Remembering things
Do you have a good memory?
You can probably remember many things from the past. These are ten phrases that English people use when they are recalling things from the past.
Ten ways to say you remember
casual · neutral · formal
- I remember...neutralI remember my first day at school.
- I can (clearly) remember...neutralI can clearly remember the 1996 World Cup final.
- I'll never forget...neutralI'll never forget the day I saw Sigiriya.
- As far as I can remember...neutralAs far as I can remember, the shop was next to the temple.
- As I recall...neutralAs I recall, she lived in Kurunegala.
- If I remember correctly...neutralIf I remember correctly, the exam is on Monday.
- If I'm not / Unless I'm - mistaken...neutralUnless I'm mistaken, this is the same bus we took last year.
- Now I come to think of it...neutralNow I come to think of it, he did mention a sister.
- I have a vague recollection of...formalI have a vague recollection of meeting him in Galle.
- It's on the tip of my tongue.neutralHer name is... it's on the tip of my tongue.
How to use them
- We use with a noun phrase or gerund after the phrase.
- We follow with a whole sentence or clause.
- 7 and 9 are for things that we don't remember very well. We have some memory of the event but it is not complete.
- are for things that we have a very good memory of with many details.
- We use when we didn't remember much at first but then a clearer memory came back. We introduce our more accurate story with this phrase.
- We use for a name or piece of information that we can't remember but we think that we almost have it and that if we keep thinking hard, it will come back.
Quick check
Tap an answer. Nothing is saved.
Which phrase means you remember, but not clearly?
Which phrase means you might be wrong?
"Now I come to think of it" means:
See also: Forgetting things
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