Market research: asking polite and effective questions

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for B2 learners explores Market research: asking polite and effective questions through a real article. Across 10 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: Indirect questions with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for conducting a market research interview
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings
• Error correction to sharpen grammar awareness

Lesson activities (10 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study Indirect questions — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Error correction — Find and fix the mistake in each sentence — a great grammar workout.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for conducting a market research interview — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Cloze passage — Fill in blanks within a connected text to practise vocabulary in context.
9. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• To gauge interest / opinion — to measure or estimate how people feel about something.
• To drill down into (a topic) — to explore a subject in greater depth or with more detail.
• A focus group — a small group of people brought together for a guided discussion to provide feedback on a product, service, or concept.
• To be on the right track — to be proceeding in a way that is likely to lead to success.
• To read between the lines — to understand the real or hidden meaning behind what someone says or writes.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on Indirect questions.

Indirect questions are a more polite and formal way to ask for information. Instead of asking a direct question, we use an introductory phrase. This is very common in professional situations like market research interviews to help people feel more comfortable answering.

Examples from the lesson:

• Could you tell me what you think of the new logo? — Notice the word order after 'what' is like a statement (subject 'you' + verb 'think'), not a question.
• I was wondering if you have purchased this type of product before. — For yes/no questions, we introduce the question with 'if' or 'whether'. We don't use the auxiliary verb 'do'.
• Would you mind explaining why our competitor's product appealed to you? — The main question is in the introductory phrase ('Would you mind...?'). The second part follows statement word order.

Key rules:

• Always start with a polite introductory phrase like 'Could you tell me...' or 'I'd like to know...'.
• Use statement word order (subject + verb) after the question word or 'if/whether'.
• Common mistake: Don't use the auxiliary verbs 'do', 'does', or 'did' in the indirect part of the question.

Practical English

conducting a market research interview

When conducting an interview, it's important to guide the conversation smoothly and make the participant feel comfortable. These phrases will help you manage the interview from start to finish, ensuring you get the valuable insights you need.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "First off, thanks for your time. Just to be clear, there are no right or wrong answers here – we're simply interested in your honest opinion." — sets a relaxed and open tone at the beginning.
• "Could you expand on that a little for me?" — politely asks for more detail.
• "So, if I'm understanding you correctly, you feel that..." — confirms your understanding of what was said.
• "That's really helpful, thank you. Moving on, I'd like to ask about..." — signals a transition to a new topic.
• "This might be a bit of a direct question, but what are your thoughts on...?" — softens a potentially sensitive question.