How do I ask a question in a large lecture?

Use three parts in twenty seconds: where in the lecture, what you did understand, and what you lost. Skip the apology and the preamble. If fewer than three other people would benefit from the answer, save the question for office hours and use the same three parts there, with more detail.

Three parts in twenty seconds: where in the lecture, what you followed, and the point where you lost it. If fewer than three other people would benefit, move the question to office hours rather than dropping it.

How to Talk to Professors in English: Asking a Question in a Large Lecture →