English is a complex language. The reason for so much complexity is that people are fond of using their native language as regular means of communication. The sentences, grammar, phrases, and usage of the different sentences change as per society. And hence people get confused about the application of the language. Let us know What are the ‘Meaning And Usage of Sure You Can’.
Sure You Can: Meaning And Usage
The Literal meaning of Sure you can as per oxford’s Dictionary is not to doubt something or have certainty. Sure means certainly and you can mean to agree with something.
Sure can be used in both formal and informal ways of communication. Usually sure is used in more casual or informal conversation. But just like most of words and phrases be used abundantly.
The basic answer to any question could be Yes or No. But often answering in one word makes you sound as rude or arrogant personality. To avoid such misconceptions about themselves, people try to answer using the words like sure, of course, anytime, etc. Sure is a more positive word. It connotes strong affirmation. Here the term positive means the types of questions that are generally answered with a yes.
People believe that when they answer questions in any other term rather than just yes or no they sound more confident and presentable, which is true to some extent. Hence fluency in any language has become very important these days.
One of the most important things after knowing the phrase and the correct words is to know the accurate usage of the words themselves. Some people even though have more knowledge about words and phrases aren’t able to pass impactful statements because of their lack of the skill for using the phrase correctly.
They also makes mistake in forming sentences. So it’s very important to know the usage of the words.
Let’s understand the usage of the phrase: –
- When you want to answer the positive questions
- When you want to motivate someone
- When you want to answer a question partially positively
- When you want to show respect or/and comfort
Above mentioned are the basic reasons why the phrase should be used. We will understand each point briefly with examples to know the exact situation in which that phrase be used and how impactful it might sound.
1. When you want to answer the positive questions…
The term positive question as mentioned above means the question that you want to answer with a YES. It doesn’t mean that every yes shall be replaced with Sure, only those answers shall be replaced with sure in which the answerer wants to show that the person is glad, happy, or is better than just obliged by his/her duty. For example:-
- Can I stay at your place for a while?
- Sure, you can stay at my place for as much as you want.
- Can I participate as a volunteer in your Ngo for a few weeks?
- Sure, you can we would be glad to have you here.
- Would you mind if I look at your project model to get a blur idea for my project?
- Sure. It’s in classroom 5 you can go upstairs and check it out.
- May I go and visit my friend’s place for a Christmas party?
- Sure you can, have fun dear.
2. When you want to motivate someone…
Whenever any person is having self-doubt or is not in a good state of mind and you want to motivate that person you can use that phrase. For example: –
- I don’t think I might be able to score good marks this semester( a person shares his feeling with his friend)
- Sure you can, I strongly feel you will score good marks.
- I don’t think I would be able to make it for the trip because of financial reasons
- Sure you can, we all will help you by tipping in. you can return us whenever you can earn again.
- I lost my job and I don’t think I will ever be able to get a job again.
- Sure you will get a job. I have a few friends who work in the same industry, if you want I can help you get one.
- I have claustrophobia I don’t think I would ever be able to overcome it.
- Sure you can, you just need to seek help from a therapist who will help you overcome your fears.
3. When you want to answer a question partially positively…
It means that when you want to answer the question or request with a yes but with a condition attached to it then also that phrase might be used. For example: –
- Can I go to New Year’s celebration?
- Sure you can but be home before 3:00 a.m.
- Can I take a leave for 5 days to attend the marriage function of my real brother? ( employee is taking permission from employer)
- Sure you can but before you go complete the project that has been assigned to you and stay updated about the work from your colleagues.
- Can I ask my friends for a sleepover at our place?
- Sure you can but make sure that you don’t play loud music so that our neighbours won’t get disturbed.
- Is it all right if I bring a friend to your dinner party?
- Sure you can, it’s always fun to meet a new person at a party.
4. When you want to show respect and/or comfort…
Answering in one word might make you sound arrogant or rude and hence using some phrases might help. For example: –
- Can I use your seat for some time( a person asks in public transport)
- Sure you can, moreover, my stop is also near (this shows respect for that person).
- Would you mind if I use your restroom?
- Sure you can, why would I mind if you use my restroom?
- Can I please submit my assignment next week? I was very ill for the last 5 days.
- Sure you can, but no further extension shall be given.
- May I join the coaching classes this Monday?
- Sure you can but we only have slots remaining for the evening batch so try and let us know soon.
Conclusion: –
Hence the meaning and usage of the phrase “Sure you can” have been made clear in this article. It explained different areas in which the phrase be used at its best effect. The ways and their effects are covered in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions: –
- Can we replace ‘Yes’ with ‘Sure’?
It depends on the type of question but sure is the more informal word and yes is used in a more formal conversation. So if the conversation is informal then ‘Yes’ can be replaced by ‘Sure’.
