STOP Saying 'I Want' and 'I Think' | Sound Smarter in English in 2025

Hi there everybody. This is teacher Harry  here. And welcome back to my English classes.

So we're going to look today  at different ways in which  

you can say “I want” that'll sound  much better and much more polite.

Let me go through them one by one.

So the first I wish, I wish I had a

Euro for every time somebody asked me for  a lesson. Okay, so I wish I had. So look  

at the other words I use, I wish I had or I  wish I could. I wish I could go out later,  

but it's very wet. I'd like to go for a walk. I  wish I could go out. So you want to do something?

I wish I could talk to my friend. I  wish I could call him or her on the  

phone. I wish I could use my laptop,  but the battery has run out. Okay,  

so I wish I could. I wish I could  do this, I wish I could do that,

I hope,

I hope that you will be able to come back soon.

I hope that I would be able  to take a holiday next year.

So I hope. I hope that

I hope to join a course next year.  I hope to sign up for university in  

the next few months. So here I hope to do  something and I hope that. So just again,  

look at the words that you use in  conjunction with my expression, I hope.

I long for when we long for something. It's

like the word long. Yeah,  long. So when you long for

something. It means literally that you  have wanted it for a very long time. Oh,  

I long for a nice cold beer. So on a hot  summer's day. And you've been working really,  

really hard. And at the end  of the day, you go home and,

I've been longing for a beer all day.  Meaning you've been thinking about it  

all day. So something that you  have been thinking about for a  

considerable period of time. Then you  can use the expression I long for.

you can long for some peace and quiet. So  when the kids leave home to go to school, or  

they leave home to go to university, or in fact,  when they leave home for good, you might say, Ha,

I long for some peace and quiet.  I long for those nice warm winter  

evenings when it's cold outside and  I'm tucked up in bed in my big duvet,  

or I'm sitting beside the fire and reading a  book. I long for those warm winter evenings inside  

the house. Okay, so to long for something  is to really want it for a period of time.

The next one is I crave and we crave

something is when we have a a desire for  it. Yeah. And usually it's to do with  

things like food. Okay. So somebody  who's on a diet perhaps might crave

some chocolate. So they've been  on a diet for several weeks or  

months and they really would like to break out and

Have a little taste of something that  

is not so good for you, but taste very nice.  So the. Oh, I crave a nice bar of chocolate.

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I desire so again to desire something a little  bit stronger than like a little bit stronger than

hope to have. And it's something similar  to crave. So desire. Yeah, I desire

a holiday. I desire a comfortable home.

I desire some free time. Yes, it's really  something strong and something deeper.

I fancy this is quite informal. When  we fancy we can fancy anything. We  

can fancy the bar chocolate. We can fancy  the pizza. Oh, we can say to our friend,  

you fancy a walk? Do you fancy going out tonight?  Do you fancy going to the cinema? So we use  

it all the time when we're trying to see. Does  somebody want to do something that we want to do?

I'd like to go for a walk.  Do you fancy joining me?

Yeah. So another way of saying I want.

I feel like and again, a bit informal here. Oh, I  feel like a pizza tonight. It's Friday. Why not?

We always have a pizza if we're going  to have a pizza, it's always on Friday.

I feel like going away for the weekend.  Why don't we? We haven't done it for ages.

Yeah. So to feel like I want to do  something, feel like going away for  

a few days before the depths of autumn  and the early days of winter are upon us.

So fancy doing something. I feel like very,  very similar. Both very very informal.

Now some of these next few expressions a  little bit longer. Okay. And but they're  

equally good. And again, a good way to  describe different ways to say I want.

So the first of them, I have my heart set on  something, or she has her heart set on it.

She didn't get the course she wanted.  She had her heart set on that course,  

meaning she wanted to go to that university  really deeply because other friends are going.

So when you have your heart set on something,  it's a deep desire. It's something you've planned,  

something you've hoped for and you haven't really  considered that it might you might fail. So

Perhaps you have your heart set on a Christmas  with your family. Perhaps you have your heart  

set on that long, long holiday next year and  you're beginning to do the planning already. Okay,  

so to have your heart set on something is  to have a big and deep desire to do it.

I feel in the mood. Okay, so mood is one of those  things. We can be a good mood. Hahaha. Or it can  

be a bad mood. Mood? I lost all my money. Yeah.  Okay, so when we are in a good mood, we feel like  

doing something good. Yeah. And when we're in a  bad mood, we feel like doing absolutely nothing.

I feel in the mood for

A game of golf. I feel in the  mood for a walk in the hills.

Okay, so I feel in the mood for that.  So depending on what your real mood is,  

happy or sad, you will feel in the mood  to do something or you will feel in the  

mood to do absolutely nothing. Perhaps you  might just want to go to bed, curl up and go  

to sleep. Why not? If that's what you want to  do, then if that's what you feel like, do it.

Then that's what you should do.

We can have our eye on something so high.  Yea, yea. We can have our eye on something.

It doesn't mean we're staring at it. Okay? So we

have to be very careful because when we stare  at people, they don't really like it. But when  

we have our eye on something, it means we've been  watching out for that. We have a desire to buy it.

We want to get it. Yeah.

I've had my eye on them for some time. I've  been walking past this shop every day for the  

last two weeks. I keep looking at them and  thinking they might look nice on the table,  

or that might look nice on the wall. So eventually  I went in today and they gave me a 20% discount,  

so why not? I bought them because  I've had my eye on them for some time.

Meaning I've been looking at them.  I thought they might be good and  

then I've made a decision. Yeah, I really  want them. Let's go and let's buy them.

You can also have your eye on  another job. You may be a bit,

annoyed or frustrated with the job  you have. Perhaps you haven't got  

the promotion that you thought you might get,  

or perhaps the salary increase that your boss  had promised you hasn't come through yet.

So you begin to look at the job vacancies  and the adverts that are popping up on the  

internet. So you've had your eye on  a couple of jobs that might suit you.

So you've had your eye on a change for  some time. So as I said, when you have  

your eye on something is something  you want, something you want to do,  

something you want to change, something you  want to buy. But you've been looking at it.

I have something in mind. Well, we all have  something in mind from time to time and again,  

this can be used instead of saying I want.

What do you have in mind?

I have in mind to paint the walls yellow, or  to paint the walls orange or peach or whatever  

colour. Just a bit of a change. Because let's  face it, we spend a lot of time at home and  

we should probably change things from time  to time. So I have in mind some decoration.

And from a work point of view,  

you can always have something in mind  because you're planning things okay.

well, I have something in mind. Let me

think about it and come back to you when  I've got a few more ideas. There's no point  

telling you now because I haven't  really put all the ideas together.

But I just have something in mind.  And when I'm ready to tell you,  

then I'll tell you what I want  or what I think we should do. I

I'm itching for something okay? Or itching to  do something itch. When you have that scratch,  

scratch, you have to scratch your arm or  scratch your head or whatever you have to  

scratch. So when we're itching to do  something, we're very anxious. Yeah,  

we really want to do something quickly,  immediately, or we just want to change. Yeah.

So I'm itching for the start  of the new football season.

So somebody who's a big, big football fan  and let's face it, lots of guys and girls are  

football fans. So the itching can't wait for the  new football season to start to support the team.

I'm itching for a holiday. Why don't we go away?  

I'm itching for Christmas  because I really love it.

all the family will be together. The kids, the  grandkids, everybody. So we're really itching  

for a good time. So a really, really  informal way to say I want something.

And then finally I'd give my right  arm for something or anything.

So to give my right arm, it literally means you'd  be happy in a way for your arm to be cut off and  

taken away. If you got something, I'd give my  right arm for tickets to go to that football game.

I'd give my right arm to win the lotto.

I give my right arm to get that  promotion that I've been hoping  

for weeks and weeks and months and months.

Okay, so again, very, very informal.

So when we're looking at all of  these expressions that I've used,  

as I say, some of them are more formal and others

Now I appreciate in many languages I  want I would like sound the same or  

perhaps the words are the same, but in the  English language they're very different.

And when we use I want in English, it can  sound a little bit harsh. I remember when  

I was growing up, my mother would always  say to me, I want never gets, I want,  

never gets. And what she meant by that was, if  you say I want, it sounds a little bit rude.  

So if you say that all the time, then I'm not  going to give you what I want or what you want.

So if I wanted something in the sweetshop,  I want this, I want that. No, no,  

no, it was her response. So she tried to teach  me good manners. And if I wanted something,  

I would have to say I would like.  Or could I please have something?

So when somebody says I want it sounds  very demanding. I want this, I want that,  

yeah. So you can picture the little  child in the sweetshop, I want this,  

I want the chocolate, I want  a toy. And it sounds really,  

really bad. And all the customers in the shop will  be looking at you, of course, but I would like.

Or could I please have much more  polite and much better hat? Okay,  

so remember what my mother  used to say I want never gets.

Well, we want to look at expressions with,  I think, or other ways to say are things.

Okay, so let me start.

For the first one. In my opinion,  

what is very obvious when we want to tell  somebody what we think or we want to.

Give it detailed explanation of  something we might just say, well,  

in my opinion. So you might want to stress it  so you can change the intonation. If you want  

to be really strong. Well, in my opinion,  and you emphasise the mind, or if you just  

want to make a point or clarify something,  in my opinion I think we should do this.

Okay. So you want to make it very,  very clear that this is your view.

As far as I'm concerned. So a little bit more  formal as far as I'm concerned. So this could be,

Any type of discussion you're  having in a work environment,  

with your family, with friends, whatever  it might be. As far as I'm concerned,  

means this is what you believe. Yes. So  no matter what has happened, no matter  

what other people have said. This is the view  that you have and you're going to stick to it.

If we want to be very strong, because when  we say I think, I think sort of suggests a  

little bit of uncertainty. So if we say,  I believe that, then there's a really,  

really strong statement, I believe that says  something that I fundamentally believe in.

And when I'm trying to help people to prepare for

Job interviews, and I asked them to give me  some indication of what their strengths and  

weaknesses are. Some point of view. Often they  tell me, oh, I think that. And I always try to  

get them to say, no, no, don't say I  think say I believe have conviction.  

Conviction means be strong in your view. Be  strong in your opinion, what you believe.

I believe that my strengths are the following  blah blah blah blah. I believe that my weaknesses  

are whatever they might be, 1 or 2 or some  something small. But when you use I believe,  

then there's a little bit more conviction and  you can again, as we did in the first example,  

you can stress the word believe. I believe,  yeah, I believe I not to anybody else.

It's what I believe is important. I believe  that what the government should do is this.

I believe that everybody's opinion  should be respected. So I believe  

no matter what other people think, I believe.

The next one is a little bit uncertain,  it seems to me, or it appears to me.

So when we use words like seems or appear, then  it might not be accurate, it might not be true.  

But to you that's how it appears. Or to you  that how that's how it is. It seems okay,  

so it seems and get that's. And when you use it  stress the s it seems to me or it appears to me.

So

It seems to me the best way to deal with  this is as follows. It appears to me,  

it would appear to me that

Your son or daughter has made a wrong decision.  So it appears to me that they're only doing that  

because somebody else did it. It seems to  me that it would be better if they did it  

another way. So your voice, in your opinion,  you're not so strong about it. Okay. Because  

when we use it seems or it appears, it turns it  into a little softer, it's a little less direct.

it's softening your approach. It  appears to me, it seems to me.

Okay. Next I feel that. And when we use this, I  feel that. Or I have a feeling that then this is  

expressing a real personal opinion is something  that you feel personally inside. Yeah I feel.

I feel it's important for me  to voice my opinion. I feel  

important for me to tell people  when I believe they are wrong.

I feel that you don't appreciate  me. I have the feeling that you  

don't appreciate my point of view. So here  you're just emphasising your emotional side,  

your personal views inside of you. Okay.

Next is. I assume that.

So when you say I assume that  you might not be 100% certain,

but there's that a belief that,

something is going to happen.

Yeah. Or something is correct. So I  assume that they are going to give  

us a holiday on Monday because we  worked the previous bank holiday.

So you're making an assumption.  It hasn't been confirmed to you,  

but this is what they did the previous  year, or this is the action that they've  

taken previously. So it's a good reason to  believe that this is what they'll do this time.

So I assume that

Next, from my point of view. Okay.  So again here we're making it very  

personal. From my point of view.  Again, it may not be your point of  

view or your colleagues point of view  or your family, whoever it might be.

But from my point of view it is important

From my point of view, it is important  that you respect what your parents want.

From my point of view, if they want  you to study for a few hours after  

school and put away your mobile phone,  then again, you should respect that.

But it's from my point of view. Not everybody  would share the same opinion or the same view.

Next, a little more informal  if you ask me. And again here,  

depending on how you put the the stress away,  you put the intonation. You can make it more

aggressive or stronger

So if you ask me

the world is crazy. Yeah. If you ask me.

But if you want to put more  stress on it, if you ask me,  

I really think we've made a serious mistake here.

Next, a little bit more formal, I consider.  

Yeah, I consider that to be rather  insulting. I consider that to be

inappropriate at this particular time.

So a teacher might say to the children in  the class, some, perhaps the older children  

that 15 or 16 years of age, I consider that  inappropriate language to use in the classroom.

as far as I can see.

Or as far as I can tell, no, these are both  very, very similar. So as far as I can see  

or as far as I can tell. So this is us expressing  our opinion with perhaps some limited information.

when we use the expression,  as far as I can see now,  

as far as I can see at the  moment is the end of the room.

Or if I go outside as far as I can see, there's  the end of the street. Okay. So and as far as  

I can tell, it means based on the information we  have, which as I said, may not be the full story,  

but based on that information, this  is my opinion. So as far as I can see,

that both in the wrong

So it's a way of you expressing  your opinion. As far as I can see.

But that's it. It's over  as far as I can tell. Yeah,  

it's over. So we can use them both in the same way

To my mind or in my mind. Okay.

In my mind, I don't think it's the right way to do  it. I think you should perhaps write the letter.

Complete your CV or look at your CV  again and then put it in LinkedIn or  

however you wish to place it and  see to people. Take an interest.

And then the very last because I added it at  

the beginning. Is this quite  quirky or unusual expression

Your $0.02 worth. Okay, so when we use that,  it's quite old fashioned because many years  

ago we were just we would have said, you're  two peas worth. But now we're talking about  

euros mostly. So we talk about your $0.02  worth. And of course $0.02 is not worth a  

lot of money. So when somebody says,  do you want to add your $0.02 worth?

Or you might say, I would like  to add my €0.02 worth, it means  

I would like to give my opinion. It might not be  worth much because €0.02 isn't a lot of money,  

but nevertheless, I would still  like to give you my opinion.

well excuse me, can I add my €0.02 worth. So  you give your opinion. And again you know,  

you're not belittling your contribution.

You're not belittling anybody else's. But  we use that expression to generally mean,  

okay, it might not be the most important thing.

But I would like to add my $0.02 worth. Okay, so  it's our contribution to the thought process. It's  

our contribution to the argument. It's our  contribution to the debate. Are $0.02 worth.

We want to look at other ways  to say, I don't know. Okay. So.

The first one. I have no idea.

So if somebody asks you what are you going  to do today. I've no idea. I've just got home  

from work. I was working that late shift,  so I've really no idea what I'm going to

do today.

So let me have a bit of breakfast  and we'll talk about it later.

Second one is a little bit more informal.  Yeah. And it's. I haven't the foggiest. Now,  

fog is when something we can't see through,  

it's a weather condition. When the, the  night has been warm and the morning is cold,  

and you get this air trapped and you create  this fog and you can't see through it.

So this is what we mean when we say,  I haven't the foggiest means. I have  

no idea. I don't know, but it's  quite informal. Yeah. Okay. So

What would you like for dinner tonight?  I haven't the foggiest. I mean, I'd like  

something different. You know, when you get  that sort of taste for something a little  

different than we usually have. But I don't  know what I want. I haven't the foggiest.

Now the next to say the three options  were talking about clue. I haven't a clue.

I have no clue or I'm clueless. So a clue is  something that will help you solve a problem. When

When you say.

I haven't a clue, means I've no idea,

I have no clue. Again, I have no  idea or I'm clueless. Okay, so.

What's the boss want to, have that  meeting about? He sent around an  

email a few minutes ago, and we have  to assemble in the boardroom at 5:00.

I haven't a clue.

have no clue. I'm clueless like you. I'll  have to wait until I get to the meeting.

Next is very, very informal.  Dunno. That means I don't know,  

but we used to know. Yeah, that's like one and  gone I one of these Americanisation. Yeah. So.

What are you going to do with the weekend? Dunno.  What are you going to do after dinner? Dunno.

What are you going to do about those

results you got in your exam? Don't know.

Next. Your guess is as good as mine. So  this is a little bit more formal. Your  

guess is as good as mine. Really.  What it means is you have every,

bit of information that I have. You have as  

much information as I have. So  your guess is as good as mine.

Do you know what's going on?

What's the meeting about? Well, your guess is as  good as mine? Meaning I can guess what it might  

be about, but you could make the same guess  because you've all got the same information.

So your guess is as good as mine.

Next it beats me so a little bit more  informal. It beats me. So when we use  

it beats me, it means I'm defeated.  Literally. Yeah. So I really don't  

know. I'm trying to work out what  the answer is but beats me. Yeah.

Do you know what they doing?  Whoa, it beats me. I mean,  

I've been trying to work it out now for a couple  of days, and I started seeing them getting ready  

and putting up the boardings. I've asked  a few people, but nobody seems to know,  

so it beats me. Means I'm defeated. I've scratched  my head. I'm trying to think of what it might be.

Don't ask me. Well, again. Yeah.  When somebody says to you, well,  

what's happening? Don't ask me. So

they think you have the information. They think  you know what's going on. What's wrong with Mary?

She's in a really, really bad mood. She's  been like that since she got home from  

university yesterday, and I can't seem  to get through to her. Oh, don't ask me.

She might have fallen out with  a boyfriend again. Who knows? So  

don't ask me. So it's informal,  but it's a way of saying, look,  

I don't know. You don't know. We're just going  to have to wait and see what she tells us.

I'm not sure. So when we use. I'm not sure.  There's a little bit of uncertainty here.  

You might have some ideas, but  when you say I'm not sure, well,  

then it indicates that. Possibly. But you don't  want to say exactly, because you might be wrong.

if you want to know when, or what time  your babysitter is going to arrive,  

you know, did you arrange for the babysitter?

Yes. I sent to the message when you  asked me to. I told her we were going  

to be going out at around 7:00. So what  time is she going to get here? Well,  

I'm not sure, but she's usually here on  time, so let's give her another 10 or  

15 minutes. And if she hasn't shown  up by then, we'll send her a text.

so I'm not sure. Means I'm a little bit uncertain.

That's a good question. Now this is quite  formal okay. So at a meeting, particularly when,

somebody asks for,

some information and somebody  wants to know what the strategy is,  

somebody wants to know what the marketing  plan, what the launch of the new product is.

So they've got lots of questions that they  want answers to. So when you ask the question,  

the boss says, that's a good question. Now,  

he might not have a good answer. He might  have no answer or she might have no answer.  

But that's a good question is another  way of saying, well, look, I don't know.

Or I look into it and we get back  to you. So again, when somebody

asks the boss or the line manager  about something in particular,  

and if they don't have the information, well, then  again, it's better for them to say something like

Leave it with me. I'll look into it and I'll get  back to you. So that's a good classic response.

It's quite formal. Leave it with me. I'll  look into it and I'll get back to you.

And then finally who knows? Or  how would I know? So a little bit  

more information. And usually when somebody  says it, they just go poof. Who knows. Or  

there's a little bit of a exclamation and it's all  about the tone and the intonation in your voice.

Or when you really don't know, well, you're  a little bit annoyed that they've asked you,  

and you've told them time and time again  that you don't know. So you respond with,  

but how would I know? I mean, I'm  the same as you at the same level.  

Nobody tells me anything around  here anyway, so how would I know?

Where are the kids at buff? Who  knows? They never tell me anything.

So that something's happened.  Somebody is a little bit annoyed,  

and then there's a little bit of  tension. And the response you get  

is who knows? How would I know? So  all in the intonation, in the voice.

Try to pick out a couple of them. Try to use  

them so you're not using the  same expression all the time.

Try a few of the others. Try to see how you can  use them, introduce them. Feel comfortable with  

them. And then practice a few others. And if  you need any help or any other suggestions,  

of course, please come back to me.  I really appreciate you watching.

I really appreciate you listening  and as always, join me again soon.