Everyday phrases for communication — Post 23

Read post 22 here

Today’s mini-dialogue:

— Do you think he’s taken advantage of me?
— Your guess is as good as mine.

What you need to remember:

1. When we want to say that somebody has used somebody or something for their own profit, use a set expression take advantage of something / somebody.

— He used me. = He took advantage of me.

— Her son was a kind boy, and she worried that people would take advantage of him. (=…would use him for their own gain)

This phrase can have a positive connotation as well as negative — it also means “to use the opportunity, to make use of”.

— I thought I’d take advantage of the sports facilities while I’m here. (=I thought I would take the opportunity to do some sport…)

— We are taking advantage of the strong dollar and are going to visit Europe. (=We are making use of the opportunity to travel cheaper because the dollar costs more than euro now)

2. The contraction he’s taken it is HAS taken, not is. Don’t mix up these contracted form because they have different grammar meaning.

3. There are a lot of alternative ways of saying 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 in English. The following expressions are more emotional:

— I have no idea.
— I haven’t (got) the slightest idea.
— I haven’t (got) the faintest idea.
— I haven’t (got) the foggiest (idea).
— I haven’t (got) a clue.
— It’s anyone’s guess.
— Your guess is a good as mine.
— Beats me. (most informal)

Today we have learnt an idiom meaning ‘to use somebody or something for your own profit’ in both positive and negative senses. We have also found out alternative ways of saying 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.

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My name is Daria Storozhilova and this is a series of mini-lessons teaching you helpful phrases and spoken expressions for communicating in English.

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