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I'm not good at math. But my teacher says I'll get better if I just keep doing my best.

What would be the most natural way to make the bold-face part sound a little more assuring from the teacher's part? All I can come up with is to insert certainly, but would something be more idiomatic?

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  • 'Surely' is quite reassuring, 'probably' less so.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Jan 28, 2022 at 13:19

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The choice of word you are looking for could either be 'definitely' or 'certainly'. But your statement is conditional - you will only get better if you try. While there's nothing wrong with saying something will definitely happen if a condition is met, your sentence doesn't really need it.

The problem I see with your sentence is this - how can you get better by doing your best? You can't get better than best.

I think you need to say:

I'm not good at math, but my teacher says I'll definitely get better if I keep practising.

Practice makes perfect!

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