Variety is the spice of life.
Have you ever tried to read an article where the writer kept using the same word over and over and over again?
It can be so mind-numbing that you just lose focus and drift off into subspace.
This is why any writer worth their salt can say the same thing but in different ways. In their arsenal, they have many alternatives for a single phrase, and each one pops up at the right time.
For instance, when stating a personal viewpoint, a writer may have to qualify it first. They may say, “In my opinion, the director’s latest movie doesn’t compare to the one that came before.”
However, are there other ways a writer can state their personal opinion?
Absolutely, here are 7 good alternatives!
1. To my mind
This is one of my favorites, so I put it at the top of the list.
What can I say? I have always been one for nepotism.
“To my mind” is a way of announcing that what is about to follow mostly pertains to your mind. In other words, it is your opinion.
It is wordier than “in my opinion,” so it is a bit more formal. Nevertheless, there is still a hint of informality about it.
After all, most formal writing tries to remove all the personal elements out of the equation and to focus on objective facts. So, the more you inject yourself and your viewpoints into your writing, the more casual you make it.
With that said, “to my mind” works perfectly in situations where you want to straddle the line between informality and formality. This applies if you’re writing a college paper or sending an e-mail to your boss.
Example
2. As I see it
We all see things in different ways, which is why we each have our own viewpoints and our own perspectives.
In fact, what you see is usually shaped by years of belief, decades of social conditioning, and a lifetime of values.
For instance, let’s say you are walking down the street, and you observe a mother spanking her child. Whether you are seeing a mother disciplining her child or are witnessing child abuse entirely depends on where you are coming from.
So, the next time you want to share your opinion with someone, feel free to tell them how you see things.
Obviously, this expression is pretty informal. In fact, anytime you use the personal pronoun “I” and inject yourself into the conversation, you are probably being informal.
Remember. Formal writing is usually impersonal, objective, and straightforward.
Example
3. I think
One of the most famous philosophical statements was uttered by Rene Descartes, and it said, “Cogito, ergo sum.”
The above statement is in Latin, and when translated to English, it reads as “I think, therefore I am.”
The idea was that Descartes was trying to highlight that the only thing that gave him any assurance of his humanity was his ability to think. In fact, the only reason he could know that he existed for sure was that he could think and had his own thoughts.
The bottom line is that your thoughts have power. They are an integral piece of you.
When you are telling someone what you think, you are sharing a part of you.
Needless to say, you can’t really use “I think” in the middle of a formal letter or a Ph.D. dissertation. It’s too subjective and informal and will come across as unprofessional and biased.
In writing, you should only use it with friends and colleagues.
Example
I might have not mentioned this earlier, but now is a good time as any. You can always afford to be more informal in speech than in writing. Hence, what might be inappropriate in a formal letter might be fine in a business meeting.
In other words, you can tell your boss, “I think this might not be the best course of action.”
And, if you’re in the middle of a sit down with the mayor, you can say, “As I see it, the downtown renovations had a large impact on the community.”
4. I believe
A similar alternative to “I think” is “I believe.” It might have the same connotation, but it shows that the expressed opinion is more closely held.
It’s not just a thought. It’s a belief. So, you don’t want to use it for something benign.
For instance, while it is completely fine to say, “I think that new suit looks good on you,” it would be very strange and confounding to say, “I believe that new suit looks good on you.”
That said, both expressions are equally informal.
5. It seems to me
This is another one of my favorites, and I use it a lot in my personal life.
It is a bit more formal than most of the expressions that have come so far, and a big reason is that it takes away the personal element of the situation.
And, if you want to make it even more formal, you can remove the “to me,” leaving you with “it seems.”
Example
Fine, but what makes this one of my favorites?
Simple. It is excellent to use in personal negotiations and everyday interactions.
Let’s say you are having a discussion with your friend, and you want to recap everything they’ve just said to make sure that you’ve got their point.
You could say, “It seems to me that you are bothered by so and so.”
Now, things can go one of two ways.
Your friend might agree that you are on the money, which is just perfect for the both of you and brings you two one step closer to an agreement.
Or, your friend might disagree and tell you that you are completely off base, in which case you can reply with, “I didn’t say that’s how things are. I just said that’s how they seemed to me. And, I want to clear this misunderstanding before moving on.”
See how versatile the expression can be?
6. One can postulate
On the informal-formal spectrum, this one lies firmly in the formal part. In fact, if there were something past formal and onto super-formal, this expression would make it there.
Just take a look at that beauty.
There are no personal pronouns. It is wordy as hell. And, the whole thing is qualified by the modal verb “can.”
If God had imagined formal expressions, this is what they would look like.
Ergo, one can not use this expression with friends or colleagues unless one is being sarcastic in some sense.
For example, if you tell your friends, “one can postulate that the new sanctions will damage the economies of both countries,” you will probably be laughed out of the room, even if you are talking about a hefty topic like politics and economics.
On the flip side, this expression is perfect to be used in your Ph.D. dissertation or in an academic paper you are handing into a scientific journal. It is the kind of phrase that will get a professor’s eyes widening in anticipation of the postulate that is sure to follow.
Example
7. If you ask me
Having reached the edge of formality, I think it’s only right that we finish this article by looking at a phrase that rests firmly on informal soil.
After all, when giving your boss your opinion, you don’t want to start with, “if you ask me.” You can only do this if you are close to your boss, and the two of you are talking in private. However, it is still inappropriate to use in public with a boss you are close to.
And, bear in mind that we are talking about using it in speech.
It goes without saying that “if you ask me” has no place in any form of formal writing whatsoever. Not even a memo.
All that said, it is an excellent option to use with close friends and colleagues.
Example
A very similar alternative is “if you want my opinion.”
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.