DO NOT SAY I think... say THIS instead 21 more advanced alternative phrases
hello everyone and welcome back to
english with Lucy today I am going to
give you 21
advanced alternatives for I think I
think that I think is very boring
overused and it’s just repetitive in
debates in English classes in
conversation we are always asked to give
our opinion and more often than not I
hear my students saying I think I think
that I don’t think they were a rough if
you really want to show that you have an
incredible and profound and advanced
vocabulary then you need to find some
other ways of saying I think so I have
got 21 advanced alternatives ranging
from formal to informal so this video is
really going to help you with your
vocabulary but if you want to improve
your listening skills and your
pronunciation skills even further then I
highly recommend the special method of
reading an actual book whilst listening
to the audiobook version on audible
it might sound complicated but it’s not
and it has helped so many of my English
students what you have to do is take a
book that you have already read in
English or a book that you would like to
read in English I’ve got loads of
recommendations down below in the
description box and read it whilst
listening to the audiobook version on
audible so as you are reading the words
you are also hearing the words reading
alone will not help you with your
pronunciation English is not a strictly
phonetic language the way a word is
spelt or written in English might not
give you any indication as to how it is
pronounced if you listen to a word as
you read it your brain will start making
connections and the next time you see
that word you’ll know exactly how it’s
meant to sound how it’s pronounced and
the next time you hear that word you’ll
know exactly how it’s spelt or written
it is such an effective method and the
best part is you can get one free
audiobook that’s a 30-day free trial on
audible all you’ve got to do is click on
the link in
description box and sign up right let’s
get started with the lesson number one
is an informal one it’s I’m not going to
lie or I’m not gonna lie I’ve got a
video on water and gunner it’s very
helpful well actually I’m not gonna lie
sometimes just shorten down to not gonna
lie or abbreviated to n GL so if we’re
texting ng L and then our opinion an
example I’m not going to lie I was
pretty insulted to not be invited to my
ex-boyfriends wedding I’m not going to
lie I was pretty insulted to not be
invited to my ex-boyfriends wedding
number two is in all honesty in all
honesty this is very commonly used to
nowadays
and I would say it’s leaning towards
informal an example in all honesty I had
every right to be there in all honesty I
had every right to be there number three
is in my view in my view and this one is
slightly more formal actually another
example in my view I should have been
invited so it was totally fair for me to
turn up on the day in my view I should
have been invited so it was totally fair
for me to turn up on the day a lot of
these examples will use should have
would have and could have I’ve recently
made a video about shoulda woulda coulda
so I’ve shared that link in the
description box and up here on a card
number four is if you ask me if you ask
me an example if you ask me the church
service was wonderful but it was a shame
I had to stand at the back if you ask me
the church service was wonderful but it
was a shame I had to stand at the back
number five is as far as I can tell as
far as I can tell these past two have
been fairly neutral neither informal nor
formal as far as I can tell an example
as far as I can tell the bride wasn’t
really expecting me as far as I can tell
the bride wasn’t really expecting me
number six is to my mind to my mind and
this just means to me but we’re talking
about our brain rather
our selves and it is more formal an
example to my mind she should have been
happier to see me and receive my support
to my mind she should have been happier
to see me and receive my support number
seven
again slightly more formal as far as I’m
concerned as far as I’m concerned an
example as far as I’m concerned she
totally overreacted and shouldn’t have
cried as far as I’m concerned she
totally overreacted and shouldn’t have
cried again more info on should have
would have and could have in the
description box it’s a really important
lesson number eight the way I see things
or the way I see it you can use either
or an example the way I see things
I made the family photographs a lot more
interesting the way I see things
I made the family photographs a lot more
interesting an alternative as I see
things or as I see it an example as I
see it they obviously didn’t take me
into consideration when drawing up the
seating plans as I see it they obviously
didn’t take me into consideration when
drawing up seating plans now you might
have noticed there’s a bit of a story
going on through the examples which I
think is quite fun and but you might
need a little bit more explanation about
British weddings we always have a
seating plan so we’ll have a list of all
the table names for the meal and it’s
called the seating plan and everyone is
put in a certain spot and we have our
name on the table and we use drawing up
because of the phrasal verb to draw up
normally a plan or a document it means
to write and prepare a document or plan
now number 10 is it seems to me that it
seems to me that quite a neutral one may
be leaning on formal an example it seems
to me that everyone overreacted when I
tried to sit at the top table it seems
to me that everyone overreacted when I
tried to sit at the top table now
another bit of info for you on British
weddings there is often a top table most
weddings have round tables and all the
guests will sit on round tables but
there is a big long table a bit higher
up overlooking all of the other guests
where the bride the groom two people
getting married and their families sit
so it’s the most important people and
the bride’s men and the groomsmen as
well number 11 I believe I believe this
is just a really good alternative for I
think if you’re in a pinch and you want
to say I think and you don’t know what
else to say just say I believe an
example I believe they should have just
made space for me in the first place I
believe that they should have just made
space for me in the first place number
12 is I would say or shortened down to
I’d say I’d say an example I’d say the
food was very good but it was a shame I
had to share it with my neighbor I’d say
the food was very good but it was a
shame I had to share it with my neighbor
now you might know the word neighbor as
someone who lives next to you if you are
sitting at a table then you might also
say the word neighbor your teacher might
say it when you’re sitting at a desk
swap your answers with your neighbor
swap your answers with the person next
to you number 13 I consider I consider
normally followed by something then to
be I consider something to be an example
I consider it to be very rude that I was
forced to sit down when I stood up to
make a speech I consider it to be very
rude that I was forced to sit down when
I stood up to make a speech number 14 is
to me to me just another way of saying
in my opinion an example to me no one
knows my ex better than I do so I should
have been able to tell all of his funny
stories to me no one knows my ex better
than I do so I should have been able to
tell all of his funny stories my god can
you imagine can you imagine if this
happened at your wedding my weddings
coming up I’m a-thinkin I don’t think we
have any crazy exes yet what do I mean
by yet
carry on this carry on number 15 is from
my point of view from my point of view
this again is slightly more formal but
can be used in both informal and formal
situations an example from my point of
view the first dance was cringeworthy so
I did everyone a favor by joining in
from my point of view the first dance
was cringeworthy so I did everyone a
favor by joining in part of our wedding
culture is to have a first dance
together and everyone watches and then
after that everyone can join in but
after they have finished or if they have
said come in you do not button the first
number 16 is it is my view that or it is
my belief that both are more or less the
same an example it is my view that the
open bar made everything worse it is my
view that the open bar made everything
worse now a bit of extra info an open
bar is something that you really hope is
that a wedding that you’re attending its
when the bar is already paid for you
don’t have to pay anything at that bar
I’d say it’s probably thirty seventy at
weddings in the UK you’re most likely to
have an open bar but it just depends on
the couple’s financial situation it’s
typical for the parents of the bride of
the lady getting married to pay for the
wedding but if they’re not in a good
financial situation or maybe the bride
and groom are funding it themselves they
might not be in a position to offer an
open bar number 17 is a very slang one
it’s I reckon I reckon and I think that
this is a very British word if any
Americans are watching can you let me
know
do you use reckon I reckon I think in
your dialect an example I reckon the 6th
gin and tonic tipped me over the edge I
reckon the 6th gin and tonic tipped me
over the edge to tip someone over the
edge is to make someone either really
sad or a bit crazy or to lose the plot
to be crazy so I might have been you
know tipsy well merry up until the 6th a
gin and tonic and then it was that sixth
one that tipped me
and made me downright CRAZY number 18 is
I honestly believe that I honestly
believe that an example I honestly
believe that if I hadn’t started cutting
the cake
no one would have I honestly believe
that if I hadn’t started cutting the
cake no one would have in your culture
does the bride and groom have the first
cut of the wedding cake together
quite an important part of the day 19 is
honestly speaking honestly speaking and
this one is informal an example honestly
speaking I probably shouldn’t have
thrown my slice at the bride honestly
speaking I probably shouldn’t have
thrown my slice at the bride number 20
is I feel that I feel and that’s another
good one word alternative for think just
like believe I feel I think I believe an
example I feel that my ex could have
found a more welcoming bride with a
better sense of humor I feel that my ex
could have found a more welcoming bride
with a better sense of humor and number
21 the last one this is again quite
neutral it’s personally speaking
personally speaking an example
personally speaking calling the police
was a bit OTT personally speaking
calling the police was a bit OTT OTT
means over-the-top too much over-the-top
we often shorten it down to OTT right
that is it for today’s lesson this is a
new format it just came to me whilst I
was looking at all of these words and
phrases and I just thought it would be
really really fun if we could follow a
ridiculous story through all of the
examples did you enjoy it did it make
you stay to the end well if you’re
watching this did let me know your
feedback in the description box I’d
happily do it again because I had a lot
of fun writing it especially though that
my weddings coming up this year don’t
forget to check out audible you can
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I will see you soon for another lesson
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