# “Just to Confirm…”: Phrases to Check Understanding at Work

> Master four essential phrase sets for gathering feedback, confirming decisions, checking understanding, and referencing discussions in tech workplaces. Includes Slack vs. email examples and pronunciation guide.

- **Author:** Speak Tech English
- **Published:** 2026-08-28
- **Updated:** 2026-10-07
- **Topic:** [Email & Slack](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/topic/email-slack.md)
- **English level:** B2
- **Guide:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-confirm-and-check-understanding-in-english

## Short answer

Use 'I'd like to gather your feedback on...' to collect opinions, 'I'm writing to confirm...' for approvals, 'As I understand it...' to verify specifications, and 'Following up on...' to reference previous discussions. Match formality to channel: casual phrasing for Slack, explicit language for emails and documentation.

## Why Precision Phrases Matter in Tech Communication

In async-first tech workplaces, how you phrase requests and confirmations directly impacts project velocity. Vague language in a design doc review request might get ignored; unclear confirmation in an approval email could delay a release. This article covers four phrase sets that help you gather information, confirm decisions, check understanding, and reference previous discussions — all calibrated for standups, Slack, code reviews, and formal documentation.

- Gathering feedback: Get input without sounding pushy or unclear
- Confirming decisions: Lock in approvals with the right level of formality
- Checking understanding: Verify specs and agreements before building
- Referencing discussions: Connect async threads professionally

## Phrase Set 1: Gathering Feedback and Opinions

When you need input from teammates — whether on an RFC, a design decision, or a hiring rubric — the right phrasing shows respect for their time while clearly stating what you need.

| Phrase | Register | Tech Usage Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| gather feedback | neutral/formal | I'd like to gather feedback on the proposed API schema before Friday's review. |
| pick your brain | informal | Hey, can I pick your brain about the caching strategy? You handled something similar last quarter. |
| ask your opinion | neutral | I wanted to ask your opinion on whether we should prioritize the mobile flow or desktop. |
| collect information | formal | We're collecting information on deployment pain points for the platform team's Q3 planning. |

| Heard at Work (Weak) | Better English (Stronger) |
| --- | --- |
| Tell me what you think about my PR. | I'd appreciate your feedback on the error handling in my PR when you have a moment. |
| I need your brain. | Mind if I pick your brain about the auth flow? You've solved this before. |
| Give me opinions on the design. | I'd like to gather the team's thoughts on the design before we finalize. |

> **Slack vs. Email Register:** In Slack: 'Quick question — can I pick your brain about the Redis config?' In email: 'I'd like to gather your feedback on the proposed Redis configuration outlined in the attached document.'

## Phrase Set 2: Confirming Decisions and Approvals

Tech work involves constant micro-decisions: approving PRs, authorizing access, confirming meeting times, and greenlighting releases. Each verb carries different weight and formality.

| Verb | Meaning | Tech Context |
| --- | --- | --- |
| confirm | verify something is correct/agreed | I'm writing to confirm that the release is scheduled for Tuesday 2pm UTC. |
| approve | give official acceptance | Your PR has been approved — feel free to merge when tests pass. |
| authorize | grant permission (often access-related) | You'll need authorization from the security team before accessing production logs. |
| ensure | make certain something happens | Please ensure all environment variables are set before deploying. |
| guarantee | promise an outcome (use carefully) | We can't guarantee zero downtime, but we've tested the failover extensively. |

Note the grammar pattern: 'ensure' and 'guarantee' are followed by a clause (that + subject + verb) or a noun. 'Authorize' typically requires a noun object or infinitive.

| Informal (Slack) | Formal (Email/Doc) |
| --- | --- |
| LGTM, approved ✅ | I've reviewed the changes and approved the pull request. |
| You're good to go for prod access | Your request for production access has been authorized. |
| Just making sure — release is Tuesday? | I'm writing to confirm the release is scheduled for Tuesday. |

## Phrase Set 3: Checking Your Understanding

Before building a feature or signing off on a spec, you need to verify your interpretation is correct. These phrases let you check understanding without sounding uncertain or incompetent — they signal thoroughness, not confusion.

| Phrase | Formality | When to Use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| As I understand it | formal | Design docs, RFCs, stakeholder emails |
| To my knowledge | formal | Stating what you believe to be true with room for correction |
| From what I gather | neutral | Summarizing information from multiple sources |
| As far as I'm aware | neutral/formal | Hedging when you're not 100% certain |

Grammar note: These phrases are sentence adverbs — they modify the entire statement and are usually followed by a comma. They create a hedge that invites correction without undermining your credibility.

- As I understand it, the acceptance criteria require both mobile and desktop support — is that correct?
- To my knowledge, we haven't migrated any users to the new auth system yet.
- From what I gather, the team is leaning toward Option B for the database schema.
- As far as I'm aware, the SLA doesn't cover third-party API failures.

> **Invite Correction Explicitly:** End understanding checks with a confirmation question: '...is that correct?' or '...does that align with your understanding?' This turns a statement into a collaborative verification.

## Phrase Set 4: Referencing Previous Discussions

In async communication, you often need to connect your message to an earlier thread, meeting, or document. These phrases create clear continuity without forcing readers to hunt for context.

| Phrase | Register | Tech Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Following up on | neutral | Following up on our standup discussion, I've created a ticket for the login bug. |
| In response to | formal | In response to the concerns raised in the RFC comments, we've revised the caching approach. |
| Regarding / In regards to | formal | Regarding the incident from last night, here's the post-mortem draft. |
| Concerning | formal | Concerning the budget allocation for Q4, please see the updated spreadsheet. |
| In reference to | very formal | In reference to ticket PLAT-4521, the root cause has been identified. |

Grammar note: 'Following up on' uses the -ing form and is more active. 'In regards to' is sometimes criticized by style guides — 'regarding' or 'in regard to' (singular) are safer in formal writing.

| Slack (Casual) | Email/Doc (Formal) |
| --- | --- |
| Re: the thing from standup — I filed a ticket | Following up on this morning's standup, I've created JIRA ticket PLAT-4892. |
| About the outage last night... | In response to last night's incident, please find the post-mortem attached. |
| On that API question from the thread... | Regarding the API versioning question raised in the Slack thread, here's our recommendation. |

## Pronunciation Guide: Tricky Terms

Several words in these phrase sets trip up non-native speakers. Pay attention to stress patterns and common mispronunciations.

## Culture Notes: Directness vs. Hedging

Tech culture often values directness, but the phrases in this article serve an important function: they create collaborative space. 'As I understand it' isn't weakness — it signals you're open to correction before building the wrong thing. 'I'd like to gather feedback' respects colleagues' autonomy more than 'Tell me what you think.'

> **Match Formality to Stakes:** Low-stakes Slack thread? Be casual. Production incident post-mortem going to leadership? Use formal reference phrases. The same information can be delivered at different register levels depending on audience and channel.

- Use hedging phrases in specs and designs to invite early feedback
- Use confirmation phrases in approvals to create clear paper trails
- Use reference phrases in async threads to reduce context-switching for readers
- Adjust formality based on channel, audience, and stakes — not habit

## Quick Reference: All Four Phrase Sets

| Purpose | Key Phrases | Typical Context |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gather information/feedback | gather feedback, pick your brain, ask your opinion, collect information | Code reviews, RFCs, design docs, 1:1s |
| Confirm decisions | confirm, approve, authorize, ensure, guarantee | Approval emails, access requests, release sign-offs |
| Check understanding | as I understand it, to my knowledge, from what I gather, as far as I'm aware | Spec reviews, alignment meetings, stakeholder emails |
| Reference previous discussions | following up on, in response to, regarding, concerning, in reference to | Post-mortems, thread continuations, meeting follow-ups |

_This guide has interactive exercises on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-confirm-and-check-understanding-in-english_

## FAQ

### How do I ask for feedback without sounding like I don't know what I'm doing?

Use 'I'd like to gather your feedback on...' or 'As I understand it, [your interpretation]. Does that align with your expectations?' These phrases signal thoroughness and openness to correction, not incompetence. In emails, be explicit: 'I've drafted the API spec and would value your input on the authentication approach before I proceed.' For Slack, keep it casual: 'Quick check — does this logic look right to you?' The key is framing feedback as a collaborative step, not a sign of uncertainty.

### What's the difference between 'confirm,' 'approve,' and 'authorize' in work emails?

'Confirm' means you're verifying agreement or acknowledging receipt (e.g., 'I'm writing to confirm we've approved the release for Tuesday'). 'Approve' means you're giving formal permission or endorsement (e.g., 'Please approve this PR before merging'). 'Authorize' means you're granting official access or power (e.g., 'This authorizes you to deploy to production'). In confirmation/approval emails, use 'approve' when asking for a decision and 'confirm' when stating what's been decided. Always use the right verb to avoid delays: a vague 'Can you confirm this change?' might get lost, while 'Please approve this change' creates clear accountability.

### How do I follow up on a previous email or Slack thread without seeming pushy?

Use 'Following up on [topic/date]' or 'In response to your message about [topic], I wanted to clarify...' These phrases create context without forcing readers to search for the original thread. For example: 'Following up on our discussion yesterday about the database migration — I've drafted the rollback plan and would like to gather your feedback.' In Slack, a simple 'Circling back on this...' works well. If you're following up after a few days with no response, add accountability: 'I realize this may have slipped your inbox, but I need approval on this by Friday to stay on schedule.'

### Is 'as per my understanding' correct, or should I use something else?

'As per my understanding' is grammatically acceptable but sounds stiff in most tech contexts. Prefer 'As I understand it,' 'Based on our discussion,' or 'My understanding is that...' followed by your interpretation. For example: 'As I understand it, the microservice should return a 404 if the resource doesn't exist. Is that correct?' This phrasing is more natural in English, leaves room for correction, and works across Slack, emails, and standups. Reserve 'per' for formal documents: 'As per the specification, all endpoints must support rate limiting.'

### How do I professionally ask someone to confirm they received or understood my message?

Use 'Please confirm you've received this' or 'Could you confirm your understanding of the requirements?' in emails, or structure it as a yes/no question: 'Just to confirm — we're launching the feature on Friday, correct?' In async work, avoid 'Did you get this?' which can sound impatient. For gather feedback professionally in English, try: 'Before I proceed with implementation, I'd like to confirm my understanding with you. Does [your summary] match your expectations?' This shows respect for their time and catches misalignments early, which is especially critical before code reviews or releases.


## Related

- [How to Communicate Confidently in English at Work on Global Tech Teams](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-communicate-confidently-in-english-at-work-on-global-tech-teams.md)
- [How to Describe Scale and Complexity in English at Work](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-describe-scale-and-complexity-in-english.md)
- [How to Handle Words With Multiple Meanings in English at Work](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-handle-words-with-multiple-meanings-in-english.md)
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- Cite as: "Speak Tech English — How to Confirm and Check Understanding in English at Work. https://app.speaktechenglish.com/knowledge-base/how-to-confirm-and-check-understanding-in-english. Audience: non-native English speaking software engineers and tech professionals (level B2).".