Why You Should Avoid “Does That Make Sense?” (and What to Say Instead)

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posted on 4 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Does that make sense? can seem totally innocent when posed in the classroom or workplace, but it actually isn’t the best question to pose when you’re trying to inspire confidence and understanding. We’ll take a closer at why exactly that’s the case—and, more importantly, what you can say instead to encourage a productive space where people feel comfortable asking clarifying questions. We’ve even included some teacher-friendly tips to help you gauge your students’ understanding more effectively.

Is it polite to ask “Does that make sense?”

Why You Shouldn’t Say “Does That Make Sense?”

It sounds a bit condescending. When you ask a question like Does that make sense?, you’re subtly implying to your audience that they aren’t capable of asking clarifying follow-up questions on their own. These bad vibes, in turn, might prevent someone from speaking up.

It makes you sound unsure about the info you’re sharing. By framing the information you just presented on a basis of “making sense,” you’re also subtly implying that you aren’t 100% confident in what you’ve just said, either. Listeners may begin to doubt whether you understand what you’re talking about (even if you totally do).

It doesn’t carry a lot of meaning. In this day and age, questions like Does that make sense? have become glorified filler language rather than a concrete question used to facilitate understanding. Chances are, if you ask this, your audience wouldn’t even really think to answer with follow-up questions.

Professional Alternatives

“Is there any other information I could share that would be useful?” This open-ended style of questioning can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Instead, if forces your audience to really ponder the information you’ve just presented, and come up with any relevant follow-up questions in turn. Open-ended questions are great, as they switch up the dynamic within a conversation. Now, your audience can take the floor within the presentation, meeting, lesson, or conversation.

“Do you have any questions?” Although this isn’t an open-ended question, it’s definitely a step up from Does that make sense? Rather than questioning your audience’s ability to ask follow-up questions, you’re simply giving them grounds to do so. Feel free to hedge your question with a friendly statement like: “Wow! I sure threw a lot of information at you guys. Does anyone have any questions about any of that?”

“How can I provide support to help you complete this?” This type of question gives the listener total ownership over their experience, and allows them to clearly specify what is or isn’t making sense. By asking this question, you’re helping the listener feel comfortable and empowered enough to speak up for themselves.

“What would you like to focus on before we reconvene?” This type of follow-up question invites the audience to reflect on what makes sense for them, rather than being stuck in the uncomfortable limbo of being asked Does that make sense?

“Would any further clarification be helpful?” Rather than assuming that the listener didn’t fully understand what you shared, this type of question lets the listener know that you’re happy to help them. Even if they end up saying “no,” you can now confidently forge ahead knowing that everyone is on the same page.

“What are your thoughts on this?” This question gives a lot of power to the audience, and can be a great way to collect feedback within a conversation. Rather than dismissing the person’s potential concerns, this question encourages them.

Alternatives for the Classroom

“Let’s check and see if you understand this.” In the classroom, checking your students’ understanding is an important aspect of fostering a productive learning environment. In this type of setting, you could actually get away with asking questions like Does this make sense?, as long as you’re following it up with a statement like, “Okay, let’s take a look.” Let’s say you were explaining a new grammar concept to students in an English class, like prepositional phrases. You could start the dialogue with your students by asking, “Does that make sense?” If they say yes, give them the opportunity to prove their knowledge with a little extra practice and review.

“Rate your understanding on a scale of 1 to 4.” In some classroom settings, a rating system can be a great way to explore your students’ understanding. For instance, you might ask your students to hold up a certain number of fingers to rate their understanding of a concept. You could also use systems like: Entrance/exit tickets: Students have to fill out a “ticket” at the end of the school day discussing what they learned. When they come to class the next day, they have to write down any follow-up questions that they have. Fill-in-the-blank sentences: Create fill-in-the-blank prompts that students have to fill in to test their understanding. Examples: Ask your students to create an example using the content they just learned (like a new vocabulary word or a new math concept).

“Summarize this for me.” Asking a student to summarize something forces them to really test their knowledge and understanding of a previous lesson. Rather than Does that make sense?, which can be answered with a “yes” or “no,” requesting a summary forces a student to prove their knowledge.