All phrases › keep your options open
What does “keep your options open” mean?
Meaning, example sentence and a quick practice question.
C1
To avoid committing to one choice, so you can decide later
“I'm keeping my options open about where to live next year.”
From the C1 lesson Making Plans (invitations and arranging).
Quick check
What does “keep your options open” mean?
Teaching this phrase?“keep your options open” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 2 (Plans, Problems and Feelings).
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Related phrases
- take someone up on (something)to accept an offer or invitation that someone has made
- at your conveniencewhenever suits you, with no particular rush
- a standing invitationan invitation that's always open, and doesn't need to be renewed
- touch baseto make brief contact with someone to give or get an update
- tentative plansplans that aren't fixed yet, and may change
- pencil someone/something into provisionally schedule something, knowing it might change
- iron out the detailsto resolve the small remaining problems in a plan
- get the ball rollingto start something moving or happening
- leave the door opento keep a possibility available for later, rather than closing it off