Sometime we don't know for sure, but we may have a wage idea about things, like say for
example - the cost of things or the way people may think or feel or maybe just the way people might
react, right? That is when we guess or estimate. So guessing or estimating is nothing but presenting
a fact or saying something when you are not sure about things or you don't have all the
information at hand. So today I am gonna deal with a lesson on Expressions that you use
when you are guessing or estimating when you don't really have the right information.
Today we are going to look at expressions used to guess or estimate. The first one is
- Off the top of my head. This is an expression you will use when you are plainly guessing
about anything, it could be the cost of a phone, so you could say - Off the top of my
head, this phone is worth 300 pounds Or you could say something like - Off the top of
my head I think her phone number is 983452189. So you are plainly guessing, you are not very
sure and this is one of the most commonly used expression that you use when you are
guessing or estimating. The next one is - Knowing him, he will be ...... well you have got to
complete your sentence depending on the situation, so what could be the situation be and why
would you use this expression, okay. This expression is used when you are guessing based
on something that you already know. We all know that guessing or estimating is something
that we have an opinion about or we think because we don't have all the information
but sometimes you can base you opinion or your guess on something that you know, certain
things that you may know. So maybe your friend is very punctual, right? or maybe he hates
driving, right? so you could say something like - Knowing Tom he will be probably taking
the train, he hates driving. Or Knowing Tom he would be very angry when he finds that
you have driven his car. So, you based your guess on something that you already know.
I call this a very educated guess. The next expression is a sentence which starts like
- If I had to take a guess.... I'd say.... Now this is you your guess based on a personal
opinion that you have about something or somebody. So. you can say something like - If I had
to take a guess, I'd say that man is over 40 years old. This is your personal opinion.
If I had to take a guess, I'd say that she would be promoted in the next year , she is
a very hard working girl. So that's a personal opinion, which makes you guess something about
somebody or something. Alright! the next one is - It's difficult to say, but I think.....
okay now this is a guess that is very difficult to make, so the sentence itself tell you that
it is a very difficult guess but you are still gonna guess, right? because you wanna give
an estimate about something right? So you are watching a match, a football match and
both teams are playing pretty well, okay. So at this point of time you're not sure who's
gonna win, but you wanna guess, but you may say something like - It's difficult to say,
but I think India might win OR It's difficult to say, but I think Australia might win. So
it's a difficult guess but you are gonna guess anyways. The next one is - I wouldn't be surprised
if..... depending on what the situation is you are gonna complete your sentence, now
whey would you use this expression? You would use this expression when you are quite certain
about a certain thing you are guessing about. So you are about something, about which you
are pretty certain. So, you can something like - She is so stressed at her job, I wouldn't
be surprised if she quits. right? so you can see that your friend is very worried in her
current job, so you are certain about her being worried, and therefore you wouldn't
be surprised if she wants to quit. So your guess is as good as it's hers, right? The
next one is - I bet.... okay now I bet is again a guess which is very certain thing
that may happen, okay so you are very certain about this. You can something like - I bet
he's gonna ask my friend my friend out, he can't stop staring at her. So you are sure
this is gonna happen, so you are more than guessing but you use the expression - I bet...
that this is going to happen whatever the situation maybe. The next one is - We're talking
maybe..... okay that's the way you are gonna start your sentence. Now why and how do you
use this? You use this when you are talking about numbers, this is always used when you
are talking about numbers, when you are guessing about a certain number. So you could say something
like - We're talking maybe 40,000 sq.ft that we need to acquire to build this house upon.
So we are talking about numbers, okay. This is a very informal way to say it, alright?
The next expression is - It's somewhere in the ballpark of..... again this expression
is used for numbers but this is related mainly to money. This could be any number, this is
only related to money. So you could say something like - The TV star or the actress was paid
somewhere in the ballpark of 1 million dollars to host that TV show, we are talking about
numbers but mainly about money when we are using this expression. And the last expression
about guessing or estimating is - Your guess is as good as mine. This expression is another
way of saying that you have absolutely no idea. So if someone may ask you - Do you think
Mary might attend the wedding today? you have no idea, so you may say- Well, your guess
is as good as mine. Someone might ask you do you think you might the pass the exam?
I don't think I might pass, well your guess is as good as mine. Because you have no idea.
So let's review all these expressions once again so that you can use them correctly when
you are guessing or estimating. So - Off the top of my head is an expression you use when
you are guessing, a very often used example or an expression. knowing him, he will be
.... is an educated guess based on what we already know, that what we base or guess upon,
okay. If I had to take a guess... I'd say .... This is something you use when you are
talking about a personal opinion you have about somebody or something. And the next
one is a very difficult guess you are making and therefore it's quite self explanatory
when you use an expression like - It's difficult to say, but I think.... whatever add to that.
And I wouldn't be surprised if.... and I bet is used when you are certain about your guess
about something or somebody. And we're talking maybe.... and It's somewhere in the ballpark
of.... is used when we are guessing about a number of something. However this expression
is used only when we are talking about money. And the last expression is about - a guess
which is not really a guess at all because you have absolutely have no idea what you
are guessing about but it's a very important expression you are using when you are guessing
or estimating. I hope this lesson has made it very easy for you to use the right expression
when you are going to guess or estimate about something or someone. I will be back with
some more lessons, until then this is me saying goodbye....