ENGLISH
REFERENCE

I guess

fixed phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

fixed phr.. A phrase you use to say you think something is true, but you are not 100% sure. It's a way to give an opinion without sounding too strong.

fixed phr.. A fixed expression used as a hedge to signal a tentative belief, opinion, or assumption, thereby softening the assertion.


SIMPLE

I guess it's time to go home now.

CONTEXTUAL

Are you coming to the party? 'I guess so, but I'm not feeling great.'

COMPLEX

He looked at the empty shelves and thought, 'I guess this is what happens when you wait too long to prepare for the storm.'

Usage

This is common in informal speech to express a mild opinion, uncertainty, or reluctance.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'I think' (more certain) and 'I suppose' (often implies reluctance); 'I guess' is typically the most informal of the three.

Pitfall

Do you guess we are late?I guess we are late.'I guess' is a statement of your own belief, not a way to ask for someone else's opinion.

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