09 · Conversation
“Sorry, may I just stop you there?”
Interrupting and taking the floor
Mary's model recording
0:00 / 0:00
Meaning
“Excuse me, I want to interrupt.”
What it can imply
“Sorry” and “just” make the interruption softer. It often signals disagreement, a correction or a need to clarify.
Context and register
Common in meetings, interviews and discussions. Tone matters: calm and warm sounds professional; sharp and fast can sound impatient.
In conversation
Clarifying in a meeting
Presenter:…so the budget will be fifty thousand next year—
Ana:Sorry, may I just stop you there? Is that per team or in total?
Correcting a misunderstanding
Client:So delivery is on Monday, then we—
Ana:Sorry, may I just stop you there — it's actually Tuesday.
Would I use this?
Yes, it's a confident and polite way to speak up. Use it sparingly, and then make your point briefly.
Your practice
Record yourself saying the phrase, then listen back and compare with Mary's model. Your recording stays on this device only — it is not uploaded, saved or analysed.