CONVERSATIONAL FORMULAS

Expressing and reacting to opinions

True ... but...

This is my way of looking at it.

I think it goes further than that... a lot further.

Yes, you're right.

Well, you see what I mean.

That's one way of looking at it. But...

Yes, if you like ...

You may be right... All the same ...

Just a minute ...

Come off it...

James thinks that...

In Margaret's opinion ...

Margaret feels that...

His view is...

Group discussion

If you ask me ...

Wouldn't you say that...

Don't you agree that ...

As I see it...

I'd like to point out that...

I sometimes think that...

Would you agree that...

Do you think it's right to say that...?

I didn't quite follow what you mean, I'm afraid.

I don't quite see what you mean, I'm afraid.

I don't quite see what you are getting at.

Narrative technique

What happened to him was ...

WTiat he did was ...

You can guess how he felt.

What do you think he did?

Imagine my surprise when he ...

You'll never guess what happened next.

He wondered/He tried to find out/He hinted that...

Did I ever tell you about the time I...

That reminds me of the time I...

Funny you should mention this, because something similar hap­pened to me once ...

Anyway...

As I was saying ...

To get back to the story ...

To cut a long story short...

Anyway, what happened in the end was ...

Agreement

Yes, I agree entirely here.

I couldn't agree more. Y

ou know, that's exactly what I think. Y

es, that's true.

I fully agree.

I am of the same opinion.

It stands to reason.

It really looks like that.

I won't deny that.

That's my way of looking at it too.

What you say is perfectly true.

It goes without saying that...

That's a fine way of putting it.

That's a good point.

That's just what I was thinking.

Disagreement

There may be something in what you say but...

I see your point but...

You don't seem to realize that

... but that's not the point...

Not in the least!

Just the other way round!

I can't possibly...

I shouldn't say so.

I've got some reasons to disagree.

I've got an argument to oppose.

It's not at all the same thing.

On the surface of it really is ...

but ...

On the one hand ...

On the other hand ...

Well, I'm not so sure.

Well, I wouldn't go quite that far...

I wouldn't say that exactly.

It might be right but...

That's totally unfounded. You can't be serious.

Instructing people how to do things

First of all you ...

The first thing you have to do is ...

After you've done that you...

The next thing you do is...

Oh, and by the way, don't forget to ...

Make sure you remember to ...

Oh, and be careful not to do ...

Expressing complaints

I'm sorry to have to say this ...

We've got a bit of a problem

here, you see ...

I'm sorry to trouble you, but...

There is no excuse for ...

I'd like to point out that...

I wonder if you could help me...

I have a complaint to make...

It's just not good enough. You must try to ...

It is completely unjustified (unfair).

It gives us real cause for grievance.

Next and this is very serious — I feel that...

Expressing apology

Oh dear, I'm most awfully sorry.

I can't tell you how sorry I am.

I just don't know what to say.

You'll excuse me, won't you, if ...

I'm sorry I didn't realize.

I'm ever so sorry.

Excuse me if...

...if you don't mind my asking.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1865