Positive vs You are sure of this

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Positive

Top 1,000 (very common)A1adjective

You are sure of this

Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Positive
 PositiveYou are sure of this
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈpɒzətɪv/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈpɑːzətɪv/"]/🇬🇧 //jʊ ɑːr ʃʊə ɒv ðɪs//🇺🇸 //ju ɑr ʃʊr ʌv ðɪs//
MeaningHaving a good attitude or a good feeling about something.You believe this with confidence.
ExampleShe has a positive attitude that inspires everyone around her.You are sure of this because you have seen the evidence.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR levelA1-
Part of speechadjective
Collocationsappear, be, feel, extremely, fairly, very, about, be, prove, test, strongly, weakly, for, be, seem, sound, absolutely, quite, fairly, about, ofbe sure of something, make sure of this, not sure of this, feel sure of this, are you sure of this
Antonymsnegative, pessimistic-
Common mistakesConfused with 'positive' vs 'negative'., Using 'positively' in place of 'positive' incorrectly., Mispronouncing 'positive' without the correct emphasis.Confusing with 'You are sure about this'., Using 'of' instead of 'about' incorrectly., Saying 'You sure of this?' instead of 'Are you sure of this?'
Usage notesUse 'positive' to describe feelings, thoughts, or results. It's appropriate in most contexts, but avoid in very technical discussions where precision is key.Used in conversations where someone seeks confirmation. Suitable for both written and spoken contexts. Can be informal in casual discussions.

See it in real clips

Positive
You are sure of this

Frequently asked questions: Positive vs You are sure of this

What's the difference between Positive and You are sure of this?

Positive: Having a good attitude or a good feeling about something. You are sure of this: You believe this with confidence.

Which is more common: Positive and You are sure of this?

Positive is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Positive: She has a positive attitude that inspires everyone around her. You are sure of this: You are sure of this because you have seen the evidence.

Can I use Positive and You are sure of this interchangeably?

Not always. Positive and You are sure of this are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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