In-negative / Desperation url
Missing the last train
- It’s enough to make me cry.
- I’ve had all I can handle.
- I'm coming apart at the seams.
- I just can’t take it anymore.
- I can hardly stand it.
- It’s driving me crazy.
- That’s the kind of day it’s been.
- I needed that like a hole in the head.
- I shouldn’t have waited till the last minute.
Missing the last train
Out-positive / Agreement url
What do you think of our making a budget to keep track of our expenses?
- You took the words right out of my mouth.
- I think that it makes a lot of sense.
- It would certainly be a step in the right direction.
- That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking.
- You’re probably right.
- I agree that this is what we need right now.
- Great minds think alike.
- Yes that makes sense, that stands to reason.
What do you think of our making a budget to keep track of our expenses?
Out-negative / Push away url
I don’t want to do it
- That’s the last thing I want.
- I’m not crazy about it.
- I’m not in the mood.
- No thank you.
- Thanks but no thanks.
- That gives me the creeps.
- I wouldn’t do that for all the money in the world.
- For me it’s just a big turnoff.
- Do your own dirty work.
- That’s not my problem.
- That’s not my cup of tea.
- I’m not going to stoop so low as to do something like that.
- That’s of no concern to me.
- It doesn’t float my boat.
- I don’t feel like it.
I don’t want to do it
Out-positive / Friendship url
Stating commitment-3
- We’re in this together.
- You’re the apple of my eye.
- I don’t know what I’d do without you.
- Stick with me.
- You’re a person after my own heart.
- We understand each other.
- You’re the love of my life.
- I think the world of you.
- It’s a test of the strength of our love.
- You’re the only one for me.
- We’ve been through a lot together, and it’s really brought us closer together.
- The first time I saw you, it was love at first sight.
Stating commitment-3
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a student who just solved a difficult math problem
- That’s a brilliant deduction.
- You’re as smart as a whip.
- You’re really catching on.
- That’s a step in the right direction.
- You’ve got that down pat.
- Nobody can do it better.
- You should be proud of yourself.
- You’re a pretty smart cookie.
- I’ll be happy/glad to write a letter of recommendation for you.
To a student who just solved a difficult math problem
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
You will win
- I’m at your mercy.
- You saw through me.
- You’ve got me in the palm of your hand.
- I’ve painted myself into a corner that I can’t get out of.
- OK, I give in, you win, what’s next?
- You’re making out like a bandit.
- You have me over a barrel.
You will win
In-positive / Determination url
Student work on a term-paper
- This deserves my total focus and undivided attention.
- I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it and feel more familiar with the whole topic.
- I’ll get it done in no time at all.
- I’m going to hit the ground running.
- The task I faced was difficult, but I rose to the challenge.
- We’re wrapping it up.
- There’s no time like the present.
- Stay the course.
- I really have my work cut out for me.
Student work on a term-paper
In-positive / Confidence url
Preparing for a test
- I can do it with my eyes shut.
- I know it like the back of my hand.
- I’ve got it under control.
- I think I’ll be able to muddle through for a while.
- I made a lot of progress.
- I can cope with it.
- It will be a breeze.
- I'm holding my own.
- My head is still above water.
- So far so good.
- Every few hours I just run out of steam and need to rest awhile until I get my energy back.
- I’m holding my own.
Preparing for a test
Out-negative / Anger url
Shut up
- Keep your big mouth shut.
- Don’t talk behind my back.
- Don’t be coarse.
- Don’t snap at me.
- I don’t like your tone of voice.
- Shut your trap.
- You have a foul mouth.
- Take that back.
Shut up
Out-positive / Apology url
After stepping on someone’s foot by mistake
- Do you forgive me?
- I’ll take full responsibility for it.
- Whoops, that was a mistake.
- I didn’t mean to do that.
- It was completely unintentional.
- I hope you accept my apologies.
- I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.
- I hope I wasn’t too rough on you.
- I hope I didn’t do anything terribly wrong.
After stepping on someone’s foot by mistake
In-positive / Realizing url
The day after a stock market crash
- I may not understand all the details, but I get the general idea and see the big picture.
- I could see it coming a mile away.
- It stands to reason.
- By process of elimination it’s the only answer that makes sense.
- So there you have it.
- I had a hunch we were getting very close to the end.
- We’ve been all through this before, and it’s deja-vu all over again.
- By the time it dawned on us, it was too late.
- It looks like we’re going to have to start from scratch.
- These things just sneak up on you.
- I see this as a wakeup call.
- This really taught me a lesson that I won’t quickly forget.
- I'm going to have to re-examine and think through all of my assumptions.
- It's very sobering.
- It happened when I least suspected it.
- I wonder why I didn't see that coming.
- I turned a blind eye to all the warning signals.
The day after a stock market crash
In-negative / Desperation url
Losing a job
- I can’t tell you how awful it is.
- I’m going to lose my mind.
- After what I’ve been through, I don’t know which way is up.
- It’s a lost cause.
- It’s a no win situation.
- It’s all downhill from here.
- It’s a sad state of affairs.
- It feels like things are spinning out of control.
- This is driving me up a wall.
- I’m at loose ends.
- It all seems like a bad dream.
- I feel like I’m on the ropes.
- I think I’m going to throw in the towel.
- After I try my best, and I find a lot of good that does.
- Where can I turn to?
- It hit me like a ton of bricks.
Losing a job