I dare say

[salvador.dal1950]

Hello. I'm trying to improve my speaking skill and recently discovered the expression "I dare say" which I found extremely useful, probably because in my native language there is a similar expression which I use extensively.

Is that expression perceived as old fashioned or too formal?

Thank you! :up:

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hello. I'm trying to improve my speaking skill and recently discovered the expression "I dare say" which I found extremely useful, probably because in my native language there is a similar expression which I use extensively.

Is that expression perceived as old fashioned or too formal?

Thank you! :up:

It is old fashioned. Don't bother with it.

 

[salvador.dal1950]

Thank you for the quick reply. So, is there a synonym for this expression that has the structure "I something (to) say"? I find it so comfortable to introduce an statement with that.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Thank you for the quick reply. So, is there a synonym for this expression that has the structure "I something (to) say"? I find it so comfortable to introduce an statement with that.

There are many ways to introduce a statement, but this is not a good one these days.

I think
In my opinion
I feel
I say
In my view

 

[Offroad]

I like to use 'dare'. :-D

Maybe you want to take a look at this:

dare - Definition and pronunciation | Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

 

[probus]

I like to use 'dare'. :-D

Maybe you want to take a look at this:

dare - Definition and pronunciation | Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

The link to the Oxford Learners' Dictionary is irrelevant to the discussion at hand. It is perfectly okay to use "dare" when actual daring is involved.

MikeNewYork is right: Hardly anybody still says "I daresay" to mean "I think" or "in my opinion." It is obsolete.

 

[salvador.dal1950]

What about "I venture to say"? I guess is to formal to use it in spoken English, but maybe when writing it's OK. Am I wrong?

 

[MikeNewYork]

What about "I venture to say"? I guess is to formal to use it in spoken English, but maybe when writing it's OK. Am I wrong?

Again, a bit dated.

 

[probus]

What about "I venture to say"? I guess is to formal to use it in spoken English, but maybe when writing it's OK. Am I wrong?

It may cling to life, but barely. My late father used to say it, but he would be 92 if alive today.

What's wrong with "I guess"... whatever proposition"? That is about as standard a phrase as you will find in AmE, and it means I dare to claim. Isn't that what you are looking for? I don't think British people say "I guess" very much, but they still have "I suppose."

 

[Raymott]

Hello. I'm trying to improve my speaking skill and recently discovered the expression "I dare say" which I found extremely useful, probably because in my native language there is a similar expression which I use extensively.

Is that expression perceived as old fashioned or too formal?

Thank you! :up:

I use that expression every couple of months. But if you find it "extremely useful", I dare say you're overusing it badly.
Yes, it's a bit old-fashioned and formal, but that's the sort of language I sometimes use if that's what I really want to say.

 

[Tdol]

I use that expression every couple of months. But if you find it "extremely useful", I dare say you're overusing it badly.
Yes, it's a bit old-fashioned and formal, but that's the sort of language I sometimes use if that's what I really want to say.

It's more a bit old-fashioned than obsolete in BrE.

 

[emsr2d2]

I​ use it once in a while. I wouldn't say it's old-fashioned, just that it seems to have fallen out of favour somewhat. I dare say it'll come back into fashion sometime.

 

[probus]

It's more a bit old-fashioned than obsolete in BrE.

I understand the difference between obsolete and archaic but I thought Offroad might not, so I used a word I was sure would be clear to him.

 

[Tdol]

I understand the difference between obsolete and archaic but I thought Offroad might not, so I used a word I was sure would be clear to him.

I just meant that it is still used in BrE, but may be a bit dated. It struck me that the situation might be a bit different from AmE.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I just meant that it is still used in BrE, but may be a bit dated. It struck me that the situation might be a bit different from AmE.

Yes, it is. It has never been common in the US.

 

[5jj]

It used to be rather more common. The Corpus of Historical American English has 690 citation between 1880 and 1900, as against 13 between 1990 and 2010.