Deep wisdom from ‘Through the Looking Glass’

"Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction."

"... you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"

"Take care of the sounds and the sense will take care of itself."

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Speaking. CPE. Collaboration Task.

A few useful phrases for Speaking / Writing Papers



Playing For Time
 
I am not very familiar with the topic, however the first idea/ thing/ point
that springs to mind
is about…
pops into my head
stems from…
flashes through my mind
leads to…
It’s a tricky question to answer on the spot,
probably because it relates to various issues,
like, for example…
however, speaking from experience,
I’d like to point out /highlight… the significance of…
Surprisingly, I’ve never thought of this before, yet…
I believe / feel / doubt if/
it’s a moot question whether …
my own preference …
is to favour.. (N)
will be to….
This is a really important topic today because...
it is closely connected with
People have been discussing this issue a lot recently....
especially in connection with
This question is relevant to my own life, because...

This issue is significant in my own country at the moment because....
it is becoming more and more….
It is generally accepted that… / it’s a common misconception
that…

Expressing Full Agreement
I totally/ completely agree with you on that point
That’s a fair suggestion/ That seems reasonable
Exactly / Absolutely / Your have a strong point here
I(’d) go along with that / I have to admit you are right
So do I / Neither do I
I could not agree more / That’s just what I was thinking
I think so / I don’t think so either
I think we can both agree that / I can only agree with you here
On second thoughts, I have to agree with you…
Expressing Partial Agreement
Yes, I take your point, but let’s think of…
That’s a very interesting point, I must say, alternatively…
You have certainly raised an important issue, however don’t you think
Yes, but there are other points to bear in mind,
Yes, I think I’d agree with you to a certain extent
True, yet, if we look at this from another angle
Expressing Disagreement
I am afraid I have something different in mind
That’s not exactly how I look at it
I am afraid that doesn’t work for me
I am sorry to disagree with you, but
I must take issues with you on that
Let’s agree to disagree on/about…
Asking For an Opinion
What would you say on that? / What do you think of all that?
Could you share your ideas on the point? / What’s your opinion on
What about…. How do you feel about…
Perhaps, you could offer / share your ideas/ views on that
Don’t you think, …
Can we agree on…
(Tag questions)
Interrupting
Excuse me, but I have a point to make about…
Sorry to interrupt, could I say something about…
Excuse me for interrupting, but I think we should be aware of…
Could I make a suggestion?
If I could put a word here …
I have a point I’d like to make
You have a good point here, why don’t we find out what X has to say
Could I just cut in for a second…
Personal Point of View
In my experience / Speaking from my own experience
As far as I am concerned / Speaking for myself
In my opinion / From my point of view
I am convinced that / I am quite certain about my opinion regarding
If you ask me,  / I prefer / What I mean is.. / I’d say that/
Comparing / Contrasting
Equally / Likewise / Similarly
By the same token / In the same manner / In comparison
Alternatively / Conversely / Otherwise /
By contrast / Despite this / Nonetheless
In contrast to / Apart from (this) / However /
Not only (auxV) (S) (V)… but  (S) also (Pr)…
Changing Subject
Above all / In addition / Furthermore
In the first place / And then / Finally
On top of that / Most importantly
Speaking of… / Talking of…. / Turning to… / As for… / Regarding…
That brings me to…. / When it comes to… / With reference to….
Summing Up
Generally speaking / broadly speaking /
In brief / To sum up / To make a long story short / Ultimately
To some extent / To put it another way / In other words
On the whole / Consequently / Bearing (it) in mind
Taking into consideration / This may account for the fact that…

There are much more available on the Net, yet, as some wise people say, the more we know the more we forget, so that's the case when the less the better.

1 comment:

  1. I was exactly looking for these useful phrases. This is really helpful. Thanks a lot.

    ReplyDelete