“I'm inclined to just let it go, I guess.”

English Lesson: I'm inclined to just let it go, I guess.

Your cousin owes you some money. Every time you ask, he says he will repay you soon. You think he will never repay you, and you want to forget about it. You tell your brother this.

I'm inclined to just let it go, I guess.

Audio by native English speakers

I guess

"I guess..." can be used to announce a decision that you're not sure about, or not enthusiastic about. In the example above, you're not very excited about cooking the frozen steak, but you don't have anything better to cook so you say "I guess..."

As another example, imagine that you're having dinner with your extended family. People are working on cooking, and you don't have anything to do so you say:

I guess I'll set the table.

"Setting the table" means that you put all the dishes, glasses, napkins and silverware out on the table.

Another similar use of "I guess" is to agree with someone while showing that you don't completely want to agree. For example:

A: Are you OK with Chinese food tonight?

B: I guess so.

And "I guess" is also useful for showing someone that you've changed your mind about something:

I guess I might as well stick around and have one more drink.

I’m inclined to just (do something)

Say this when you’ve been trying to do something difficult, and it’s not working, and you’re ready to give up or try an easier solution instead.

I’m inclined to just get a new phone, at this point.

I’m inclined to just show up in person and try to talk to someone.

The adjective "inclined" means "leaning". When you talk about a decision or opinion, use "inclined" to talk about which side you think you might choose:

I'm inclined to go with the red.

let (something) go

If you have a problem with another person, you may be “holding on” to that problem. For example, they owe you money, or they said something that upset you. If you decide to stop worrying about this problem, you “let it go.”

She flirted with my boyfriend a few years ago and I just can’t let it go.

I was upset but I just let it go. You have to choose your battles.