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Speaker 1: Have you ever found yourself using I think a little

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too much when giving your opinion, Like, I think that's

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a good idea. I think we should try it. I

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think he's right. It's a good expression, clear and direct,

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but maybe a little too common. Well, the good news

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is in English, we've got a few more natural and

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interesting ways to share your thoughts.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from

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New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.

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Speaker 1: All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael

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here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.

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And this is Happy English Podcast, Episode nine sixty talking

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about opinions. I think, I guess I suppose i'd say, hey,

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thanks for tuning in. So today we're gonna look at

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how native speakers casually express their opinions, not just with

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I think, but with a few other really natural common phrases.

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And I'll show you how we use each of them

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in daily conversation. Sound good, I'd say it does. Let's

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start with the classic. I think this one's probably the

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most well known and widely use. I think simply means

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this is my opinion, like I think it's going to

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rain today, or I think we should leave early to

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beat the traffic. It's useful, it's flexible, but if you

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use it too much, your English might start to sound

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a little repetitive or stiff. So what else can you use? Well?

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One common phrase we use is I guess. Now. I

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guess is a little softer than I think. It's like

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saying this is what I believe, but I'm not totally sure.

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For example, I guess you're right, or I guess we

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could try that place for dinner. There's kind of a

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laid back, casual tone to it. Maybe your friend says, oh,

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the movie's getting great reviews. You could respond, yeah, I

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guess it could be good. You're not strongly agreeing, just

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kind of going along with it. Now, let's talk about

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I suppose this One is similar to I guess, but

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it can sound just a bit more thoughtful or polite,

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sometimes slightly more formal. You can say things like I

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suppose that's true, or I suppose we could ask her

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to join us. It shows that you're not one hundred

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percent sure, but you're open to the idea. If someone says,

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do you think this plan will work? You might say

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I suppose it might. Again, you're not totally confident, but

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you're not rejecting the idea either. By the way, I

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suppose can also be used when you kind of disagree

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but you want to stay polite, like oh, he's a

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really great boss. Yeah I suppose he is. That sounds

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softer than just saying yeah, I guess so, or yeah whatever.

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We also use the phrase I suppose so when we agree,

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but in a calm and not very strong way. It

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usually means yes, but with some hesitation, Like if someone says, oh,

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should we cancel the meeting and you answer I suppose so.

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You're a agreeing, but you're not fully sure or excited

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about the decision. I suppose so is a little more

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thoughtful and polite than I guess so. When we say

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I guess so, it often sounds more casual and a

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bit quicker, like an instant reaction. I suppose so sounds

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slower and more careful, and it's common when someone is

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still thinking or gently accepting another person's idea in conversation.

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Native speakers use I suppose so when they don't want

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to disagree, but they also don't want to sound too confident.

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It can sound neutral, slightly unsure, or even a little reluctant,

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depending on the tone of voice. Now here's one more

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phrase that native speakers love. I'd say this is short

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for I would say we use this when we're giving

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an opinion that feels a little more personal or thoughtful,

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maybe based on experience or how we feel in the moment,

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Like i'd say that's a pretty good deal, or i'd

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say she handled the situation well. See how each phrase

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has a slightly different feeling. I think is solid and confident.

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I guess is more casual. I suppose is thoughtful and polite.

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I'd say feels personal and reflective. So here's a good

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way to think about it. Use I think when you're

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giving a clear, direct opinion, I think this restaurant is

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going to be great. Use I guess when you're not

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totally sure or just going along with someone. I guess

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it'll be crowded on the weekend. Use I suppose when

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you want to sound polite, thoughtful, or a little reserved.

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I suppose Jenny has already eaten here. Use i'd say

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when you're sharing your honest, maybe slightly personal view looking

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at the menu, I'd say we're going to have a

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nice dinner and of course, you can mix these up

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depending on the conversation, your mood, or how strongly you

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feel about something. That's the beauty of English that gives

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you options, and using a mix of these phrases will

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definitely help your English sound more natural, fluent, and confident. Now,

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before we wrap up, I got a question for you.

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Which of these phrases do you use the most? And

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if you don't generally use, I guess or I suppose,

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or I'd say, which one do you want to start practicing?

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And Hey, keep in mind, the best way to remember

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English like this and any other word or phrase in English,

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is to take that word or phrase, write it in

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a sentence that's true for you or true in your world,

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and then memorize your sentences. That's how you build fluency.

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I guess you knew I was going to say that. Hey,

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thanks for listening, and remember, learning another language is not easy,

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but it's not impossible, and I'm here to help you

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on your journey.

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Speaker 2: This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please

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visit Myhappy English dot com show your support for Happy

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English by leading us a review. Get English, Get Happy,

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Happy English.