Welcome to our Daily English Listening Practice with this week’s series:
10 Common English Expressions
for Making Decisions
Making decisions can be tough, making decisions in English can be even harder. Here are some helpful phrases and expression for explaining how you make decisions and what kind of decisions they are.
Listen to the English audio clips for information and pronunciation.
Go with Your Gut (Instinct)
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Notes: when giving advice, don’t think too hard about the situation, go with your gut, or thinking quickly with your instincts
Making a Gut Decision
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Notes: not thinking or over-thinking a situation and going with your instinct; this can be good or bad depending on the situation
My Instinct Tells me
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Notes: this is what my instinct (or gut) tells me
I Know in my Bones/Being
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Notes: strong faith or belief in something; usually used pretty seriously, sometimes in instances of life or death
I just know
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Notes: You can use this when you can’t explain why or how you know something; you can also use it when you don’t want to explain it
Snap Decision
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Notes: making a very quick decision, often between two choices; there isn’t really much time to think about or process the information; can be used to describe situations that are very stressful or pressing; also “split second decision” a decision made within a second or an instant
Weighing (up) Your Options
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Notes: UK: weighing up your options; USA: weigh your options; deciding between two or more things by comparing them and seeing which one’s best
On One Hand, On the Other Hand
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Notes: on one hand, there’s this; one the other hand, there’s that; used when comparing two things, positively, negatively or both
I’m Dead Certain
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Notes: 100% sure about something, oftentimes very seriously said
Sure Fire Thing
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Notes: often used for children when they don’t get their way; very childish behaviour in adults; UK: throw a paddy
For Sure
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Notes: This can be easily used as a reply when you agree with someone, or it can be used when you are certain of something, “I know for sure that I left my phone somewhere in the car, I just don’t remember exactly where in the car.”
Can’t Put My Finger On It
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Notes: similar to “I don’t know why” or “I can’t explain why”
Thanks,
Kat and Mark
