You might come across situations where you have to disagree or deny something. You might have a right opposite thought on a particular matter, you want to express your opinion direct, you want to tell the truth, but at the same time you don't want to hurt the feelings of the other person as well.
Most of the time you would hide your opinion, because the way it
So in this lesson, I will teach you how to give a negative opinion in English in a more polite way.
Here we have some expressions that we can use to give a negative opinion. By using these expressions, you can make sure that your conversation is more peaceful.
To be honest
It is said that honesty is the best policy and if you are not honest, you cannot tell the truth. So you can use this phrase to tell your opinion, but in a polite way.
Examples:
- To be honest, I don't like your hairstyle.
- To be honest, I didn't mean it.
If I'm honest
Similar to the example given above, If I'm honest can also be used to express your opinion without hurting someone.
Examples:
- If I'm honest with you, you are not the right person to do this job.
- If I'm honest with you, I really don't have any money to give you.
To tell you the truth
To tell you the truth also gives similar meaning like To be honest. By using this phrase, you can express your opinion in a polite and gentle way.
Examples:
- To tell you the truth, you have not prepared for the exam well.
- To tell you the truth, our records shows that your performance is at a very low level.
To be fair
To be fair is used generally to explain your opinion. You can use this phrase in situations where you have given a negative opinion and you want to explain it further in a very polite way.
Examples:
- My exam didn't go very well, to be fair, I was not prepared for it.
- You didn't pass the interview, to be fair, you have skills that may suit some other job.
Don't get me wrong
You can use this phrase in situations like where you have given a negative opinion, but still you don't want the other person or party to feel bad of you. You don't want them to misunderstand what you are saying.
Examples:
- I want to check your bag before you enter this room. Don't get me wrong, it's my job.
- Can you take off your shoes? Don't get me wrong, we don't allow people wearing shoes inside this building.
I must say that
This phrase is used say something that is necessary, but you want to make sure that you said in a polite way.
Examples:
- I must say that, we could have not done that.
- I must say that, you could have done that better.
I have to say
Similar to the earlier phrase, this phrase is also used in situations where you cannot avoid saying something.
Examples:
- I have to say, the food at that restaurant is not so good.
- I have to say, this medicine won't work for people above their 40s.
Hope this lesson will help you to make your day to day conversations more polite and gentle.