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   Tutor Hello, welcome to MicroEnglish. Here's a familiar problem:
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   Tutor an update keeps going, but you still don't know what anyone
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   Tutor has decided. In this B2 lesson, we'll use
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   Tutor cut to the chase to reach the important point, keep the expression
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   Tutor accurate, and make a direct request sound more considerate.
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   Tutor Listen to this update: we visited twice, discussed
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   Tutor colours, checked chairs, and spoke to several people. Where
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   Tutor is it going? Now trim it: we need to book the larger room
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   Tutor today. To cut to the chase means to leave out the less important
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    Tutor details and get to the main point.
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    Tutor Imagine you're giving that update. You notice your colleagues
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    Tutor waiting for a decision. You say, I'll cut to the chase:
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    Tutor we need a bigger room. You're changing the focus of your own
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    Tutor message. The phrase introduces what matters most;
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    Tutor it doesn't mean that every earlier detail was useless.
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    Tutor Learn the whole expression: cut to the chase. Keep
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    Tutor to and the. A common mistake is cut the chase,
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    Tutor which isn't this idiom. In speech, chase often carries
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    Tutor the strongest stress. Say the phrase smoothly, then
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    Tutor make a small pause before giving your main point.
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    Tutor The expression stays together, but its verb follows normal
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    Tutor grammar. Let's cut to the chase makes a suggestion. She
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    Tutor cut to the chase describes the past: cut has the same past
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    Tutor form. I'm cutting to the chase uses cutting. Keep
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    Tutor the rest of the expression unchanged.
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    Tutor What counts as the main point depends on the conversation.
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    Tutor It might be a decision, an action, or an answer. These
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    Tutor aren't separate meanings of the idiom. They're different kinds
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    Tutor of useful information. Think about what your listener needs
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    Tutor before choosing which details to remove.
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    Tutor Telling someone, cut to the chase, can sound impatient.
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    Tutor Could we cut to the chase? We've only got a minute gives a
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    Tutor reason and includes you both. That helps, but a
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    Tutor polite question form cannot fix an irritated voice. Leave
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    Tutor room for the other person to respond.
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    Tutor This is a conversational expression, used in both British
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    Tutor and American English. It can fit familiar workplace discussions,
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    Tutor especially when you introduce your own point. With someone
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    Tutor you don't know well, could you give us the main point first
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    Tutor may be a more neutral choice.
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    Tutor Return to the venue. The walls are green, the chairs are
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    Tutor new, and the room holds forty people. You've invited sixty.
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    Tutor Which fact matters now? The capacity. Cutting
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    Tutor to the chase brings that problem forward so you can act. Simply
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    Tutor speaking faster would leave the message just as unclear.
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    Tutor Now listen to four short conversations, two British
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    Tutor and two American. Start without captions. Don't just
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    Tutor recognise the expression: notice what follows it and what that
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    Tutor tells you about the situation. Choose an answer, then use
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    Tutor the explanation and the repeated recording to check your understanding.
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    Tutor George and Alice are discussing equipment. Listen for the conclusion
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    Tutor Alice wants George to hear.
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    George Did you read the printer report?
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    George Yes. I'll cut to the chase: repairs cost more than
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    Alice a new one.
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    Alice Then let's replace it.
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    Tutor Alice recommends replacement. Her clue is the comparison:
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    Tutor repairs cost more than a new printer. She moves straight
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    Tutor to the practical conclusion.
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    George Did you read the printer report?
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    George Yes. I'll cut to the chase: repairs cost more than
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    Alice a new one.
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    Alice Then let's replace it.
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    Tutor Roger starts a conversation about Jessica's car. What
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    Tutor is he really leading up to?
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    Roger Your car has a pretty big trunk, right?
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    Roger Roger, cut to the chase. What do you need?
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    Jessica Could you help me pick up a desk Saturday?
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    Tutor He needs help collecting a desk. Jessica invites him
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    Tutor to make his request directly, and his next line explains why
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    Tutor he mentioned the car.
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    Roger Your car has a pretty big trunk, right?
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    Roger Roger, cut to the chase. What do you need?
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    Jessica Could you help me pick up a desk Saturday?
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    Tutor Alice and George are discussing a rehearsal near a station.
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    Tutor What explains Alice's request?
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    George I've got lots of notes about the rehearsal.
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    George Could we cut to the chase? My train leaves in
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    Alice three minutes.
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    Alice Of course. We're starting an hour earlier tomorrow.
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    Tutor Her train leaves in three minutes. That's the reason she gives
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    Tutor for needing the key information now; she doesn't express disagreement.
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    George I've got lots of notes about the rehearsal.
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    George Could we cut to the chase? My train leaves in
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    Alice three minutes.
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    Alice Of course. We're starting an hour earlier tomorrow.
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    Tutor Jessica has been describing a business idea. Listen
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    Tutor for the decision she puts to Roger.
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    Roger The bakery idea sounds interesting.
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    Roger Let me cut to the chase. Would you invest five thousand
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    Jessica dollars?
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    Jessica I'd need to see your budget first.
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    Tutor She asks whether he'll invest five thousand dollars. That specific
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    Tutor request reveals the purpose of her description and gives Roger
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    Tutor a decision to consider.
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    Roger The bakery idea sounds interesting.
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    Roger Let me cut to the chase. Would you invest five thousand
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    Jessica dollars?
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    Jessica I'd need to see your budget first.
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     Tutor Your turn. Say, I'll cut to the chase: we
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     Tutor need more time. Keep your voice calm and stress chase.
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     Tutor Then replace we need more time with a main point from your
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     Tutor own work or studies.
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     Tutor Remember the distinction between speed and focus. You
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     Tutor can cut to the chase while speaking slowly. Keep the article
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     Tutor the, even though it may sound weak in a recording. For
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     Tutor a finished past event, use cut, not cutted.
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     Tutor It's often easier to use the expression about your own message
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     Tutor than to interrupt somebody else's. Also, a summary
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     Tutor and the main point aren't necessarily identical. A summary
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     Tutor might cover several stages; cutting to the chase could mean
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     Tutor giving only the decision everyone needs.
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     Tutor Open this lesson at MicroEnglish dot com for interactive
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     Tutor dictation: listen, type what you hear, and check your answers.
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     Tutor The AI tutor can help with your own examples. Your first
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     Tutor dictation is free; further practice and tutor access depend
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     Tutor on membership and available credits.
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     Tutor In the comments, imagine you're organising a neighbourhood
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     Tutor event. Write one sentence that cuts to the chase and
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     Tutor tells your team what you need. You could ask for another volunteer.
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     Tutor Add any questions about wording or tone, and we'll keep the
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     Tutor conversation going.

Choose an answer for each question, then check it.

1. Question 1

   What does a speaker achieve when they choose to cut to the chase?

   A They leave out extra background details to focus on the primary issue. B They speak at double speed so that the meeting ends early. C They cut off the power supply before chasing an intruder outside.
   Check my answer Chat with the tutor