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How to Avoid Answering a Question in English
Hi there!
I bet if you were asked something in your native language that you don’t want to answer, you could come up with something on the spot, right? But… when it’s in English, you suddenly panic because you don’t know how to avoid answering naturally without being rude… And let’s be honest, there could be endless reasons why you’d rather not respond to a question - maybe it’s too personal, you don’t know the answer, you don’t want to talk about that topic, you don’t want to give your opinion, the question is inappropriate, you don’t want to commit to anything, the list goes on!
Just like in your dominant language, not answering a question in English doesn’t automatically mean you’re being rude. There are plenty of ways to keep the conversation comfortable even without answering directly. Fluency isn’t just about knowing how to answer a question. It’s also knowing what to say when you don’t want to.
What do you say when you don't want to answer?
You don't actually have to answer every question
In everyday conversation, it’s very normal for people to answer only part of a question, give a vague answer, ask a question back or redirect the conversation. Imagine you’re at work, and someone asks you:
“So, are you planning to leave the company?”
Awkward… 😬 But WHAT do you say in this moment? Well, some possible responses could be:
I’m not really sure yet
I’m still figuring that out
There’s nothing definite at the moment
Let’s just say I’m keeping my options open
I’d rather not say anything until I’ve made a decision
Why do you ask?
All of those answers are doing different things. Some avoid the question. Some delay an answer. Some give information without confirming anything. And the last one, my personal favourite, puts the conversational responsibility back on the other person.
When the question is too personal
These types of questions are probably the most obvious reason not to answer… but English learners often struggle with sounding polite without sounding overly formal.
Some questions that can suddenly become personal are:
How much did you pay for the house?
Why don’t you have children?
Are you two planning to get married?
What happened between you and your old business partner?
Why did you leave your previous job?
What did your family think about that?
Some natural responses to that could be:
That’s a bit personal
Oh, that’s a long story
I’m not sure I really want to get into that
I’d rather not go into too much detail
That’s probably not something I’m going to share over dinner
Let’s just say it’s complicated
I’d rather leave that one unanswered
And remember, how you say something can change the way it comes across completely. If you feel like you’re sounding too firm, and the situation allows it, you can say it while laughing a bit or in a very relaxed way to not feel like “you’re killing the mood”.
When you don't want to give your opinion
This is particularly useful in professional settings. Imagine you get asked, “What did you think of the new manager?” “Do you think they made the right decision?” or “Whose fault do you think it was?” - I’m sure you have an opinion, but you probably don’t want to share it. Well, in those moments you could say:
I don’t really have enough information to say
I’m probably not the best person to ask
I’m not going to get drawn into that
I’m not sure I’m the right person to comment on that
I think I’ll stay out of that one
You could also stick to “I don’t know”, which could be the safest choice, as it could sound as if you genuinely have no opinion when you’re actually trying to say “I know, but I don’t want to tell you”.
“I'd rather not…” is one of your best tools
This structure is probably one of the most useful and natural ones that we’ll be touching on.
I’d rather not + verb
I’d rather not talk about it
I’d rather not say
I’d rather not get into that
I’d rather not discuss the details
I’d rather not comment on that
It’s a little bit softer than saying “I don’t want to talk about it”, but it still sets a clear boundary. Let me show you an example:
I don’t want to talk about it → direct and potentially quite firm
I’d rather not talk about it → still clear, but more understated
I’d rather not get into it → very conversational
I’d rather keep it private → clear but not necessarily confrontational
Sometimes you can answer without actually answering
This is where it gets really interesting. It’s where you can give the other person something, while deliberately avoiding the exact information they asked for.
Where are you moving next?
Instead of saying “I don’t want to tell you”, you could say:
We’re still deciding
We’ve got a few ideas
Nothing’s been decided yet
Somewhere warmer, hopefully
I’ll tell you when we’ve figured it out
How much did the renovation cost?
This could be particularly uncomfortable, as it’s not common in every culture to speak openly about money. Here are some ideas for what you could answer with:
More than we originally expected
Let’s say it wasn’t cheap
It definitely cost more than we’d planned
We stopped keeping track after a while
These are great because you are actually acknowledging the questions without giving the requested information.
Change the subject without making it obvious
This is probably another one of my other favourites. Sometimes you don’t need to explicitly say “I don’t want to answer that”. You can simply redirect. And if you’re good with words, you might master this! There are many ways to naturally redirect a conversation, and here are some natural transitions you could use:
By the way… → incredibly useful for changing direction
Speaking of which…
That reminds me of…
Anyway…
On another note…
Actually, how did…?
Talking of work, how’s…?
It’s important to mention that these points work best when the change of subject feels reasonably natural. If someone asks a very direct question and you suddenly start talking about the weather, people will most definitely notice… 😂
Ask a question back
Sometimes, the easiest way to avoid answering is to turn the question around. For example:
Are you thinking about moving?
Why, are you?
What makes you ask?
Would you move if you were me?
“Why do you ask?” can sound perfectly neutral, but depending on the tone, it can also sound defensive or suspicious. There is a difference between “Oh, why do you ask?” 😄 and “Why do you ask?” 🤨. Intonation. Matters. A lot.
Boundaries are part of fluency
The bigger lesson of today is that advanced English goes beyond knowing certain phrases. It’s not just about vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation or speaking quickly. Being fluent includes knowing how to manage the social side of a conversation. Sometimes you need to:
Protect someone’s privacy
Protect your own privacy
Avoid gossip
Stay professional
Avoid committing yourself
Politely disagreeing
Refusing to comment
Moving a conversation in another direction
If you only learn how to answer questions, you’re learning half of the conversation. You can’t predict every question someone will ask, but you can prepare yourself with different ways of responding when you don’t want to answer.
So, next time someone asks you a question and your immediate thought is “I really don’t want to answer that”, don’t panic. You have plenty of options, and you know quite a few now 😉
Again, being fluent doesn’t mean being completely open. You can be friendly, natural and polite while still deciding what you do and don’t want to share.
This is actually one of those things that becomes much easier through real conversation practice because you cannot predict what someone is going to ask you. The more real conversations you have, the more comfortable you become with handling the unexpected, including the questions you don’t want to answer. And if you don’t really have a chance to speak to someone in English in your day-to-day life, The English Life Academy might be a good shout! You can choose your monthly subscription (depending on how many classes you want to join per week), and you can also cancel anytime!
to explore our membership options
Reply to this email if you have any questions, and until next time!
Camila
