Asking for and Showing Certainty

Read the following dialog.

Tommy : Uncle Joe's family will visit us next week.

Jane     : Is it confirmed?

Tommy : Absolutely! He just phoned me about it.

The sentence "Is it confirmed?" is an expression to ask for certainty. Meanwhile, the sentence "Absolutely!" is an expression to show certainty. You usually ask for certainty when you are not sure about something.

The following are some expressions to ask for certainty and to show certainty or uncertainty.

Asking for Certainty

• Are you sure?
• Are you certain?
• Are you sure about it?
• Is it confirmed?
• Is that so?
• Are you positive?

Showing Certainty

• Yes. I'm sure.
• Of course.
• Without a doubt.
• Yes. It is confirmed.
• Sure. i'm certain.
• I'm absolutely positive

Showing Uncertainty

• I'm not sure.
• I don't know for certain.
• I'm not completely sure.
• Not as far as I know.
• I'm not certain.
• I'm not a hundred per cent positive.