Toko
from Japan asks:
Would you show me the usage of the following verbs: think,
guess, suppose, imagine, feel. I have
been confusing them for a long time.
Guillermo
from Mexico writes:
Hi! I'd like to know what I wonder means and when I can
use it.
All
of these reporting verbs are a variation on the verb to think.
They all refer to people's thoughts, rather than to what they say.
They can be used to refer to different types of thoughts, beliefs
and feelings. The verbs that Toko lists can all be used freely with
negative forms as well as affirmative. Wonder is used mainly
in affirmative sentences, occasionally with interrogative forms. All
of these verbs soften what would otherwise be a harsher statement
or question. I will try to give some examples of usage below.
think
You
have an impression or an opinion about something:
Shall
we go swimming tomorrow?
I
thought we might go swimming tomorrow.
Peter's
not at home.
I
don't think Peter's at home.
The
sun moves round the earth.
In ancient times people thought that the sun moved
round the earth.
guess
You
have an idea or opinion about something, but you're not absolutely
sure whether it's correct or not. I guess…. is used very
frequently in American English, but is quite common in British English
too.
He's
not coming.
I guess he won't be coming now.
Do
you think he'll make a full recovery?
Yeah,
I guess so. / No, I guess not.
It's
just bruised, not broken.
I guess it's just bruised, not broken.
suppose
You
have an idea about something, but it is rather tentative. Suppose
is more characteristic of British English, rather than American
English and is often used with the negative:
Have
you got a match?
I
don't suppose you've got a match, have you?
Would
you be prepared to
stay on for another week?
I
don't suppose you'd be prepared to stay on for another
week?
Is
it too late for an appointment today?
I
suppose it's too late for an appointment today?
imagine
If
you imagine something, you reflect on it and your mind forms
a picture or an idea of it:
They
won't stay together for more than a few months.
I
can't imagine them staying together for more than a few
months.
He'll
leave the house to her
and find a flat for himself.
I
imagine he'll leave the house to her and find a flat
for himself.
feel
Feel
is very often used to talk about reactions and opinions. If
you feel that something is the case, you are saying that
you have a strong idea about it in your mind, though it may be based
on intuition rather than evidence:
We're
not doing anything wrong.
They
didn't feel (that) they were doing anything wrong.
She
was making a big mistake in agreeing to live with him
I
felt she was making a big mistake in agreeing to live
with him.
The
car won't start.
He
felt sure the car wouldn't start.
Note
that in the above examples, we could also introduce the clause following
the reporting verb with the conjunction that:
'In ancient times people thought that the sun moved round
the earth.'
'I guess that he'll make a full recovery.'
'I don't imagine that they'll stay together for very long.'
'He felt sure that the car wouldn't start.'
However,
more often than not with verbs of this nature, that is omitted,
particularly in informal speech.
wonder
If
you wonder about something, you think about it with curiosity
and wish you knew more about it. Literally, it means: I ask myself.
And because it reports yes/no questions, it introduces if/whether
rather than that-clauses.
Did
he really intend to say that?
I
just wonder if he really intended to say that.
Should
I sit down? I wasn't sure.
I
wondered whether I should sit down.
What
would it be like to live
in New York?
Have
you ever wondered what it would be like to live in
New York?
Who's
that girl in the red
dress?
I
was wondering who the girl in the red dress was.
Here
are a few more examples of verbs which are frequently used to report
thoughts, opinions or intentions with illustrations of usage below.
If you are not sure of their meaning, check them out in a good dictionary:
assume
believe
doubt
hope
mean
reckon
'I assumed you would be coming to Tina's party. I didn't
know you were on holiday.'
'I
believed he would come home. It didn't occur to me that
he would stay in Australia.'
'I doubt whether I shall be able to attend the meeting.'
'I hope I shall see you at the graduation ceremony.'
'I meant to return the music score last week. I'm sorry
I forgot.'
'I reckon she'll lose in the semi-final. I can't see her
getting through to the final.'
