1. When you start saying something / contributing to a conversation
- First of all, I would like to say/state that..
- To begin with, I…
- In the first line, I…
2. What can you say instead of “I think”
- I would say/think,…
- In my opinion,…
- To my mind,…
- I am of the opinion that,…
- I hold the opinion that,…
3. When you want to stress your “personal opinion”:
- Personally I think,…
- As far as I am concerned,…
- As for me,…
- As I take it,…
- As far as I can see,…
4. When you “agree” or when you “don’t agree”:
- I entirely/quite agree with you.
- I agree to (with) her plan.
- I am of the same opinion.
- I differ from/with you entirely.
- I disagree with you: I am sure you’re mistaken.
- I stick to my opinion.
- Let’s agree to differ!
5. When you want to say the “opposite” of what someone else said:
- On the contrary! quite the contrary! just the opposite!
- That is the very opposite of what I said.
- That is quite the contrary to what I said.
- I maintain the contrary.
- In contrast to what you said, I maintain that………..
6. When you are “quite sure” of something:
- Of course!
- That goes without saying
- It goes without saying that
- I contend/maintain that…
- It’s my conviction that…
7. When you want to "ask a question":
- May I interrupt you?
- There arises the question/point whether/if
- This question raises the whole issue.
8. When you "haven't understood":
- I beg your pardon. / Pardon?
- Could you repeat what you've just said? But slower, please./
- Could you slow down a bit?
9. If you should want to "correct a mistake":
- Excuse me (for interrupting) you should have said:"....."
10. When you want to distinguish one aspect from the other:
- On the one hand - on the other hand
- In general - in particular
- Generally speaking
- On the whole
- Taken as a whole
- At first sight - on second thoughts
11. When you want to "add" something:
- In addition
12. When you want to "emphasize" something:
- I would like to lay (put) emphasis (stress) on the fact that..
- I just want to point out that
13. When you want to "say the truth":
- To be frank (with you)
- Frankly (speaking)
- To say the truth
14. And if you are "not sure":
- I don't know exactly.
- I don't know for certain.