FlexiLingo
6 natural alternatives to 'I want' in English
- Language lesson
- Language learning
Do you use "I want" for everything in English? There's nothing wrong with it, but in some situations it can sound too direct or even demanding. In this episode of Coffee Break English, Nick introduces 6 natural alternatives that help you make polite requests and talk more precisely about your hopes, plans, ideas and preferences. He also explains when "I want" is exactly the right choice. Don't forget to download the free "I want" alternatives cheat sheet for extra examples and practice: click here to access it now. ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this epis...
Opens the player: the full transcript, every word clickable, with translation and flashcards.
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B1 · Intermediate
Fine if you can follow simple news
- 92% of the words are B1 or easier.
- 111 words a minute: slow, clear speech.
- 9 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.
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Real sentences from the start of this episode. Every word is marked with its level.
There's nothing wrong with saying I want, but depending on the situation, another expression
.
You'll learn six useful alternatives, including expressions for polite requests, hopes, plans
Tap a word to see its meaning in your language.
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8 harder words from this episode. Tap one to see what it means, then mark it.
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Is this episode right for you?
B1 · Intermediate
Fine if you can follow simple news
- 92% of the words are B1 or easier.
- 111 words a minute: slow, clear speech.
- 9 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.
Transcript
The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.
harder words (B2+)
I'm going to do a little bit of this. I'm going to take a look at the Hello and welcome to Coffee Break English. In today's lesson I'm looking at the verb want.
There's nothing wrong with saying I want, but depending on the situation, another expression may sound more natural or help you express your meaning more precisely. You'll learn six useful alternatives, including expressions for polite requests, hopes, plans and preferences.
So let's get started. Let's begin with the situation where I want is most likely to cause a problem, making a polite request. In a cafe, I want coffee may sound like a demand.
That was the opening. The rest of the episode (8 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.
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