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there I'm Emma from English this lesson
today is all about natural English
expressions that you can use in everyday
conversation I've got 13 idioms that
will help you to express doubt and
uncertainty which is really useful right
because we don't always have all the
answers do we I don't care who you are
you don't know everything you don't
always know exactly what you should do
so these expressions are going to help
you in those moments and we'll focus on
three different situations where these
expressions will be useful for you
firstly when you're still thinking about
a situation you know you haven't decided
on the outcome yet you're still forming
your opinion but then there are other
times when you genuinely don't know what
the outcome will be so in those
situations instead of saying I don't
know know which can be a little
unhelpful or unprofessional I've got
some expressions to help you there and
then of course there are always times
when you actually need to change your
mind
make a different decision to the one
that you've already made so we'll get to
those as well
so let's get started by thinking about
the times when we have a decision to
make but we're still deciding what to do
you know we're still forming our
opinions we're not quite sure yet once
we decide we'll know exactly what we
need to do right there's no problem then
it's deciding that's the hard part
because you're always gonna have two
options right two or more options so
this expression is a really useful one
when someone is going from this to this
to this to this we say that they are
chewing and throwing going backwards and
forwards from one to the other you know
when it's really difficult to decide
what you're actually gonna do come on
we've been chewing and throwing on this
all week let's just make a call let's
decide what to do you can say that you
are in two minds when you are having
difficulty deciding what to do and this
is a really great one to use at work in
a professional context so instead of
saying I don't know which is negative
and it doesn't really make you seem very
professional or helpful but by saying
that you're in two minds about something
suggests that you're actively thinking
about it Tim suggested we hire a new
developer that I'm in two minds I'm
unsure I'm still thinking about whether
that's the right thing to do to put
feelers out what is that this is really
useful when you want the advice or
opinions of others before you make your
decision so you're trying to discover
what other people think and often you're
doing this discreetly you know when you
put the feelers out you would just ask a
few people quietly not send out a huge
group email just to ask for everyone's
input you're just asking for a few
people just to see if what you're
thinking is the right sort of thing so
imagine you're organizing the staff
office party
you're not sure what everyone might want
to do bowling river cruise there's lots
of options so you could say I might put
the feelers out to see what the team
thinks you know before doing something
and organizing it you're gonna try and
discover what everyone else thinks by
just asking a few people making a few
discreet inquiries to see if what you're
thinking is also what everyone else is
thinking all right so what on earth is a
quandary if you're in a quandary a
quandary say it with me it's a bit
tricky quandary this is a really great
expression when you're stuck and you
can't actually decide what to do you
know imagine if you received two job
offers one is a really interesting job
the work is interesting but it doesn't
pay well the other is a really
well-paying job but the work is kind of
boring so it's hard to decide right you
could say I'm in a real quandary over
which job to accept I want to know have
you ever been in a quandary I want you
to think about that have you ever been
in a quandary write me a sentence using
that expression in the comments below
it's a new one I'm sure for many of you
so try it up
alright I'm sure you've heard this one
before it's a very common expression to
sleep on it so if someone is expecting
you to make a decision but you need a
little bit more time to think about it
then this idiom is perfect and by using
it you're asking for some more time
until the next day to think something
over before making that decision so you
sleep on it so this isn't just about
what to have for lunch tomorrow
it's usually a big important decision
like accepting funding from investors or
maybe your boss offers you a new
position but it's in an office in
another country so when you hear that
idea you might be really positive and
say wow what an amazing opportunity but
it's a really big decision you know it
means me friends really
hating so you might say something like I
really appreciate your offer but if you
don't mind I need to sleep on it so you
can talk to your family about it
you can do some research about the
country and you know this new place that
you're moving to to help you make the
decision or if you have an awesome boss
then they might say do you know what why
don't you sleep on it let me know your
decision tomorrow okay so there are
definitely times when we are really
unsure of an outcome and because of that
we don't want to commit to a decision
right so to express that uncertainty
there are a few different things that
you can say and of course one of those
is that you're on the fence you know
when you are faced with a choice you've
got two different options and you need
to make a decision and you're thinking
about those two different options but
you haven't decided yet you know both
are good options so you're here you're
on the fence and usually this expression
is used when you have maybe when you
have to choose a side you know or you
feel strongly about something are you
for or against it are you in are you out
so let me ask a question do you think
that children should have mobile phones
so if your answer is firmly yes or no
good for you you don't need to worry but
if you catch yourself thinking well it
is good to have access to the Internet
that education you know if they ever are
in trouble then they have a way to call
for help
etc etc right so you might have to say
hmm do you know what I think I'm on the
fence can you think of a time when you
were on the fence about something I want
you to see if you can write a sentence
about it in the comments below
think about a time when you really
weren't sure if you agreed or disagreed
with something let me know
so that was a useful expression when you
are in control of the outcome you get to
make the decision right but if you're
not income
roll of the outcome and you're trying to
predict something what the result will
be then you can say it could go either
way
imagine that you're watching a football
match and the scores are even there's
only one minute left and the result
really could go either way you know
there are two possible outcomes team a
wins or team B wins unless you play
soccer which I think you can have a draw
as well see this is Australian football
right you can't have a draw okay team a
wins or team B wins and it's actually
not clear which result is more likely so
you can use this expression in a
sporting context like that but also in
other contexts too especially where
there is some level of competition and
you're not sure what the result will be
I think it would be two kids arguing
about a toy or two applicants for the
same position applying for the same job
at work so if you have something like a
plan or a decision and it's up in the
air it means that it hasn't been decided
yet or it hasn't been settled yet but
the thing is this expression is a little
negative I'm wondering if you can guess
why it doesn't actually suggest any
action you know the result is out of
your control you're just waiting to hear
what the result will be so usually if
something is up in the air it makes you
feel a little uncomfortable or a little
uneasy like what's gonna happen
my company's announced that they're
making redundancies at the end of the
month but we don't know how many we
don't know from which department and
it's so hard to stay focused with
everything so up in the air I don't know
if I'll have a job next month without
funding to move forward the project's
really up in the air the jury's out or
it's still out this expression means
that something is being considered but
no decision has been reached yet okay
now in case this word is
a little new for you a jury is the group
of people who decide the verdict in a
court so the judge is the main guy but
this group of people that's the jury
they're the ones who decide if someone
is innocent or guilty and if you've
watched any Law & Order shows on Netflix
you'll know that after the jewelry here
all the evidence they leave the
courtroom to discuss and to make their
decisions sometimes it can take days or
even weeks but while the jury is out out
of the room there's no decision right we
we don't have any idea what the outcome
will be so that's where this expression
comes from will Australia open its
international borders again in 2020 well
the jury's still out on that one and you
can express that same idea a little more
formally by saying that the result
remains to be seen so we don't know what
the result will be yet the government's
pledge to fund three new schools but the
location of each school remains to be
seen okay so there are just a few more
to go my friends we're talking about
doubt and uncertainty and how to express
that in English so naturally when you
feel uncertain and you're doubting
yourself and the decisions that you've
made in the past maybe you change those
decisions you know and if you're
changing your mind constantly going from
one to the other then we say that you
chop and change from this to this to
this to this
but unlike toing and froing where you're
switching between different opinions or
different ideas well this expression is
more about actions and decisions so when
you keep changing the plan and chopping
and changing is definitely a negative
thing you know it often creates
confusion are we doing this are we doing
that are we going there are we going
there so usually when you're using this
expression you're expressing frustration
right are we printing the designs on
yellow t-shirts who knows jess has been
chopping and changing our ideas for
weeks I wish you'd just make up a mind
so that we can get them printed what if
you have made a decision to do something
to buy a house to quit your job to start
a family well that's great but then you
start to panic is that really what I
want maybe I rushed into this decision
maybe I need more time so that's when
you get cold feet I'm not really sure
where this expression comes from exactly
but I love it I've always imagined that
you've had this amazing wonderful idea
to go for a swim at the beach the ocean
looks beautiful so you run down ready to
get in and as soon as your feet hit the
water you realize it's actually freezing
cold if you start thinking oh should I
keep going further is this a good idea
am I gonna regret it that's what I
imagined when I use this expression so
when you get cold feet about something
usually you begin to hesitate about it
you know you're no longer sure whether
you really want to do it or not you
start to think oh is this the right
thing to do and usually it relates to a
big decision something that makes you
nervous
I wanted to bid at the auction but at
the last minute I got cold feet can you
think of a time when you got cold feet
and you actually hesitated or maybe you
didn't do something because you thought
it was a bad idea let me know it down in
the comments to have second thoughts now
this is another idiom that has a very
similar meaning to to get cold feet you
can also say I wanted to bid at the
auction but I had second thoughts so
it's used when you when you want to
change your opinion about something you
know and you start to doubt your your
opinion or your ideas no it's not quite
as strong as getting cold feet it
doesn't have to be about a really
serious decision it's just when you
change your mind so it might be
I thought the sailing club would be a
great venue for our wedding but I've
been down to check it now and I'm having
second thoughts hmm I'll have the
pumpkin pizza please on second thoughts
I might try the fish so there you have
it that was 13 English idioms that you
can use when you feel uncertain or
unsure about something I hope that you
enjoyed it if you did make sure you give
it a like share it with your friends if
you want to this always helps youtube to
know that you like lessons like this
keep sending them to me Emma so most of
the idioms that I shared with you today
will help you to sound more professional
at work especially when you're not sure
what to do but you want to seem like
you're in control of a situation and
definitely all of them are very common
everyday expressions that you can start
using right now so keep learning with me
here in this lesson or practice your
speaking skills and pronunciation with
me in this lesson right here I will see
you in there