Alternative Ways to Say "No" and "I Don’t Like..."

In the IELTS Speaking test, you will often get asked about your preferences, and expressing what you like and don't like clearly yet flexibly is part of the scoring criteria. At the same time, being polite is  a great way to demonstrate higher level vocabulary and grammar. Directly saying "No" or "I don't like..." can sometimes come across as too blunt, impolite and even too basic. It can also become repetitive if you don't know other ways to say something in the negative sense. Here are some alternative phrases and expressions that can help you convey the same meaning in a more nuanced and sophisticated way, along with examples to illustrate their use.

The words and phrases in italics  are useful vocabulary that you can use to talk about such topics. 

Alternative Ways to Say "No"
1. Not really

• Example: "Do you think it is very expensive to make a home look nice?
• Sample negative response: "Not really. I think there are many other ways to make a home look nice without spending too much money on décor.  The most important thing, I think, is to keep a home clutter-free and organized. In my mind, just keeping a house clean makes it look great.  Another affordable way would be to have a plant or two inside the house. For me, having a bit of greenery, even just small ones in a pot, really make a space look refreshing and relaxing."

2. I'm afraid not.

• Example: "Do you know your neighbors well?"
• Sample negative response: "I'm afraid not.  Ever since I moved to my current apartment, I haven't had many chances to chat or get to know my neighbors. We almost never see each other. I think they're also as busy as I am. We all get out of our apartments early in the morning and come home late at night. I don't even know most of their names, to tell you the truth. 

3. Unfortunately, no...

• Question: "Do you enjoy cooking?"
•  Sample negative response: "Unfortunately, no.   I know that cooking is such an important part of our health and that it's cheaper to cook food at home but at this point in my life, I'm not yet that interested in cooking to spend time learning how to cook more than the usual fried egg and boiled noodles. I live in a city where takeout is available everywhere and food delivery service is quite fast and saves me a lot of time."

4. I wish I could ________ but...

• Example: "Did you enjoy doing music lessons as a child?"
•  Sample negative response: "I wish I could say yes, but I really didn't. It was my parents who had wanted me to learn how to play the piano. I had no interest in it. Don't get me wrong, now that I'm all grown up, I do appreciate the fact that I know how to play the piano and especially that my parents had paid for expensive lessons, but at the time, I would rather have been spending all that time playing at the park with my friends. 

5. Not at This Time

• Example: "Do you have any plans to buy your own car?"
• Sample negative response: "Not at this time, no, since public transport in my city is reliable enough. However, if I ever move to the suburbs where it becomes harder to commute to work, maybe I will consider buying my own car. 

Alternative Ways to Say "I Don’t Like..."
1.  I'm not really interested in...

• Example: "Do you like classical music?"
• Sample negative response: "I'm not really interested in classical music, although of course I don't mind listening to it. I have a friend who once took me to a classical music concert, and even though I appreciated the different performances, I kind of found it strange how formal it was. I prefer modern music, especially electronic dance music or EDM, which I guess is on the opposite side of the spectrum to classical music."

2. I'm not a fan of...

• Example: "Do you like spicy food?"
• Sample negative response: "I'm not really a fan of spicy food. In fact, I've only started to learn to eat mildly spicy food in the last few years because most of my friends like it. However, I can't usually eat what they eat, I mean, if they order something spicy, I usually ask the restaurant if they could prepare a portion that is mildly spicy just for me."

3. It's/they're not my cup of tea.

• Example: "How do you feel about horror movies?"
• Sample negative response: "Oh, they're not my cup of tea. When I was young, I always avoided horror movies because after watching one, I couldn't go to the bathroom by myself at night. Now that I'm older, I still avoid watching horror movies because they just become a distraction. I mean, my mind would keep going back to scary scenes even when I'm working and doing chores, and I think it just affects my mood negatively."

4. I prefer something else...

• Example: "Do you enjoy camping?"
• Sample negative response: "I prefer something else, like staying in a cozy cabin. I like the recent outdoors trend that people call "glamping" which is a word blend of "glamorous" and "camping." There are campsites that offer luxury tents already set up for you. I mean, if you can enjoy the outdoors in style, why not? Right?"

5. I'm not keen on...

• Example: "How do you feel about extreme sports like bungee jumping?"
• Sample negative response: "I'm not keen on doing any extreme sport, especially bungee jumping, because I have a fear of heights.  I prefer to just watch other people do it. The only extreme sport that I've ever done was whitewater rafting with my friends and I was only able to do that because I was part of a group and it felt safer."

6. ​​I'm not into...

• Example: "Do you play video games?"
• Sample negative response: "I'm not into video games even though many of my friends are kind of addicted to them. I have played a few games in the past--again mostly because my friends ask me to try a new game out, but I really try not to spend too much time on them. Video games are a huge time-suck and I already have too much to do at home and at work. 

7. I don't (really) care for...

• Example: "Do you care about looking fashionable?"
• Sample negative response: "These days, I don't really care for fashion as much as I care about comfort and quality in what I wear. I must admit that when I was younger, like in high school and university, I did care a lot about looking trendy and stylish,  but as I've gotten older, I've realized that what I wear has become less and less of what I am, or more importantly, what I can do.  I think it is more important to just look neat and to be dressed appropriately for the occasion, rather than caring too much about being fashionable. 

By using these alternative phrases, you can not only improve your conversational English in general but also demonstrate a higher level of language in your speaking exam. Remember that practicing these expressions way before your test will help you to sound more natural during the interview as well as in various social situations outside of the IELTS test. Find questions where you can practice these expressions, and you can even put them in the comments if you want feedback. Happy learning!