Gambits

I'm kinda tired of hearing 'Basically..., Actually..., As far as I'm concerned...' and all the other expressions we unconsciously use in the beginning of our sentences. So I've collected these GAMBITS.

They are phrases we can say to fill in dead air or pauses when delivering speeches or when answering impromptu questions:

I. Giving Opinions

Well, in my opinion…
It seems to me that…
To bring up another point, …
I’d also like to point out that…
As I see it, …
It is my considered opinion that…
There’s no doubt in my mind that…

II. Expressing Agreement

That’s a good point. I couldn’t agree more.
I think we are in agreement on that.
I agree with you completely or, I agree entirely with your point of view.

III. Expressing Partial Agreement

I agree with you on the whole, but it could also be said that . . .
Although I agree with most of what you’ve said, I find it difficult to agree with your point about... I agree in principle, but . . .

IV. Expressing Polite Disagreement

What I think is . . .
I see what you mean, but . . .
I’m not sure I agree with you on that. Yes, that may be true, but . . .
I’m not totally convinced by your argument.
I must take issue with the argument you’ve just made.

V. Asking for Clarification

I didn’t follow what you said about . . .
I’m not sure with what you’re getting at…
Correct me if I’m wrong, but are you saying that . . .
I’m sorry, but I didn’t get your last point. Could you please go over it again?
When you say . . . do you mean that . . .
Would I be correct in saying that . . .
Am I correct in assuming that . . .

VI. Clarifying One’s Position

That’s not exactly what I mean. Let me put it in another way.
What I’m trying to say is . . .
My point is that . . .
Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear. I’ll make that clearer by saying . . .
I’m afraid there seems to be a slight misunderstanding. To be more specific, …

By using these phrases, we can make a variety of responses to different situations.