It could be one of infinite possibilities. I will not allow my clients to rely on me to give them the answers before they have tried themselves to seek the answers. Photo of colleagues talking courtesy of Shutterstock. Sometimes, you don’t know the answer to a question because there’s no earthly way you could. Can you explain to me in which context can I use it? Your email address will not be published. There's always an opportunity to learn. Ooooh. The best course of action is to employ a phrase that avoids misleading the other person, but still makes him or her feel like you answered the question. Hi Shanthi, thanks for sharing these expressions, they seem really useful. While I can usually offer a helpful answer, there's a lot that I don't know. As my clients will tell you, saying 'I don't know' to me is not an option in our lessons! I want to be sure before giving you the answer. I’m afraid. In the past when I didn’t know, one thing that worked for me is … 24. That’s exactly what I’m seeking to answer. My gut tells me … 23. They want people who avoid jumping to faulty conclusions. In reality, however, saying "I don't know" can be a whole lot smarter. I’m not the best person to ask for that information. However, in life we are at some stage going to have to use this expression, so as variety is the spice of life, using different ways to say “I don’t know” would make your conversation far more interesting and natural. I know an expert who can help you with that. I recommend talking to…", "My information suggests…, but CJ will have better insight. people start asking questions with little relevance, colleagues talking courtesy of Shutterstock. This approach also works when you do have an answer, but you probably shouldn’t be talking about it (e.g., you accidentally overheard the information, you were given it in confidence, or you know that it’s a dicey topic). What’s in it for me if I tell you the answer? I can send them to you by the end of the week.”. Her teaching method focuses not on grammar and vocabulary but on uncovering and breaking your harmful communication patterns and developing new, more effective habits that will boost your confidence and help you become your confident self while communicating in English at work. I want to be sure and give you the correct information. Can you do alternative ways to say "I can't"? How to say I don’t know | I Don’t Know Synonym Image 1, How to say I don’t know | I Don’t Know Synonym Image 2, The list below provides alternative ways to ask someone to …, Anniversary wishes! I Don’t Know Synonym! After all, it’s always better to be honest rather than complicate things further with dishonesty. They want people who, in the absence of knowledge, ask good followup questions and find better answers than the ones they have on hand. I haven’t had time to think that through yet. Hmm (interjection) I don’t know anything about …. I haven’t had the time to think that through yet. A husband is a special person in …, Funny birthday wishes! These desires are justified. I’m not the best person to answer that. When speaking …, Good Night Messages! It can be incredibly frustrating when you know all of the pertinent information for a particular meeting and project—and yet you find yourself saying, “I don’t know” because people start asking questions with little relevance to the matter at hand (and because, well, you don’t want to say, “seriously?” to the higher-ups). It’s not always used when one is annoyed. I’ve never heard, “search me” before. That’s a good question, I’II check this. May I take a little more time to before informed about the matter. And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you don’t want to miss out on my posts. I need more context before I can answer that. Thank you, Macmillan. Verbally owning up to my ignorance is really hard, but it's almost always smarter than faking certainty. “Search me” is more informal and would normally be used with people you know well. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a0bf50a3333a680840a7a3f1c6711be7" );document.getElementById("d5c07ca444").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.