Today's English Expression 22/30 Stage: Receiving and Replying to Reviews. All example sentences were created specifically for this article. They are not taken from actual repository comments, and feature names are purely illustrative.
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
- Model Answer
- References
At a Glance
| Expression | That's a fair point. / Fair point. |
| Meaning | That is a valid point. |
| When to Use | Review replies, design discussions, meetings |
| Politeness | Neutral to polite. It is an acknowledgment that respects the other person. |
1. Meaning and Nuance
While people often know "fair" as meaning "just" or "impartial," it also means "reasonable and making sense." Merriam-Webster defines "fair" as "based on evidence and reason," giving the example "That's a fair question," and Britannica's learner's dictionary uses the same example. "Point" refers to the main idea or argument of what someone says. Therefore, "That's a fair point" means "That argument is valid, or in other words, "You make a valid point."
A characteristic of this expression is that the degree of agreement is adjustable. While you acknowledge that the other person's statement has merit, it does not necessarily mean you will change your entire perspective. Consequently, two different directions can follow: one is "That makes sense, so I will change it," and the other is "That makes sense, but here is another context." Either way, starting by acknowledging their point first makes the discussion smoother.
It is especially useful in code reviews because it serves as a great opening line when you receive the kind of pushback we covered in episode 20. If a reviewer replies with "Fair point" when an author pushes back, it signals that the pushback was taken seriously. It is equally natural for an author to use it toward a reviewer.
2. Example Sentences
Situation 1: Accepting a critique
That's a fair point. A required field would break existing users, so I'll keep it optional and add a deprecation warning.
Situation 2: Acknowledging while mentioning another factor
Fair point about the extra API call. That said, it only happens once per reconcile, so I think the cost is acceptable here.
"That said" means "nevertheless" or "however," and is often used when following up with a different opinion after making an acknowledgment.
Situation 3: In a meeting
That's a fair point. Let's not change the default in this release and revisit it once we have more feedback from users.
"Revisit" means to discuss or examine something again later.
3. Similar Expressions and Differences
- Good point. This means "That's a good observation," carrying a stronger feeling of thanking someone for pointing out something you didn't know. It is usually used when you are accepting the feedback as-is.
- Fair enough. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries defines this as an informal expression (especially in British English) used to say that an idea or suggestion seems reasonable. However, depending on your tone, it can sound like a reluctant concession, such as "Alright, let's just say that's the case," so use it with caution in writing.
- I see your point, but ... This means "I understand what you're saying, but...", putting more weight on the counterargument than the acknowledgment.
4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans
- You are right 100%. I'm sorry. Over-agreeing and even adding an apology can make it look like a surrender rather than a discussion.
- Corrected sentence: That's a fair point. I'll update it.
- Your point is fair. While grammatically correct, it sounds rigid and sterile, almost as if you are judging their argument rather than talking to a person.
- Corrected sentence: That's a fair point.
- Fair point. But I will not change. Acknowledging a point only to reject it without a reason turns your prior acknowledgment into empty words.
- Corrected sentence: Fair point. I'd still keep it as is because the generated client depends on this name.
5. One-Line Practice
Translate the following Korean sentence into a review reply.
That is a valid point. That said, this path is only used in tests, so performance shouldn't be a major issue.
Model Answer
That's a fair point. That said, this path is only used in tests, so performance shouldn't be a big concern here.
"Shouldn't be a concern" is a soft translation for "performance shouldn't be a big issue." It avoids sounding overly absolute and leaves room for estimation.
Titi's Note. Acknowledging is not losing. What you say after acknowledging is heard much better.
References
- Merriam-Webster, "fair": https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair
- Britannica Dictionary, "fair": https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/fair
- Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, "fair" (fair enough): https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/fair_1