To be honest with you, I’ve never really liked him.
Learners of English often ask us how they can make their English sound more natural and conversational. We at Cambridge Dictionaries Online try to help out by looking at the sorts of words and phrases that native English speakers naturally use when speaking. This week we’re looking at expressions that we often use when giving opinions, especially negative opinions that other people might not like.
Let’s start with two very common ones. The phrase to be honest (with you) and if I’m honest with you are used a lot in speech, coming at the start or end of a sentence in which someone says something negative. (If the opinion expressed is very negative, the speaker might say ‘brutally honest’) To be honest, I’ve never really liked him./To be brutally honest, I don’t think she’s right for the job. A phrase used in a similar way is To tell (you) the truth…: To tell the truth, I didn’t even want to go to the party. These phrases all suggest that you are saying what you really think, even if it is bad.
Other phrases which you often hear when someone is expressing a criticism are to be fair and in all fairness: These come after something negative has been said. They often introduce the opposite opinion or give a fact that explains the bad thing that is being criticised. A speaker uses one of these phrases to make the negative opinion sound less strong or to show that they are aware of different opinions: It wasn’t the best talk I’ve ever heard. To be fair, he’d had very little time to prepare it./I wasn’t impressed by her last album although in all fairness, I’ve read some really good reviews.
An informal phrase that is used when expressing a criticism is Don’t get me wrong. (‘Get’ here means ‘understand’.) You say ‘Don’t get me wrong’ after you have said something negative about a person or thing in order to introduce something positive about them. It shows that you are fair and can see good things as well as bad: I don’t think he’s suited to that role. Don’t get me wrong – he’s a really nice guy – but he just doesn’t have the skills.
Finally, the phrases I must say (that)… and I have to say that… are also used before negative statements, slightly ‘softening’ the opinion (= making it gentler): I must say, I’ve had better meals./I have to say, the food really wasn’t great.
great post , thank for your share
Thank you! We’re glad you liked it.
This is a good text, English Schools in Brazil don’t explain everything and here I could see a new information.
That’s good to know – thank you!
Your explaination is clear and helpful, thanks.
Thank you!
What about “I am afraid” ….?
Yes, you’re absolutely right. ‘I’m afraid’ is used to introduce bad news/a disagreement, etc. In this post, I was concentrating on the more conversational/informal phrases that I thought some learners might not know, but you are right to raise this. Thank you!
Thank you for your concern. As a learner of English, it really supports me.
Your post is really useful for English learners like me. Thanks!
That’s great to hear, Victor. Thank you!
I really appreciate your page, because it’s helping me get more and more to aqure my grammar
Great! That’s what we like to hear.
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We need your help
It is useful, many thanks
Ms. woodford, It is really a worthy article to read. Thanks for sharing with us.
You’re welcome! Thanks for the nice feedback!
Reblogged this on StatsLife.
respond of some turkish words wrong or not enough
Superb explanations. Succinct and perfect examples. Thank you.
Thank you! How kind!
Thanks for the interesting article. I wonder if I can use the phrases discussed above to give positive opinions too?
Hi! Interesting question. I think most of these phrases would generally be used to introduce negative opinions. Possibly one or two might sometimes be used before giving positive opinions that are surprising, but typically, they’re used for negative comments.
Thanks for the interesting article. I wonder if I can use the phrases discussed above to give positive opinions as well?
There are lots more. I’m of the opinion, I would hazard a guess/I guess, I suspect, From his behaviour you would infer, to be frank, not to beat about the bush, My straight forward opinion, I sense that, …. wonderful language!!
I’ve learnt to avoid such expressions as “To be honest”. It suggests that, at other times, you are not honest. So, how to express opinion? Two options: 1) Don’t. 2) Just say it right away.
how can we distinguish between reprimand and rebuke?
Thank you. It really helps me. 🙂
Reblogged this on premkumar131's Blog.
Great thank you very much!!