FUNCTIONS:

Agreeing

Disagreeing

Hesitating

Introducing your opinion

Asking for opinions

Expressing preferences

Asking for clarification

Expressing likelihood

Speculating, guessing

Advice and recommendations

Describing a picture

Agreeing

I think you’re right

I would go along with the idea

I completely agree with you

That makes perfect sense

You have a point there

Absolutely, that’s spot on!

I couldn’t agree more

Disagreeing

That’s not how I see it

I couldn’t agree less

You must be kidding

That’s a ridiculous idea, don’t you think?

With all due respect, I must disagree

I’m afraid I can’t see it that way

No way, that’s nonsense!

Hesitating

I’m in two minds about it

I have some reservations regarding that

I’m not entirely convinced

There’s something that gives me pause

While I’m not entirely opposed, I do have some doubts

Introducing your opinion

To my mind

I reckon

In my opinion

As I see it

It seems to me

I would argue

From my point of view

Asking for opinions

Don’t you think …?

What’s your attitude to …?

What’s your opinion of …?

Are you in favour of …?

What’s your position as regards …?

You don’t support …, do you?

Expressing preferences

I prefer…

I would rather…

My preference would be…

I tend to favour…

If I had to choose, I would…

I lean towards…

I am inclined to…

I’m a big fan of…

I really enjoy…

I’m into…

I absolutely love…

I’m crazy about…

I’m fond of…

It’s right up my alley

It’s my thing

I can’t get enough of…

It appeals to me

It’s growing on me

I wouldn’t miss it for the world

I’m not a big fan of…

I don’t really enjoy…

I’m not into…

I can’t stand…

I’m not fond of…

It’s not my cup of tea

It doesn’t do anything for me

I’m sick of…

It gets on my nerves

It puts me off

I’d rather not…

It leaves me cold…

Asking for clarification

Could you please elaborate on that?

Would you mind explaining that further?

I’m not quite sure I understand. Could you clarify?

Could you provide more details?

Can you expand on that point?

Expressing likelihood

“It’s a foregone conclusion that…”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that…”

“I am almost certain that…”

“It’s highly likely that…”

“Chances are that…”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if…”

“It’s possible that…”

“There’s a chance that…”

“It’s unlikely that…”

“I doubt that…”

Speculating, guessing

“It seems to me that…”

“My gut feeling is that…”

“From what I gather…”

“If I were to guess…”

“It would appear that…”

“I reckon that…”

“I suspect that…”

“In all likelihood…”

“There’s a distinct possibility that…”

“It’s plausible that…”

Advice and recommendations

“You might want to consider…”

“Perhaps you could try…”

“If I were you, I would…”

“One thing you could do is…”

“Have you thought of…”

“May I suggest…”

“It might be beneficial to…”

“Consider this approach…”

“Why not give this a go…”

“If it were up to me, I’d…”

Describing a picture

“In the foreground…”

“In the background…”

“In the center of the image…”

“On the left side of the picture…”

“On the right side of the picture…”

“At the top of the picture…”

“At the bottom of the picture…”

“The picture depicts…”

“The image illustrates…”

“The photograph shows…”

“One can see…”

“Notice how…”

“This scene captures…”

“This photograph highlights…”

DICTIONARY

Add new and interesting words from this lesson to your English dictionary.

Store your words and expressions in this handy dictionary. You can create groups and play games based on your entries. There is also a practical importing feature.

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Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

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Zespół The Blue Tree

Take Extreme Ownership
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Personal
Productivity

CEF B1

CEFR B2

Upper
Intermediate

warm up

Answer the questions below. Listen to the sample answers.

TRANSCRIPT

The pros of a war are hard to define, but historically, some argue it has led to technological advancements or the resolution of conflicts. However, the cons are overwhelming—loss of life, destruction of communities, and long-term psychological impacts. War should always be the absolute last resort, as the damage it causes often outweighs any potential benefits.

Why is it so difficult to admit having made a mistake?
TRANSCRIPT

It’s difficult to admit making a mistake because it makes us feel vulnerable and exposes our imperfections. We’re often worried about how others will perceive us, and there’s a fear of judgment or losing credibility. But I think the ability to own up to mistakes shows strength and maturity. Once we get past the fear, admitting a mistake can actually build trust with others.

What do you think it means to take extreme ownership?
TRANSCRIPT

To me, taking extreme ownership means accepting full responsibility for everything in your control, even if things go wrong. It’s about not blaming others or external factors but instead focusing on what you can do to fix the situation. It’s a leadership mindset—leading by example, owning your actions, and setting a standard of accountability that encourages others to do the same.

part one

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the first part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • How does Jocko describe war?
  • What can war teach us?
  • What happened in the spring of 2006?
  • Can you imagine how Jocko must have felt at that time?

part two

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the second part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • What did Jocko expect to happen next?
  • What did he put in his debrief?
  • Who is Jocko talking about when he says that there is only one person to blame?

part three

KEY LANGUAGE

Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.

VIDEO

Watch the third part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.

  • Why did Jocko take the blame for what had happened?
  • How did he feel about taking the blame?
  • How did his bosses and his men react to his decision?
  • What does it mean to take extreme ownership?

POLL

Cast your vote in the poll.

Coming Soon
Do you agree with Jocko that we should take extreme ownership?
Total Votes : 6
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DISCUSSION

Pete & Sven Discuss Responsibility

Pete and Sven are talking about a colleague who shirks  responsibilities. 

Read or role-play their dialogue.

Pete: You know what really gets to me, Sven? Tom keeps blaming others for every mistake at work. It’s never his fault — always someone else’s.

Sven: Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. He’s good at avoiding responsibility. It reminds me of what Jocko Willink said about Extreme Ownership.

Pete: Oh, right — that idea that leaders should take full responsibility, even when things go wrong because of their team.

Sven: Exactly. Jocko said there’s no one else to blame. If something fails, it’s your fault because you didn’t plan well enough, didn’t communicate clearly, or didn’t supervise properly.

Pete: It’s a tough mindset to adopt, though. Most people want to protect their ego. Admitting fault feels like weakness.

Sven: True, but Jocko argues the opposite — that taking ownership builds trust and respect. It actually makes you stronger as a leader.

Pete: Maybe if Tom started thinking like that, he’d earn more respect around here. Instead, people just avoid working with him.

Sven: Yeah. Responsibility is contagious. When one person steps up, others usually follow. When one shirks it — the whole team suffers.

Pete: So, what’s our move? Should we tell him directly?

Sven: Maybe not lecture him, but we can lead by example. Take ownership ourselves — show him how it’s done.

OVER TO YOU

Discuss these questions.

BulletHave you ever worked with someone who avoided taking responsibility? How did it affect the team’s results or atmosphere?
BulletWhy do you think so many people find it difficult to admit their mistakes?
BulletIn what ways can taking ownership actually make a person stronger rather than weaker?
BulletDo you think leaders should always take full responsibility, even when their team members clearly make mistakes? Why or why not?
BulletHow can you personally apply the idea of Extreme Ownership in your everyday work or studies?

MIND-MAP

Use the mind-map below to have a more in-depth conversation about this topic.

Be respectful to your co-workers

lesson glossary

COMMENTS

What do you think of Jocko’s concept of ‘extreme ownership’?

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