(c) When asking for more detailed information about something, the adjectives weiter
and näher are often used:Haben Sie weitere Informationen über das Hotel?
Have you got further information on the hotel?Könnten Sie das Haus näher beschreiben?
Could you describe the house in more detail? See also^51 (p. 132) on comparison of adverbs.
Näheres (über etwas) ‘more exact information (about sth.)’ is a very useful term for
eliciting further information:Könnten Sie mir Näheres darüber sagen?
Could you tell me more about that?Ich möchte (gern) Näheres über diese Wohnung erfahren.
I would like to find out more about this apartment.Alternatively die Einzelheiten ‘details’ can be used:
Könnten Sie mir noch ein paar Einzelheiten geben/erklären?
Could you give me/explain a few more details?120 Turn-taking in conversations
120.1 Intonation
Generally a rising intonation implies that a speaker is intending to continue speaking
(unless it is a direct question). A falling intonation implies that the speaker is
anticipating the possibility that the other person will say something. In this section, [/]
marks the point at which a rising intonation begins, and [\] marks the point at which a
falling intonation begins. For example:Wie viele Kinder haben Sie?
[\]Drei.
Wie viele Kinder haben Sie?
[/]Drei. Zwei Mädchen und einen [\]Jungen.
How many children do you have?
Three – two girls and a boy.120.2 ‘Please don’t interrupt me’
There are various ways in which a speaker can signal that he or she does not wish to be
interrupted, even though he or she may have paused for a moment:(a) By using rising intonation (see 120.1):
Ich bin nach [/]Hause gekommen... (und... )
I came home... (and... )(b) By starting a sentence with a construction that points forward to a following clause
for its completion (see 38.2 for clause links with da + preposition, and 42.3b for verb
completion with two elements):120
COMMUNICATION STATEGIES