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