Problem-Solving Expressions
Hello. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to take part in problem-solving discussions more naturally and confidently. We’ll focus on useful expressions for giving your opinion, asking others what they think, agreeing, suggesting alternatives and summarising decisions. These phrases are especially useful in group work, meetings, debates and speaking exams.
Let’s begin with expressing your own point of view. A useful phrase is “The way I look at it”. It means from my point of view. For example: The way I look at it, we need to choose the most practical solution, not the most exciting one. You can also say “Personally, I quite like the idea of…”. For example: Personally, I quite like the idea of organising the event outdoors. This sounds clear, but not too forceful.
When you’re becoming more certain, you can use “The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced”. “Convinced” means sure that something is true or right. For example: The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that this is the safest option. This phrase is useful because it shows that your opinion is not random; you’ve considered the problem carefully.
Now let’s ask other people for their opinions. Instead of saying only "What do you think?”, you can say “What do you reckon?” This is informal and conversational. For example: What do you reckon? Should we change the plan? Another useful phrase is “Any thoughts?” For example: We could delay the decision until tomorrow. Any thoughts? This is short, friendly and useful in group discussions.
If you agree with someone, you can say “You’ve got a point there”. This means their argument is reasonable. For example: You’ve got a point there; the cheaper option might be too risky. Another phrase is “We could do worse”. This means the option is not perfect, but it’s acceptable and certainly not a bad choice. For example: The hotel isn’t ideal, but we could do worse.
Now let’s look at proposing alternatives. A helpful phrase is “Let’s not forget that…”. For example: Let’s not forget that we have a limited budget. You can also say “We have to take that into consideration”. “Take something into consideration” means think about it before making a decision. For example: We have to take travel time into consideration before we choose the venue.
When choosing between options, we can say “Perhaps we should go for…”. “Go for” means choose. For example: Perhaps we should go for the safest plan. Another useful expression is “We could just play it safe”. “Play it safe” means choose the least risky option. For example: If we aren’t sure about the weather, we could just play it safe and book an indoor room.
Finally, we need phrases for summarising decisions. “So that’s settled” means the decision has been made. For example: So that’s settled; we’ve decided to meet at six. You can also say “I think we both feel that…” when you want to summarise agreement politely. For example: I think we both feel that the first option is more realistic.
But if there is no agreement, use “We’ll have to agree to disagree”. This means we accept that we have different opinions.
So, remember: good problem-solving language helps a discussion move forward. Use “The way I look at it” to give your view, “What do you reckon?” to involve others, “You’ve got a point there” to show agreement, “take it into consideration” to weigh options, and “that’s settled” to close the decision.
