American English · C1 · Unit 19
Shades of meaning
Shades of meaning
By the end you can
- Choose the precise word for a subtle difference
- Soften and qualify what you say
- Understand what is implied but not said
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| come across as | seem (to other people) | This email might come across as rude. |
| somewhat | a little, to some degree | I was somewhat surprised by her reply. |
| I may be wrong, but | a way to soften an opinion | I may be wrong, but she sounded upset. |
| it's not that | I don't mean that (softening) | It's not that I don't like the idea. |
| to some extent | partly | I agree to some extent. |
| arguably | it could be said that | It's arguably the best option we have. |
| implied | suggested without saying it directly | She implied that we'd missed the deadline. |
| a connotation | the feeling or idea a word carries | 'Stubborn' has a connotation that 'determined' doesn't. |
| frugal | careful with money (positive; 'cheap' is negative) | My grandfather was frugal, not cheap. |
| passive-aggressive | hostile in an indirect way | 'Per my last email' sounds passive-aggressive. |
| a tad | a little (informal) | The tone is a tad cold. |
| it would seem that | it appears that (careful) | It would seem that there's been a misunderstanding. |
Then talk it through
Rewording a sensitive message together with a colleague. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.