LANGUAGE MATTERS By Kristen di Gennaro

Do you enjoy language and watching it evolve over time? Perhaps you’re a grammar nerd whose heart sings when the right verb form is used. Or maybe you get frustrated when people misuse certain words. Matters Magazine cares about language too and herewith initiates a new “Language Matters” column.

Is saying “I think” a sign of insecurity?

A n article in my Google newsfeed advised readers to stop saying “I think,” claiming this phrase conveys insecurity or lack of confidence.

For linguists (people who study language phenomena), “I think” is often used as a pragmatic marker – a phrase signaling the speaker’s attention to context, such as the listener and the relationship between the speaker and listener. In real language situations, people do much more than transfer information. They also convey attitudes toward their messages and their listeners. They do this through the use of pragmatic markers.

When speakers introduce an idea with “I think,” this could mean they aren’t sure about what follows, but it could also be a sign of respect for their listeners whose views may differ, or even just a politeness strategy to soften the tone and keep the conversation flowing.

Here’s a real-life example. Paul, Tracy and Katy are colleagues enjoying some social time together one morning, as they usually do, before heading off to work in their separate offices. These conversations usually last about 15 minutes or so.

Paul: So I’m trying to get a handle on the weather predictions for snow.

Katy: I think the latest now is for tonight.

Tracy: It’s tonight. [conversation abruptly ends]

In this situation, Paul was making conversation by drawing on the weather as a starting point, a common scenario. He, like most of us, has access to up-to-the-minute weather information on his phone, so he wasn’t relying on his colleagues for the most accurate report. Instead, he was “doing conversation,” making small talk until the conversation moved to other topics. Katy responded by also “doing conversation,” using more words than necessary, including “I think.” With her abrupt, strictly factual reply, Tracy provided information but also ended that part of the conversation. Tracy’s direct response, in fact, is an example of conversational failure.

The simple addition of “I think” is a strategy many of us use to keep a conversation going. It also shows respect for our conversation partners by not asserting ourselves as experts and, consequently, implying that they lack the knowledge we bring to the conversation.

So what does all this mean? Instead of advising thoughtful speakers to stop saying “I think,” I think we could pay closer attention to what these phrases are really doing in our conversations.

Have you been told to stop saying “I think”? What purpose does “I think” serve in conversations you’ve had? What other language advice have you heard or given others? Please email your thoughts or questions to Kristen di Gennaro, your local linguist at languagematters@ mattersmagazine.com.

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Kristen di Gennaro is an associate professor of English at Pace University, where she teaches courses in linguistics. She lives in Maplewood and sometimes gathers language data during her commute on the train. To quote a poster in her office, “Keep your mouth open – linguists need data!