Three ways to say it
Say "That could be tricky" your three ways from the homework. Your teacher will tell you which one sounded most open to discussion, and which sounded most final.
The tune, not just the words
Say these two out loud, back to back.
Flat, falling: "That could be tricky." ↘ — pitch drops and stays down. Sounds finished. Closed.
Fall then rise: "That could be — tricky." ↘↗ — pitch dips on could be, then lifts on tricky. Sounds unfinished. Open. Inviting a response.
Identical words. Opposite effect. The flat version reads in English as a closed door — a decision, stated once, not up for discussion. The fall-rise reads as a reservation — a concern, offered for discussion.
The Portuguese pull is specific and worth naming exactly. A flat or falling contour on a reservation is neutral, even normal, in Brazilian Portuguese — it does not carry the same "closed door" reading English gives it. A Brazilian speaker saying a genuine, open reservation with a flat English contour is not being rude on purpose. English just hears rudeness where Portuguese would hear nothing at all.
Softening: intonation and lexis together
The tune matters as much as the phrase
| Phrase | Flat ↘ | Fall-rise ↘↗ |
|---|---|---|
| That could be tricky | A closed refusal | A reservation, open to discussion |
| I’m not sure that works | A flat no | An invitation to propose something else |
| That’s a good question | Sounds evasive | Sounds like genuine thought |
| I’d suggest phasing it | Sounds like an instruction | Sounds like an offer |
Diplomatic distance is the same idea in the words themselves. would, might, I’d suggest, that could be tricky all place a gap between you and the statement — you are not asserting a fact, you are offering a judgement, which the other person is free to push back on. That gap is the whole function. Removing it — that is tricky, flat and certain — closes the gap you were trying to leave open.
Concession works the same way. "While I take the point that…" agrees with part of what was said before disagreeing with the rest — it is the spoken version of the acknowledge move from Lesson 2. Skipping straight to the disagreement is the Meeting B error again, in miniature.
Diplomatic distance and concession
Say each one twice — flat, then fall-rise. Notice the difference yourself.
Choose the softer version
Choose the response most likely to keep the conversation open.
1. The owner suggests removing the retaining wall entirely. Best response?
2. You disagree with part of what the owner just said. Best opening?
3. Which sentence is grammatically identical in both readings but changes meaning entirely by intonation?
4. Why does a flat, falling "That could be tricky" risk sounding rude in English, when the same contour is neutral in Portuguese?
Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in brackets.
- We would need a full design for the wall, not just a smaller version of this one. ALTERNATE
- Phasing the wall is a genuine question — which half matters more this year? PRIORITIZE
- Every cost reduction involves some — say what is given up. TRADE
- The allowance is a figure, not a fixed price. PLACE
- We would need to the paver grade down to stay under budget. SPECIFY
Same sentence, both ways
Task card
Five reservations you might genuinely have about a client’s request
Say each one twice — flat, then fall-rise — and notice which one you would actually use.
- Your teacher will not tell you which is which. Trust your ear.
- For at least one, add a concession opener before the reservation.
- End at least one with a proposal, not just the reservation alone.
Which contour is your default?
In your own English, before this lesson, which contour did you default to on a reservation — flat, or fall-rise? Most Brazilian learners default to flat without meaning anything by it. Naming your own default is the first step to controlling it on purpose.
Before the next lesson
Homework. Pick one real cost on one of your projects that a client has pushed back on, or might. Know the number exactly, and know one genuine alternative you could offer.