STATING YOUR OPINION

One of the most straightforward ways to introduce your personal opinion is to simply say, “I think that . . . “ However, if you want to spice up (make something more interesting) your argument, try some of these common variations.

STATING YOUR OPINION

One of the most straightforward ways to introduce your personal

opinion is to simply say, “I think that “ However, if you want to spice

up (make something more interesting) your argument, try some of

these common variations

1 In my opinion

In my opinion, it’s important to express your thoughts in English

2 From my point of view

From my point of view, English grammar is confusing

3 As far as I’m concerned

As far as I’m concerned, phrasal verbs are the worst thing about

learning English

4 Personally

Personally, I think it’s interesting to listen to different English accents

5 If you ask me

If you ask me, my favorite way to learn English is to listen to music

6 The way I see things

The way I see things, memorizing long lists of vocabulary is really

boring

7 I feel like (Note: This usually expresses a weak opinion.)

I feel like I could carry a conversation in English, but I’m not sure

8 I take the view that (Note: this is formal, and may be more

appropriate for written English.)

I take the view that learning English is important for business

professionals

Agreeing and disagreeing with someone else’s opinion

It’s important to be able to state your own opinion However, it’s equally important to be able to respond to others when they express their opinions Aside from saying “I agree”, there are plenty of ways that you can respond to somebody to show that you are in agreement with someone

1 Exactly / Totally / Definitely

2 Of course.

3 That’s a good point

4 You’re absolutely right

5 That’s so true

6 That’s for sure

Sometimes, you really agree with somebody’s opinion Other times, you only agree with some of it, but not everything Here are some

useful phrases that can express strong and weak agreement:

7 I’m with you one-hundred percent (strong agreement)

8 I couldn’t agree with you more (strong agreement)

9 I guess so (weak agreement)

10 I suppose (weak agreement)

Showing that you disagree with somebody is hard, because you don’t want to come across as (seem) rude or argumentative Indeed, saying “I disagree” can sometimes appear to be a bit harsh in spoken English The next time that you take issue (disagree) with something that

somebody says, try one of these alternatives

1 I don’t think I completely agree

2 I’m not so sure about that.

3 I don’t think that’s the case

4 That’s not necessarily true

Occasionally, somebody says something so erroneous (wrong) that you can’t be polite In these circumstances, you can use more harsh

statements of disagreement For example, if somebody said, “I think learning English is extremely easy”, you could say:

5 No way!

6 Absolutely not!

7 Are you kidding me?

Of course, when you disagree with someone, it’s important to follow up

by explaining why That’s a great chance to use the vocabulary that we learned earlier for stating your opinion

Finally, sometimes, there are people who just see things differently from the way you do If you can’t reach an agreement even after stating your opinion and listening to theirs, it can be best to simply stop

arguing and move on (change the topic to something else) If you want

to end an argument, you can use some of these phrases:

1 Let’s just drop it.

2 I think we need to move on

3 We’ll have to agree to disagree

Now, you’re prepared to clearly state your opinion, as well as express agreement and disagreement These handy phrases will help you hold your own (do well in a difficult situation) when you find yourself in an argument or debate Of course, the best way to practice expressing your opinion is to actually do it! So, readers, leave a comment: in your opinion, what’s the hardest part about learning English?