Alternatives to "As far as I know ..."

To the best of my knowledge ...

To my knowledge ...

The way I understand it ...

The way I understood it ...

The way I remember it ...

Blog Question:

Hi All,

I was once told by my English teacher that it's better to say "to my knowledge" instead of "as far as I know". But in fact, most native speakers, at least here at WR, use the latter. Is there any difference between those two expressions?

Blog Response:

Hi,

Gosh, who's to say whether one expression is better than another. In this case, both are acceptable. Still, if use indiscriminately, the use of "to my knowledge" could be perceived as conveying a trace of condescension. Whereas, the phrase "as far as I know" never poses that risk, that's to say, it doesn't to the best of my knowledge, I mean, to the extent of my understanding on the subject, that is, to the degree that I've given any thought to the matter.