Cohesive Devices - Exercise

When something unexpectedly bad happens, it's important to have the right phrases to express your shock and disappointment. Here are some popular phrases to use when you’re negatively surprised:

Oh no!
"Oh no! I can’t believe this happened!"
"Oh no! This is terrible news!"

You’ve got to be kidding me!
"You’ve got to be kidding me! This can’t be true!"
"You’ve got to be kidding me! I never expected this!"

This is unbelievable!
"This is unbelievable! I didn’t see this coming."
"This is unbelievable! How could this happen?"

I can’t believe this!
"I can’t believe this! What a disaster!"
"I can’t believe this! This is so disappointing."

This is a shock!
"This is a shock! I never thought this would happen."
"This is a shock! I’m stunned."

What a surprise!
"What a surprise! This is really bad."
"What a surprise! I didn’t expect this at all."

That’s awful!
"That’s awful! I’m so sorry to hear that."
"That’s awful! This is really upsetting."

I’m speechless!
"I’m speechless! I don’t know what to say."
"I’m speechless! This is so unexpected."

How could this happen?
"How could this happen? This is a nightmare!"
"How could this happen? I can’t believe it."

This is so disappointing!
"This is so disappointing! I had high hopes."
"This is so disappointing! I didn’t expect this result."

Usage Examples

Oh no!
When you hear bad news unexpectedly: "Oh no! I can’t believe this happened!"

You’ve got to be kidding me!
When something goes wrong at the last minute: "You’ve got to be kidding me! This can’t be true!"

This is unbelievable!
When you discover a major problem: "This is unbelievable! How could this happen?"

I can’t believe this!
When you face a sudden disappointment: "I can’t believe this! What a disaster!"

This is a shock!
When something bad happens unexpectedly: "This is a shock! I never thought this would happen."