Better Ways to Say "I Don't Know"

Source: Speak Confident English


You should know the answer BUT you don't.

I'm not sure right now but I'll find out and get back to you soon.
I'll look into it and let you know what I find.
That's a really good question. I want to give you the most accurate answer that I can. I'll get back to you by the end of the day.

It's not your area of expertise, BUT someone wants to know what you think.

I'm not sure I'm the best person for you to ask, but here are my thoughts ...
Here's what I know and here's I don't know on this topic ...
Based on my understanding/ on what I understand, here's what I think ...

When it's opportunity to learn.

That's a great question. Let's look into it together.
Let's see if we can figure that out together.

You need more details to give the right answer.

Before I answer that question, could you provide some more details?
Before you answer that, could you clarify what you mean?

Casual situations.

I don't have the foggiest idea.
I don't have the clue. 
Don't ask me.
Who knows?
Your guess is as good as mine.

Dates in British English

Years

При чтении хронологических дат, годы, в отличие от русского, обозначаются количественным чис­лительным.

 При обозначении года числительное разбивается на две части:

1) число сотен, 2) число десятков и единиц.

1945- nineteen (hundred and) forty-five  

Слово "year"после обозначения года, как правило, не употребляется, но может сто­ять до него:

year 1812- year eighteen (hundred and) twelve

in the year of 1917- in the year of nineteen seventeen

Слово hundred обязательно в датах 1600, 1700 ...

1500- fifteen hundred

1900- nineteen hundred

Если последние две цифры 00-09, говорим:

1905- nineteen hundred and five / nineteen oh five, где oh произносится, как английская буква "o".

 С 2000 года по 2009 включительно даты произносятся, как обыкновенные количественные числительные:

 2000- two thousand

 2009- two thousand and nine
После 2010 года возвращаемся к привычному правилу:
 2010- twenty ten
 2013- twenty thirteen

BC = 'Before Christ'- до рождества Христова ( до нашей эры)
AD = 'Anno Domini' (in the year of the Lord)- нашей эры

Когда мы называем конкретную дату, используем предлог in.

Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703.( in seventeen oh three)

Dates

Для обозначения дат употребляются порядковые числительные.

British English

Write: 3 June/ 3rd June/ June3/ June 3rd

Say: 'the third of June'  или 'June the third'.

American English

Write: June 3/ June 3rd

Say: 'June third'

Обычно после дня недели и даты перед годом ста­вится запятая: 

Saturday, 19th May, 2012

Month	Abbreviation	Month	Abbreviation
January	Jan	July	-
February	Feb	August	Aug
March	Mar	September	Sept
April	Apr	October	Oct
May	-	November	Nov
June	-	December	Dec

Day	Abbreviation
Monday	Mon
Tuesday	Tue
Wednesday	Wed
Thursday	Thu
Friday	Fri
Saturday	Sat
Sunday	Sun

Внимание!

Даты можно указывать цифрами, но помните о   различиях в British English и American English.

1/5/2012 (01/05/2012) означает:

British English: 1 May, 2012 (как в России)

American English: 5 January, 2012

Time

Забыли как англичане отвечают на вопрос What's the time?

Зайдите на главную вкладку  Учим с Колибри.