* 7 Negative Attitude in a Conversation (p.2 of 4)

7.5ï¿½ï¿½ When you express disbelief

I donï¿½t believe that.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Arctic ice isnï¿½t melting anymore.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I donï¿½t believe that. Scientific data confirms melting.ï¿½>

I find that hard to believe.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Martha and Thomas are together again.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I find that hard to believe. I remember the scandal well.ï¿½>

I find that hard to imagine.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Scientists predict climatic changes in Europe.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I find that hard to imagine. What could cause those changes?ï¿½>

I find it hard to swallow.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I find it hardly believable.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Your story doesnï¿½t sound right. I find it hard to swallow.ï¿½>

Iï¿½ll believe it when I see it.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½So, you are saying they will build a base on the Moon? Iï¿½ll believe it when I see it.ï¿½>

I remain skeptical.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½You think the government will raise taxes at the time of recession? I remain skeptical.ï¿½>

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7.6ï¿½ï¿½ When you express disbelief with a question

Are you serious?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Since this is so unbelievable, I have to make sure that you are not joking.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m going to quit my job. Itï¿½s too boring.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Are you serious? Do you have another source of income?ï¿½>

Are you for real?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½If economy doesnï¿½t improve in California, I will have to look for work elsewhere.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Are you for real?ï¿½>

Are you pulling my leg?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Are you telling a lie? Are you joking?ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½A casting director is inviting me to Hollywood. Iï¿½m going to be a movie star.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Are you pulling my leg?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Hereï¿½s the letter. Do you believe me now?ï¿½>

Truly?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½There were seventy thousand fans at the stadium.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Truly?ï¿½>

Really?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m moving to California.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Really?ï¿½>

For real?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½ll be an astronaut.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½For real?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I got accepted by NASAï¿½s training program.ï¿½>

For sure?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½When I grow up, I want to be a police officer.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½For sure?ï¿½>

No kidding?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½When I was in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to shake hands with the President.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½No kidding?ï¿½>

No fooling?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½In our garden, I can show you a pear growing on an apple tree.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½No fooling?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Why would I lie? It was done by grafting.ï¿½>

Do you expect me to believe that?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½This is so unbelievable that you canï¿½t really expect me to believe it, do you?ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m going to quit college and open a computer business.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Do you expect me to believe that?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I guess not. But this is what Iï¿½m going to do.ï¿½>

You donï¿½t expect me to believe that, do you?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½I got selected by NASAï¿½. ï¿½ ï¿½You donï¿½t expect me to believe that, do you?ï¿½>

Youï¿½re not making this up, are you?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Some scientists assert that the Earth is round.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Youï¿½re not making it us, are you? I can clearly see that the Earth is flat.ï¿½>

Youï¿½re making this up, arenï¿½t you?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½A long time ago, there was a man who could see the future.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Youï¿½re making this up, arenï¿½t you? What did he foresee?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½You know, there are different opinions about it.ï¿½>

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7.7ï¿½ï¿½ When the speakerï¿½s point is outrageous

I canï¿½t believe that!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I canï¿½t believe your outrageous statement!ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½This company used to be a leader in its market segment, and now youï¿½re saying itï¿½s closing its doors? I canï¿½t believe that!ï¿½>

How dumb do you think I am?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½How stupid do I need to be to believe you?ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½So, youï¿½re saying that you got drunk, and the next morning you woke up in another town. How dumb do you think I am?ï¿½>

I wasn’t born yesterday! Listen A “I have sufficient experience. It is hard to make me believe.” <“What are you trying to convince me of? I wasn’t born yesterday!”>

You make me laugh.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Your statement is so ridiculous that it makes me laugh.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½I am opening my own business.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½You? A business? You make me laugh.ï¿½>

Donï¿½t make me laugh!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½You are late for work again.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I was up all night with a sick friend.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Donï¿½t make me laugh!ï¿½>

You canï¿½t be serious!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Your statement is so ridiculous that I donï¿½t think you are serious.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½ll be a millionaire by the age of forty.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½With your attitude towards money? You canï¿½t be serious!ï¿½>

Give me a break!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Give me a rest from your fantasies.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m going to quit my job and join a moving circus.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½What? Give me a break!ï¿½>

Youï¿½re kidding.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½You are trying to deceive me.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m getting married.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Youï¿½re kidding. Youï¿½re still in college.ï¿½>

Youï¿½ve got to be kidding!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Do you know that the temperature in Antarctica is always below the freezing point?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Youï¿½ve got to be kidding! How do people live there?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½People donï¿½t live in Antarctica.ï¿½>

Youï¿½ve got to be kidding me!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Your daughter is pregnant.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Youï¿½ve got to be kidding me! She is only nineteen!ï¿½>

Get out of here!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Leave me alone and give me a rest from your fantasies.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m late for work because a giant gorilla is loose in the city.ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½Get out of here! How dumb do you think I am?>

Get out of town!ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½m going to win a lottery.ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½Get out of town! Do you know the odds?ï¿½>

Come on! or Cï¿½mon! ï¿½ï¿½Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Stop saying things like that!ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Our boys are playing against these professionals tomorrow.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Do you really believe these suckers have a chance against experienced veterans? Come on!ï¿½>

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7.8ï¿½ï¿½ When you want to sound sarcastic about the speakerï¿½s point

Thank you for sharing.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I mockingly thank you for an annoying remark.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Thank you for sharing. I really need to hear that.ï¿½>

Iï¿½m so glad you told us that.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Such a wonderful story! Iï¿½m so glad you told us that.ï¿½>

Isnï¿½t that special?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½You told us every detail! Isnï¿½t that special?ï¿½>

Is that right?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I hear your declaration, but I donï¿½t believe it.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½I found several errors in your recent article.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Is that right? Why donï¿½t you tell us about those errors?ï¿½>

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7.9ï¿½ï¿½ When you donï¿½t like what the speaker is saying

What right do you have to say that?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½This TV anchor is one of the worst Iï¿½ve ever seen.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½What right do you have to say that? I like him. And he has a high rating.ï¿½>

How could you say such a thing?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½You stole money from me!ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½How could you say such a thing? No, I didnï¿½t. And you donï¿½t have any proof.ï¿½>

Why would you say such a thing?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½I like to read The Washington Post.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Why would you say such a thing? I write for The Los Angeles Times.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½I was joking. You are my favorite journalist, darling.ï¿½>

Thatï¿½s easy for you to say.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½You can say that easily because it isnï¿½t you who has to deal with an issue.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½This project turned out to be more expensive than we had anticipated. Then, why donï¿½t we spend more money on it?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Thatï¿½s easy for you to say. Itï¿½s not your money youï¿½re offering to spend.ï¿½>

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