To tell the truth, I do not remember meeting her.
Can I rewrite the sentence as follows?
1. Telling the truth, I do not remember meeting her.
2. The truth is I do not remember meeting her.
3. To be true, I do not remember meeting her.
4. Being true, I do not remember meeting her.
Is these sentences grammatical? If yes, is there any difference in meaning between them?
Thank you,
Are there other ways to express the sentence using the noun "truth" or the adjective "true"?
Truth be told, I do not remember meeting her.
Please note that some may consider the phrase "truth be told" to be old-fashioned, stilted, and some might dislike it because of their aversion to the subjunctive. (You can also start your sentence with, "To be honest..." or "Frankly...", but neither of them contains the word, "truth".)
Dear native English speakers of this forum,
Please, always point out my grammatical mistakes, assuming you have "the time and the inclination". :-) That is really the most effective way for me to improve. Thank you very much.
Please note, also, that I am NOT an English teacher.
'I'm telling you I don't remember meeting her, and that's as true as I'm standing here!'
'...., and that's (the) God's honest truth!'
Rover
Last edited by Rover_KE; 14-Jan-2013 at 11:51.
A modern usage, emphasizing the subjectivity of 'truth', is the sentence prefix 'For me...'. This is used particularly by sports commentators, but - given the growth in the amount of televised chat, spreading to water-cooler discussions among people playing things like Fantasy Football - it's becoming more widely accepted.
Example: 'For me, that was never a goal. But the ref saw it different.'
b
Afterthought: anhnha, a person telling the truth isn't being true; s/he's being truthful. So - I don't know if anyone's said this - your 'to be true' is almost right (it needs a change that you can probably guess).
b