Today's English Expression 18/30 · Stage: Receiving and Answering Reviews. All example sentences were created for this article. They are not taken from actual repository comments, and option names are just examples.
Table of Contents
- At a Glance
- 1. Meaning and Nuance
- 2. Example Sentences
- 3. Similar Expressions and Differences
- 4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans
- 5. One-Line Practice
- Sample Answer
- References
At a Glance
| Expression | I'd lean towards (noun/gerund). / I'm leaning towards ... |
| Meaning | I think ~ is a bit better. |
| Usage Context | Design discussions, comparing alternatives in reviews, meetings |
| Politeness | Soft. It expresses a preference, not a decision. |
1. Meaning and Nuance
"Lean" means to bend or incline. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries defines lean to/towards/toward as "to tend to prefer a particular opinion or interest." "I'd lean towards A" means "I am leaning towards A," which translates to ".It's not set in stone, but I think A is slightly better."
The reason this expression is useful in reviews and design discussions is because it avoids taking away decision-making power . "I think we should use A" is effectively proposing a decision, and "A is better" is a definitive statement. "I'd lean towards A" shows only your preference and degree, leaving room for others to bring up different reasoning. External contributors can also use this comfortably when they disagree with a maintainer.
"I'd" is a contraction of "I would," adding the hypothetical feeling of "if I were to choose, I'd lean that way" to make it much softer. "I'm leaning towards" is the continuous form meaning "my thoughts are leaning that way right now," which carries a stronger sense of still considering.
"Towards" and "toward" mean the same thing. "Toward" is more common in American English, while "towards" is more common in British English. Since "to" is a preposition, it is followed by a noun or gerund, not a base verb.
Once you have expressed your preference, add one sentence explaining the reason. A preference without a reason sounds like mere personal taste.
2. Example Sentences
Scenario 1: Comparing design alternatives
Both approaches work, but I'd lean towards option B. It keeps the API unchanged, so existing users don't need to migrate.
Scenario 2: Choosing an implementation approach in a review
I'd lean towards returning an error here rather than logging and continuing. A silent failure would be hard to debug later.
Pairing it with "rather than" to compare alternatives makes your preference clearer.
Scenario 3: When you are still thinking in a meeting or chat
I'm leaning towards keeping the default at 30 seconds, but I'd like to hear from folks who run large clusters first.
"Folks" is a friendly colloquial term for "people."
3. Similar Expressions and Differences
- I'd prefer ... Shows a clearer preference. It is one step stronger than lean.
- I'd suggest ... A suggestion. It carries the nuance of recommending that the other person try doing it that way. It is followed by a gerund or a that-clause.
- I don't have a strong opinion, but ... Added to the beginning when your preference is weak. Following this with "I'd slightly lean towards ..." makes it very polite.
4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans
- I think A is better than B. While not grammatically incorrect, it sounds definitive and gives the impression of shutting down the discussion.
- Corrected sentence: I'd lean towards A, mainly because it's easier to test.
- I'd lean towards to use A. Uses "to" twice and employs a base verb.
- Corrected sentence: I'd lean towards using A.
- I am leaning to A side. A Konglish expression adding "side."
- Corrected sentence: I'm leaning towards A.
5. One-Line Practice
Rewrite the following Korean sentence as a review comment.
I think it's better to reuse the existing settings rather than adding a new flag. More options mean more documentation to maintain.
Sample Answer
I'd lean towards reusing the existing setting rather than adding a new flag. Every new option also means more docs to maintain.
Using the gerund (adding) after "rather than" matches the form of the preceding "reusing." The second sentence spells out the reasoning for the "because" implication.
Titi's Tip Saying "I'm leaning this way, and here is why" instead of "This is right" keeps the discussion open longer.
References
- Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, "lean towards": https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/lean-towards
- Dictionary.com, "lean": https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lean