Thoughts and ideas

Talking about thoughts

• I honestly think we can win the match tonight. [NOT I strongly think]

• I’m not sure if I want to invest in your business or not, but I’ll give it some thought.

• Bear in mind that there are often delays to flights during bad weather. [remember]

• It’s common knowledge that Hannah is looking for a new job. [everyone knows]

• My teenage son hasn’t yet grasped the importance of revising for exams. [understood how important something is]

• I take the view that we are all responsible for our own actions. [believe]

• It’s a foregone conclusion that Jaime will win the race. [absolutely certain]

• I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do but I’ve got a rough idea. [general idea]

• I don’t subscribe to the theory that nature and nurture are of equal significance but it is now a widespread belief. [hold the opinion]; [generally held view]

• Opinions are divided as to whether mothers of young children should go out to work or not, but it is my firm conviction that different things suit different families. [people hold different views]; [I am totally convinced]

Common mistakes

We say I am becoming aware of the problem, NOT I am getting aware.

Judging

collocation	example	meaning
judge someone harshly	Don’t judge him too harshly. He really couldn’t have done things differently.	​be very critical of someone
poor judgement	Deciding to set up a business now shows poor judgement of the economic situation.	​-
pass judgement on	Di’s quick to pass judgement on other people but she’s far from perfect herself.	​criticise
against your better judgement	​I finally agreed to go out with him, against my better judgement.	despite the knowledge that something is a bad idea
a lack of judgement	Her approach to the recent discipline problems inschool showed a lack of judgement.	​an inability to judge a situation wisely
an error of judgement	Promoting Alec was a serious error of judgement.	bad decision

Metaphors of thinking

We can talk about thinking laterally(1). We can say someone has a fertile imagination(2). We can wrestle with a problem(3) and we can have a nagging doubt(4). We can also talk about something fuelling speculation(5), and sometimes people jump to conclusions(6).

1 approaching a problem in an imaginative and original way rather than using a traditional approach
2 one that produces lots of original and interesting ideas
3 struggle to find a solution
4 an unpleasant feeling of doubt that will not go away
5 encouraging people to consider that something may be true
6 guess the facts about a situation without having
enough information