Speaking: Functional Language B2 - Lesson 5: Expressing Degrees of Certainty & Doubt

Speaking: Functional Language B2

Expressing Degrees of Certainty & Doubt

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use a range of phrases to express the precise level of certainty or doubt you feel in a conversation.

The Certainty Spectrum 🌡️

In conversation, we aren't always 100% sure about everything. The phrases you choose tell your listener how confident you are. Think of it like a scale from sure to skeptical.

100% Certain (Stating a Fact)

• "I'm absolutely positive that..."
• "There's no doubt in my mind that..."

"I'm absolutely certain I locked the door when I left."

90% Certain (Strong Belief / Deduction)

• "I'm pretty sure that..."
• "It's highly likely that..."
• "He must be tired..."

"He must be tired after that long journey."

50% Certain (Possibility)

• "It's possible that..."
• "He might/may/could be at the library."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it rained later."

10% Certain (Doubt / Skepticism)

• "I highly doubt that..."
• "I'm skeptical about that claim."

"It's very unlikely that he will arrive on time."

Scenario: Discussing Predictions 💬

Listen to two colleagues discussing their company's future. Notice how they show how sure they are.

Dara: I read the CEO's new five-year plan. He says we're going to double our profits.

Thida: Hmm, I'm a bit skeptical about that. Doubling profits is a very ambitious goal. (Doubt)

Dara: But it's highly likely that we'll see significant growth. We're launching two new products next year. (Strong Belief)

Thida: It's possible the new products will be successful, but they could also fail. We don't know for sure. (Possibility)

Dara: True, but I'm positive that our team has the talent to make it work. (100% Certainty)

Tips for Sounding Convincing

💡 Your Tone of Voice Matters

Your intonation is a key signal of your certainty.

• To sound CERTAIN: Use a strong, clear voice. Your intonation should fall at the end of the sentence.
  Example: "I'm sure he'll be there. ↘"
• To sound UNCERTAIN: Speak more hesitantly. Your intonation might rise at the end, making it sound like a question.
  Example: "Well... I'm sure he'll be there...? ↗"

Practice Your Language 🎯

Practice Quiz: What's the Level of Certainty?

1. "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it might rain this afternoon."

A) High Certainty
B) Possibility / Some Uncertainty
C) Strong Doubt

→ Answer: B. The phrases "I'm not sure" and "might" signal a guess, not a fact.

2. "There's no doubt in my mind. She is the only person who could have solved that problem."

A) High Certainty
B) Possibility / Some Uncertainty
C) Strong Doubt

→ Answer: A. "There's no doubt" is one of the strongest phrases for 100% certainty.

Key Vocabulary

• Certainty / Doubt (Nouns) | ភាពប្រាកដប្រជា / ការសង្ស័យ
  The feeling of being sure / unsure about something.
• Likely / Unlikely (Adjectives) | ទំនង / មិនទំនង
  Having a high or low probability of happening.
• Skeptical (Adjective) | ដែលគួរឱ្យសង្ស័យ
  Having doubts; not easily convinced that something is true.

Your Mission: The Fortune Teller Challenge ⭐

Your mission is to practice making predictions with different levels of confidence.

1. Choose a topic about the future (e.g., AI, travel, or your own life in 10 years).
2. Make three predictions about this topic, each with a different level of certainty.
3. Record yourself for 60-90 seconds explaining your predictions. Use one phrase for high certainty, one for possibility, and one for doubt.
4. Example: "When I think about AI, I'm absolutely certain that it will handle most customer service jobs. It's also possible that AI will help scientists make major medical breakthroughs. However, I highly doubt that AI will ever be as creative as a human artist."