Intermediate120 min
How to ... speculate
How to speculate
| Phrase | Use/Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I’d guess / I’d have thought / I’d imagine | Speculating or making a guess | I’d guess it’ll rain tomorrow. |
| I suppose / I reckon / I doubt | Expressing opinion or doubt | I reckon life on the Space Station must be a bit boring. |
| There’s no way | Expressing impossibility | There’s no way that they can actually enjoy living there! |
| She’s clearly/obviously | Based on evidence | She’s clearly tired today. |
| He/She’s bound to | Strong probability | He’s bound to arrive late. |
| I’m fairly certain/sure that | High certainty | I’m fairly certain that living in the Antarctic is tough. |
| I’m not 100 percent sure, but I’d say | Less certainty, guess | I’m not 100 percent sure, but I’d say it’s going to snow. |
| I know for a fact that | 100% certainty, fact | I know for a fact that being at sea on your own is not easy. |
| I bet | Making a confident guess | I bet the sea’s pretty cold at that time of year! |
| I get the impression that | Based on observation or evidence | I get the impression that he’s new here. |
🎯 Phrases for Speculating and Making Guesses
We use the following phrases when we are speculating, or making guesses about a situation based on the information or evidence we have.
🤔 Speculating Phrases
💭 I'd guess …
🧠 I'd have thought …
💡 I'd imagine …
🤷 I suppose …
💬 I reckon …
❓ I doubt …
🚫 There's no way …
👀 She's clearly/obviously …
🎯 He/She's bound to …
✅ I'm fairly certain/sure that …
🤏 I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'd say …
💯 I know for a fact that …
🎲 I bet …
🔍 I get the impression that …
🎪 When We Are Very Sure About Something
We use:
✅ I'm fairly certain that …
✅ I'm fairly sure that …
💯 I know for a fact that … (this is 100 percent)
🤏 I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'd say …
📝 Examples:
🧊 I'm fairly certain that living in the Antarctic is tough.
⛵ I know for a fact that being at sea on your own is not easy.
❌ Expressing Impossibility
We use 🚫 There's no way that … if we're talking about something we think is impossible.
📝 Example:
😱 There's no way that they can actually enjoy living there!
💭 Expressing Personal Opinions
If we want to talk about what we think, we can say:
🤷 I suppose …
💬 I reckon …
🧠 I'd have thought …
💡 I'd imagine that …
📝 Example:
🚀 I reckon life on the Space Station must be a bit boring.
🔍 Making Deductions Based on Evidence
When we talk about what we think based on the evidence we have, we can say:
👁️ I get the impression that …
👀 She/He's clearly …/obviously …
🎯 She/He's bound to …
🎲 I bet …
📝 Example:
🌊 I bet the sea's pretty cold at that time of year!
We use the following phrases when we are speculating, or making guesses about a situation based on the information or evidence we have.
🤔 Speculating Phrases
💭 I'd guess …
🧠 I'd have thought …
💡 I'd imagine …
🤷 I suppose …
💬 I reckon …
❓ I doubt …
🚫 There's no way …
👀 She's clearly/obviously …
🎯 He/She's bound to …
✅ I'm fairly certain/sure that …
🤏 I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'd say …
💯 I know for a fact that …
🎲 I bet …
🔍 I get the impression that …
🎪 When We Are Very Sure About Something
We use:
✅ I'm fairly certain that …
✅ I'm fairly sure that …
💯 I know for a fact that … (this is 100 percent)
🤏 I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'd say …
📝 Examples:
🧊 I'm fairly certain that living in the Antarctic is tough.
⛵ I know for a fact that being at sea on your own is not easy.
❌ Expressing Impossibility
We use 🚫 There's no way that … if we're talking about something we think is impossible.
📝 Example:
😱 There's no way that they can actually enjoy living there!
💭 Expressing Personal Opinions
If we want to talk about what we think, we can say:
🤷 I suppose …
💬 I reckon …
🧠 I'd have thought …
💡 I'd imagine that …
📝 Example:
🚀 I reckon life on the Space Station must be a bit boring.
🔍 Making Deductions Based on Evidence
When we talk about what we think based on the evidence we have, we can say:
👁️ I get the impression that …
👀 She/He's clearly …/obviously …
🎯 She/He's bound to …
🎲 I bet …
📝 Example:
🌊 I bet the sea's pretty cold at that time of year!
Quiz
Question 1 of 10
Which phrase would you use to express a strong guess about the future?
I bet
I suppose
I doubt
There’s no way
People with Amazing Lives
Many people live extraordinary lives that most of us can only dream about. Their lifestyles are often adventurous, unique, and sometimes extreme. These individuals push the boundaries of daily life, experiencing the world in ways that are fascinating and inspiring. Let’s explore some of the most remarkable lifestyles: life at sea, life in space, and life around the world.
Life at Sea
Living at sea can be an exciting and challenging lifestyle. Sailors, fishermen, and researchers spend long periods on the water, often in remote and unpredictable conditions. This lifestyle requires being adaptable, resourceful, and resilient. People who live at sea enjoy the freedom of vast open spaces and the calming effect of the ocean. However, it’s not always easy; the days can be demanding, with constant hard work and the possibility of dangerous weather. It’s a lifestyle that some find peaceful and fulfilling, while others may see it as lonely or exhausting.
Life in Space
Life in space is one of the most extreme lifestyles imaginable. Astronauts live and work in a completely different environment where gravity is almost non-existent. This lifestyle is highly disciplined, with strict schedules and routines to follow. Living in space requires being highly trained, focused, and physically fit. It’s a lifestyle that offers a unique perspective on Earth, inspiring awe and wonder. Despite the excitement, it can be isolating and uncomfortable, with limited personal space and constant dependence on technology.
Life Around the World
Some people spend their lives traveling around the world, exploring new cultures and places. This lifestyle is dynamic and enriching. World travelers are often open-minded, curious, and adaptable to different environments. They experience diversity in food, languages, and traditions, making their lives vibrant and exciting. However, constant travel can also be tiring and sometimes unpredictable. The ability to handle change and uncertainty is essential for this lifestyle. It’s a perfect choice for those who love adventure and learning from new experiences.
In Conclusion
Living an amazing life doesn’t always mean comfort and predictability. It often involves challenges, hard work, and the courage to embrace the unknown. People with adventurous lifestyles—whether at sea, in space, or traveling the globe—experience a rich variety of emotions and learn valuable life skills. They show us that a remarkable life is about passion, resilience, and the willingness to explore beyond the usual.
Life at Sea
Living at sea can be an exciting and challenging lifestyle. Sailors, fishermen, and researchers spend long periods on the water, often in remote and unpredictable conditions. This lifestyle requires being adaptable, resourceful, and resilient. People who live at sea enjoy the freedom of vast open spaces and the calming effect of the ocean. However, it’s not always easy; the days can be demanding, with constant hard work and the possibility of dangerous weather. It’s a lifestyle that some find peaceful and fulfilling, while others may see it as lonely or exhausting.
Life in Space
Life in space is one of the most extreme lifestyles imaginable. Astronauts live and work in a completely different environment where gravity is almost non-existent. This lifestyle is highly disciplined, with strict schedules and routines to follow. Living in space requires being highly trained, focused, and physically fit. It’s a lifestyle that offers a unique perspective on Earth, inspiring awe and wonder. Despite the excitement, it can be isolating and uncomfortable, with limited personal space and constant dependence on technology.
Life Around the World
Some people spend their lives traveling around the world, exploring new cultures and places. This lifestyle is dynamic and enriching. World travelers are often open-minded, curious, and adaptable to different environments. They experience diversity in food, languages, and traditions, making their lives vibrant and exciting. However, constant travel can also be tiring and sometimes unpredictable. The ability to handle change and uncertainty is essential for this lifestyle. It’s a perfect choice for those who love adventure and learning from new experiences.
In Conclusion
Living an amazing life doesn’t always mean comfort and predictability. It often involves challenges, hard work, and the courage to embrace the unknown. People with adventurous lifestyles—whether at sea, in space, or traveling the globe—experience a rich variety of emotions and learn valuable life skills. They show us that a remarkable life is about passion, resilience, and the willingness to explore beyond the usual.
- - Adventurous: willing to take risks or try out new experiences.
- - Unique: being the only one of its kind; special and different.
- - Extreme: very intense or severe; beyond what is usual.
- - Adaptable: able to adjust to new conditions easily.
- - Resourceful: good at finding solutions to problems.
- - Resilient: able to recover quickly from difficult situations.
- - Demanding: requiring a lot of effort, attention, or skill.
- - Peaceful: calm and free from disturbance.
- - Fulfilling: making you feel happy and satisfied.
- - Lonely: feeling sad because of being alone.
- - Exhausting: very tiring.
- - Disciplined: showing controlled behavior and obedience to rules.
- - Highly trained: having received a lot of training and practice.
- - Focused: giving a lot of attention to one thing.
- - Physically fit: being in good physical condition.
- - Isolating: causing you to feel alone and separated from others.
- - Uncomfortable: causing discomfort or unease.
- - Dynamic: full of energy and new ideas.
- - Enriching: improving the quality of your life or knowledge.
- - Open-minded: willing to consider new ideas or opinions.
- - Curious: eager to learn or know about something.
- - Vibrant: full of life and energy.
- - Exciting: causing great enthusiasm and eagerness.
- - Tiring: causing one to feel tired.
- - Unpredictable: not able to be predicted or expected.
Discussion Questions
- 1. Which lifestyle described in the text do you find most interesting and why?
- 2. What kind of person do you think is best suited to life at sea?
- 3. How do you think astronauts cope with the challenges of life in space?
- 4. What are the biggest benefits and difficulties of traveling around the world?
- 5. How can living an extreme lifestyle help people develop important life skills?
- 6. Have you ever experienced a situation that required you to be adaptable and resilient? Share your experience.
- 7. What are some ways to stay positive and focused when living in isolating or uncomfortable conditions?
- 8. Do you think living an adventurous lifestyle is something everyone should try? Why or why not?
- 9. How can being open-minded and curious improve someone's life experiences?
- 10. What advice would you give to someone who wants to live a unique and exciting life?
Stress to Show Certainty
In English, stress means emphasizing a particular syllable in a word or a word in a sentence.
When expressing certainty, you usually stress the key word or the important syllable within a word to make your statement stronger and clearer.
Examples of word stress to show certainty:
- cÔn-tract (noun) vs. con-TRACT (verb) —
Stressing different syllables changes word function but also emphasizes meaning.
- In phrases like "I *KNOW* for a fact," the word "know" is stressed to show confidence.
- "There’s NÔ way" — stressing "no" highlights impossibility clearly.
Why is this important?
- Correct word stress makes your speech more natural and easier to understand.
- It helps you communicate your certainty or doubt more effectively.
When expressing certainty, you usually stress the key word or the important syllable within a word to make your statement stronger and clearer.
Examples of word stress to show certainty:
- cÔn-tract (noun) vs. con-TRACT (verb) —
Stressing different syllables changes word function but also emphasizes meaning.
- In phrases like "I *KNOW* for a fact," the word "know" is stressed to show confidence.
- "There’s NÔ way" — stressing "no" highlights impossibility clearly.
Why is this important?
- Correct word stress makes your speech more natural and easier to understand.
- It helps you communicate your certainty or doubt more effectively.