speaker 0:   0:00
Hi there. This is Harry. And welcome back to my podcast, where I tried to help you to understand English in a better way to help you to communicate with native English speakers when you're travelling or in a business context on we'll do this looking at the grammar, Fraser, verbs, English expressions, idiomatic phrases, everything connected with English. So in this particular podcast, we're going to take a look at some business English, okay. And in particular, we're going to look at former ways of giving opinions we're going to look at three types for, So give your opinion in favour of something against where you're opposed to. Something on, then something that is undecided where you're not for against your your little unsure. Okay, so let me start. So when we're talking about giving an opinion where you are in favour, we say you are four. Yeah, forming in favour. So first of these, I'm a huge fan off. The idea I'm a huge fan of the idea. Means I really like that idea. I think it has great possibilities. Great opportunity. So when somebody presents something at a strategy meeting you Wow. Yeah, that's I'm a huge fan of the idea. I think it's really going to work. It's something that we can rollout to our customs, our clients very, very quickly. I'm totally in favour of. It s So you're really underlying the fact that you support something. I'm totally in favour ofthe that or it had to be totally in favour of something means to support it. I think it's something that we need. I think it's something that is justified. I think it's something that will give us on edge over our competitors. So yeah, I'm totally in favour of it. It's not without problems. Put on the whole. I like it. Okay, so here's a little more tentative. But overall, you're in support, okay? It's not without problems, but on the whole, I'd like it. So again, somebody has prep resented a particular proposal on DH when they have presented a document to support it as you requested. Then you read it on. Did you study the implications on then you say, Well, yeah, I can see it's not without its problems. We have to be very careful how we presented. But on the whole, I think it will give us that edge it will fill that gap in our product line that we have or two. Just give us that advantage that we need in the current market conditions. So it's not without problems, but on the whole I like it. I am prepared to support it. So when we're trying to be in favour of something, we want to use ways in which the people of the person we're talking to seize that we are supporting their idea. So we have to be a little bit Mohr Affirmative. Okay, so I'm a huge fan of the idea. I'm totally in favour off it. It's not without problems, but on the whole I like it so very, very supportive off the suggestions, the ideas on the proposal that somebody has been put us put forward. So overall your four or you're in favour ofthe those particular recommendations on suggestions when you're against something, then you're very definitely not in favour of it. You are opposed to it on DH. You will not support it. So what can we see? Well, we can say I'm totally against it. It just won't work. We've tried that before. There's no reason to believe that it's going to work this time. It didn't work the last time. It got our clients a little bit annoyed. We were a little bit offside with them, so I'm totally against it. I cannot support that suggestion. So totally means entirely. Okay, on against it means it's not going to get your support. I think the negatives outweigh the positives, or I think the negatives far outweigh the positive. So here you're telling somebody that, yeah, you've looked at the proposal. You've considered it in great detail, but when you weigh up, that's measured way up. Make the same. When you're cooking, you weigh the flower or whatever you want. You're going to put into your cooking you when you've weighed up the positives, those advantages that you have seen When you weigh those up against the negatives, you can see that there are much more negatives or that the negatives are much stronger. On the downside, the risks are likely to be far greater, so there is really no point in taking that risk. So when you're trying to make a suggestion or you're trying to consider somebody else's suggestion, you are looking for all sides of the argument the negatives on the positives on DH. At best, you want the positives to outweigh the negatives to support it. You want us few negatives as possible, but in every situation there are always some negatives. But are they outweighed by the positives? And in this situation, I think the negatives outweigh the positives. Or if you want to even emphasise it more, I think the negatives far outweigh the positive. So whatever advantages you see for this product in terms of bottom line or revenue, thie the negatives, the reaction, perhaps of our competitors, the reaction of the marketplace, the reaction of the government would far outweigh the positives. And we just shouldn't go ahead. I'm completely opposed to it. So I'm completely opposed. Means to be opposed means toe up the opposite. So you're taking the opposite side and completely mean totally 100% opposed to that idea. I just don't see working. I just don't see it being something that we could support on. It's not going to get my support, so I'm completely opposed to that idea. It's okay in theory, but just not in practise. Yes, in theory, when you look at it, perhaps the circumstances and the market would suggest that something like this would work. But in practise, how could it work? Yeah, it's totally impractical. We, for one thing, we're all on lock down for another thing. Every business at the moment has been done online. So what is the point? I became? So when somebody makes a suggestion to you in theory at that certainly would work in theory. But theory isn't business on business isn't only about Cleary theory. Business is also about the practicalities. How can these things work in practise? So yes, Okay, in theory, but just not in practise. So again, when we're talking about being very negative, a proposal has been made on which we can look at it from all sides inside out, upside down, left to right, whichever way you want to describe it. But you can say no, I'm totally against it. No, I think the negatives by far outweigh the positives. No, I'm completely opposed to it. And any other suggestions like it. Okay, Yeah, except it's okay in theory, but just not in practise. It's not going to work. So I'm sorry I am against these proposals. And then finally when we are undecided. So undecided is where we can say we sit on the fence to sit on the fence means you don't go down on the left side or the right side. You sit on the fence waiting either for somebody has to make the decision or something else to happen. So when we are undecided, weaken use expressions like, Well, I've looked at this, but I just can't tell you. I don't know where I stand, Meaning I can't make up my mind. I'm not sure I can support it, but I'm not sure I'm against it either. I'm undecided. I just at the moment I don't know where I stand. Perhaps I need some more information. Perhaps I need some more time to be convinced. But at the moment, if you're asking my decision, I don't know where I stand. I can't pass judgement now. At this moment, I can't pass judgement I don't know enough about. So this is a classic way in which you can deflect attention away on divide. Having to make a decision to pass judgement is to make a decision in the court of law. A judge will pass judgement on the criminal once he has Bean found guilty. Yeah, So it's up to the judge to pass judgement. But when we say I cannot pass, judgement means I cannot make a decision. Why can I not make a decision? Well, I cannot make a decision at the moment because I don't know enough about it. I need more information on need. You too. Tell me a little bit more details. What are the implications if we do this? What are the benefits? What are the bottom line things? Impact of the bottom line. How will we benefit? How will our customers benefit? What would be the negative reaction in the press, if any? Okay, so I cannot pass judgement now. I don't know enough about it. So perhaps if you get me and give me a present to me, MME or information on, I learn more about it than perhaps I can pass judgement. But at the moment I'm sorry. I cannot. So I'm sitting on the fence or sitting this one out, OK, and then finally I have some major doubts about it. So you're not saying no? You're definitely not saying yes. I have some major doubts on until such time as those major doubts. Those uncertainties. Until they have Bean clarified for me that I'm sorry. I cannot make a decision. I will be undecided. I have some major doubts about that strategy we've tried in the past. It wasn't always successful. I don't know why we feel it can be successful now. So I have some major doubts. But I am prepared to wait till you tell me otherwise. You persuade me. You try to convince me that what you are proposing will actually work. So for the moment, I'm undecided. I don't know where I stand. I cannot pass judgement. I don't know enough about it. I have some major doubts about it. Okay. So some former ways of giving your opinions in business English and meetings, proposals, whatever they may be too before something to support, to be against something to be opposed to it on DH to be undecided. Not sure either one way or the other, as we say to sit on the fence. But as always, you cannot sit on the fence too long. Okay. All right. Good. Well, thanks for listening, as always. And if you have any reason to contact me, then you can do so on www dot english lesson via skype dot com, where I'm always happy to take your suggestions. Always happy to help you with anything that I can on when you get on to my Web page. Please look out for the link to the easy peasy English club, which is a really fast, effective, efficient, and above all economic way for you, perhaps to improve your English where you'll get one pre recorded lesson with me every week. Okay? And lots of other material besides Okay, well, as always, Thanks for listening and join me again soon. Okay, So why I have you here, I want you to give you some information about the easy peasy English club. So when you find your way onto my web page, look out for the link to the easy peasy English club. It's effective and efficient on economic way for you and your friends to learn the English language for us. Very small subscription fee. You get access to me one lesson each week. That's 52 weeks on 52 lessons, one lesson per week pre recorded by me. And in addition to that, you have useful exercise is linked to the lessons on DH. Lots of other helpful information on DH courses, all available on that particular site. It's great value. So tell your friends about it. Have a look at it on Join up.