ASKING ABOUT POSSIBILITIES, EXPRESSING CURIOSITY & DESIRE, AND EXPRESSING VIEWS

Asking about Possibilities

Possibility is an opportunity to do something, or something can be done or tried. If there is a possibility that something is true or that something will happen, it might be true or it might happen.

Here are some sentences to ask about possibilities :

•     Would it be possible for (somebody) to.....? •     Do you think it’s possible that....? •     Do you think we are capable of.…? •     Is there any possibility that....? •     What’s the possibility of....? •     What are the chances of....? •     Anything possible with....? •     Is it possible that/or....? •     Is there any chance?

Stating possibilities :

•     I bet.... •     It’s quite possible. •     It seems probable. •     It looks like.... •     It’s possible. •     There’s a good possibility. •     That’s very possible. •     That’s not possible. •     Sure. It can be. •     Perhaps. •     Chances are.... •     They will probably.... •     There’s a possibility of.... •     Not a chance. •     It is likely to.... •     I think it is going to.... •     It isn’t unlikely. •     It is more than likely.... •     It could be.... •     Probably. •     It might be.

Expressing Curiosity & Desire

Curiosity is the desire to know about something or someone. Usually “curiosity” happens when we see something strange, unusual, or something new. Expressing curiosity is how you express curious about something or someone.

Here are some sentences to express curiosity :

•     I want to know... •     I’m curios about... •     I’m eager to know... •     What I’d really like to find out is… •     I’d be very interested to know… •     I’ve been meaning to ask you. •     I’d like to know… •     I wish I knew… •     I’d love to know… •     I wonder… •     I wonder what it really is. •     I was just wondering how to do it •     That's amazing. How did you do that? •     How marvelous. How come?

Desire is a strong wish or hope. It seems when we want something very much. Desire is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of the item or person, and they want to take actions to obtain their goal.

Hope	Wish
Hope is a feeling of wanting something to happen or be true and believing that it is possible or likely.	Wish is a desire to do something, to have something, or to have something happen. It seems when we want something to be true although we know it is either impossible or unlikely.

Here are some sentences to express desire :

•     I wish I could be....

•     I want to....

•     I’m interested in....

•     I’m hoping....

•     I hope (that)....

Things that you would like to happen or be true : Use wish + past tense, or wish and would or could. Examples : I wish I didn’t have to go. I wish they would stop arguing. You can use that or leave it out : I wish (that) he would help more. In British English, you can either say “I wish I was” or “I wish I were, which is rather formal. In American English, you should use were : I wish I were ten years younger. Thing that you would like to have happened : Use wish + past perfect tense : I wish I had paid more attention in class. Do not confuse with hope (=want something to happen or be true and believe that it is possible or likely) : We hope that this project will be a great success.

Expressing Views

Here are some sentences to express view :

•     I support your decision. •     If I were you,.... •     Personally I believe.... •     From my point of view.... •     I’d just like to say.... •     Well, to my mind this scene.... •     In my view,.... •     It seems to me.... •     Personally, I consider.... •     If you ask my view about it, I will say that I agree with it.

If we want to use point of view, we would more often say from my point of view rather than according to my point of view. Both these expressions emphasis the position or angle you are judging the situation.

Responding Agreement	Responding Disagreement
•     Thank you. •      Of course. •      You're absolutely right. •      Yes, I agree. •      I think so too. •      That's a good point. •      Exactly. •      I don't think so either. •      So do I. •      I'd go along with that. •      That's true. •      Neither do I. •      I agree with you entirely. •      That's just what I was thinking. •      I couldn't agree more.	•     That's different. •     I don't agree with you. •     However… •     That's not entirely true. •     On the contrary… •     I'm sorry to disagree with you, but… •     Yes, but don't you think… •     That's not the same thing at all. •     I'm afraid I have to disagree. •     I'm not so sure about that. •     I must take issue with you on that. •     It's unjustifiable to say that..