? | Revenons au calendrier. |
| Close | What is settled or left open before moving on? | Ce point reste ouvert ; passons à la suite. |
Tap a word, then the box it belongs in.
Politeness and purpose are separate
A challenge can be courteous and well focused. Je conteste cette conclusion addresses an argument rather than attacking the speaker. A redirect can also acknowledge the interrupted issue: je le note pour la suite. The point is to make the next conversational action clear.
Avant de discuter du coût, précisons qui est concerné par la mesure.
Before discussing cost, let’s clarify who the measure concerns.
This intervention sequences the discussion. It does not decide the cost question. Similarly, closing an unresolved point should preserve non tranché rather than inventing consensus. A faithful meeting account records the result of each move, not just its polite wording.