Expressing an Opinion in English: How to do it Well | ESL Speaking

If you want to know more about expressing opinions, then you’re in the right place! We’ll give you the rundown on how to give your opinion, along with lots of examples. After reading this article, you will get a good sense of expressing your opinion in English.

Do you want to learn how to express your opinion in English? Then keep on reading for all the tips and tricks you need to know about this important speaking or writing skill.

Expressing An Opinion in English

Another very common question type of speaking exam question is expressing an opinion. For example, part six of the TOEIC speaking test shows a question on the screen. You then have 15 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to answer the question. When you speak, you are evaluated on: pronunciation, intonation and stress, grammar, vocabulary, the relevance of content, and completeness of the content.

You can use these four simple steps to do well on these kinds of speaking exam questions.

How to State your Opinion in 4 Steps

Step 1. State your preference (Directly answer the question). Here are some examples:

• Do you prefer A or B? (I prefer A).
• (Some people think that… Do you agree or disagree? (I agree that…)
• Which of the following skills is most important for ______: A, B, or C? (I think that B is the most important skill for…)

Step 2. Connecting sentence (A) and the main reason (B). Check out this example:

• I have several reasons to support my opinion (A). Most of all…(B).

Step 3. Further examples and more details. Have a look:

• For example, I have a friend named…
• When I was young,…
• For example, I would like to talk about…
• For example, last month, I had to…

Then, give more details if it’s required. In some cases, the person will only be looking for a short answer so 1-2 examples if good enough.

Step 4. State your preference again. Here are some examples:

• That is why I agree/ disagree with this opinion.
• That is why I prefer this option.
• That is why I think “(X-item, quality, skill, etc.)” is the most important thing for…

This helps to keep the conversation going. Let’s put it all together in a couple of examples for expressing opinions ESL.

Opinion Sentence Starters

Check out the examples of expressing an opinion in English. These sentence starters are great for expressing an opinion. Read the questions and use one of the four examples to give an opinion.

“When taking a college course, do you prefer online lectures or classroom lectures? Give specific reasons to support your opinion”

1. “I prefer…”
2. “I have several reasons to support my opinion. Most of all…”
3. “For example.”
4. “That is why…”

This is one of the best strategies for ESL expressing opinions.

Expressing Opinions Examples

Here’s another expressing opinion example.

“Which of the following skills is the most important thing for parents to teach their children? -being friendly -being creative -being honest. Give specific reasons and details to support your answer.”

1. “I think that… is the most important thing…”
2. “I have several reasons to support my opinion. Most of all, it will…”
3. “For example…”
4. “That is why I think that… is the most important thing…”

How to State Your Opinion

It’s often the case that you have to write an opinion for a college class, or something like the IELTS Writing, TOEFL, or TOEIC exams. Here are a few tips if you have to do that.

• Be strong and confident! Nobody will take your opinion seriously if you’re wishy-washy!
• Consider your audience. An opinion essay will look different for a college class than it would for a letter to the editor of a newspaper. Keep this in mind when writing.
• Use a formal style. This is generally true for all things academic writing but again, keep your audience in mind.
• Think of the strongest reasons to support your opinion. Don’t give every single reason. Think of the 2-3 best ones.
• Think of the strongest argument against your opinion. State that and then offer a reason why it’s not that important or valid.
• Have a good thesis statement. This will guide the rest of your writing!

Opinion Words and Phrases

Here are some good words and phrases to use when expressing an opinion in English.

• I think…
• I believe…
• In my opinion…
• I agree with…
• I feel that…
• I’m pretty sure that…
• I’d say that…
• As far as I know…
• My view is…
• From my point of view…
• I suppose…
• I’m confident that…

Phrases for Expressing your Opinion in English

To learn even more helpful English phrases and expressions, have a look right here:

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Expression of Opinion FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about this. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

How do you politely express your opinion?

There are a number of ways that you can use to politely express your opinion. Here are some of them:

• I think that…
• I believe that…
• In my opinion…
• From my point of view…
• It’s my belief that…
• In my experience…

What are some examples of facts and opinions?

A fact is something that is true for everyone, but an opinion is something that people may disagree about. For example:

• The heart pumps blood through the body (fact). The best way to have good heart health is to not eat red meat (opinion).
• Dogs are popular pets around the world (fact). Dogs are man’s best friend (opinion).
• Canada has a democratic system of government (fact). Democracies are the best form of government (opinion).

What are the different types of opinions?

There are various types of opinions, including public, group, scientific, legal, judicial, and editorial.

What are signal words for opinions?

The most common signal words for giving an opinion in English are “I think”, “I believe”, “to me”, and “in my opinion.”

Expressing an Opinion in English: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts about this English-speaking tip related to expressing an opinion? Do you have any advice for people looking to improve this part of their English speaking related to expressing opinions? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

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Last update on 2023-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API