Asking for and expressing opinions is something we frequently do in every day English.
(Menanyakan dan mengungkapkan pendapat adalah hal yang sering kita lakukan sehari-hari)
We will need to ask and give opinions in formal situations such as in business, in writing, both academic and informal texts, and in informal speaking.
Example:
·
It
seems to me that the government should reduce trade tariffs. (Formal)
·
What
do you reckon to these shoes? (Informal)
Giving opinions can be weak or strong:
Weak
·
I think….
·
I don’t think…
·
I’m fairly certain
that….
·
I’m quite certain that….
·
I would have thought
that….
Medium
·
I believe….
·
I don’t doubt that….
·
I feel certain that…
·
My impression is
that….
·
As I see it..
·
It seems to me that…
·
It strikes me that…..
Strong
·
I’m absolutely certain
that….
·
I’m convinced that….
·
I strongly believe
that…
Examples:
·
I
think it’s a good movie
·
I
don’t doubt that smoking is bad for you
·
I’m
convinced that it’s the best decision we could make for the company
Asking for an opinion:
·
What
do you think about this brand, Tom?
·
What
do you reckon to these shoes, Pam?
·
Mum,
how do you feel about buying me a new smart phone?
·
What
do you think about this?
·
Do
you have any strong feelings on this, John?
·
Any
comments, anybody?
·
What
are your views on nuclear power?
Giving reasons:
Sometimes when we give opinions we may want to
give a reason.
·
Firstly…
·
Secondly….
·
One reason is….
·
Another is….
·
To start with….
·
Added to that….
·
For one thing….
Example:
·
It
seems to me that weak gun laws lead to more crime. For one thing, it’s too easy
to get a weapon these days.
Interrupting:
Sometimes, if we are
exchanging opinions with other people we may want to interrupt them politely.
·
Excuse me. Can I just
say….?
·
Could I come in here…?
·
Sorry to interrupt
but….
·
Yes, but….
Stopping someone from interrupting you:
·
If you’d let me
finish…
·
Just a minute…
·
Hang on…(informal)
Contoh conversation tentang meminta dan memberi pendapat beserta
artinya :
A : good
morning.
(A : selamat pagi)
B : good morning
(B : selamat pagi)
A : What do you
think about my appearance?
(A : apa pendapatmu tentang penampilanku?)
B : in my
opinion you look so different.
(B :menurut pendapatku kamu
terlihat berbeda.)
A :
Really? which one that different from my appearance?
(A : benarkah? Yang mana yang
berbeda dari penampilanku?)
B : I think you
hair.
(B : saya rasa rambutmu.)
A : Oh…My
God. You are right, friend.
(A: ya…Tuhan. kamu benar,
teman.)
B : Yes, of
course.
(B : tentu saja.)
Contoh conversation 2 Percakapan tentang meminta dan
memberi pendapat bakso :
Ani : what do
you think about this meat ball?
(Ani : apa yang kamu fikirkan
tentang bakso ini?)
David : I
think that this meat ball very delicious.
(David : saya fikir bahwa bakso
ini enak.)
Ani
: where do you buy it?
(Ani : dimana kamu membelinya?)
David : I
buy it in front of my school.
(David : aku membelinya di
depan sekolahanku.)
Ani
: what do you think about his income?
(Ani : apa yang kamu
fikirkan tentang pendapatannya?)
David :
Ithink, he can get income Rp.1.000.000,00 every day.
(David: saya pikir, dia bisa
memperoleh pendapatan Rp.1.000.000,00 setiap hari.)
Ani
: Wow, fantastic.
(Ani : wow, luar biasa.)
Try to use some of the
language to ask for and give opinions. Choose any topic such as: energy
conservation, obesity in the West, marriage, the price of branded sports shoes,
the dangers of the internet for children, the best Star Wars film etc.
Practise with a friend or write out some
dialogues like this:
A: What do you think about marriage?
B: I don’t think it’s for everyone. To start with, the cost of a
wedding these days is ridiculous!
A: Well, I don’t doubt that but I believe it’s better for
society and…
B: Sorry to interrupt but, as I see it, marriage only leads to
divorce!
A: Oh…!
A: Ok, so as you know we have a deadline to get this work finished.
How do you feel about staying late tonight?
A: Any comments, Peter, Anne?
B: Well, it seems to me that we don’t have a choice.
C: I feel sure that if we get our heads down, we can finish
by 6pm.
Writing letters or send emails
expressing your opinion about something:
Dear Mr Smith,
I am writing to express my concern about the
proposed closure of the village bus route.
I strongly believe
that taking away our local bus will have serious consequences for the people
who live here. To start with, many elderly residents will be unable to get to
the shops and added to that, people will be more isolated than ever.
I would like to know what your reaction is to
this situation,
Yours sincerely,
Jane Brown.
Giving your opinion in English
There are so many ways
to express an opinion in English and it’s important that you use them. The way
you choose to express an opinion can alter the way people think of you and look
at you every day!
This is especially
true in British English, where we are obsessed with politeness and not being
too assuming.
In my opinion / In my humble opinion
Probably the most basic way we have here of
expressing your opinion.
Using in my
opinion is a great way of telling people what you think and also
making sure they know that it is just your opinion. You
could use this during a debate or if you are with a group of people deciding
what they should do.
Alan: Hey Steph, what did you think of the new
Terminator film?
Steph: Well, in my opinion, it
wasn’t as good as the older ones. I didn’t find the story
line believable.
Alan: Yeah true, it was strange.
To add something to this phrase you can add
the word humble that changes the meaning just slightly.
Saying in
my humble opinion adds a bit of politeness to expressing your
opinion. To be humble means that you act in a very reserved and careful manner
so that you don’t offend people.
Servants were always
expected to be humble when they were working for kings and queens. It is
slightly degrading and lowers your own worth, but today it is also used to be
polite.
Alan: So you really didn’t like the movie then?
That’s a shame.
Steph: No, I just thought it was nowhere near the old
films. But that’s just my humble opinion!
Use these with new English acquaintances to
impress your friends with how polite you are!
I reckon / I suppose
These are ways to
express opinion with a slight sense of uncertainty as well.
Using I reckon in a
sentence is primarily reserved for British English and southern US English.
It’s a very personal thing to say and because of that it implies that
the opinion is not an expert one. It is simply that person’s view. I
reckon is also slightly colloquial and probably best reserved for
informal situations.
You definitely wouldn’t use it in formal
academic writing!
Wayne: Ron, what do you think of United this season?
Ron: I don’t know, I reckon we
could be in for a tough season.
Wayne: Who knows. It will be interesting for sure.
Then we have I
suppose which is the formal counterpart of I reckon.
It means the same thing but is more commonly used due to its formality.
It is also used to suggest something that you
could do or change.
Rita: Jonas, come on, what can we do today? I’m bored.
Jonas: I don’t know Rita, what do you want to do?
Rita: Well, why don’t we go to the park?
Jonas: Yeah, I suppose we could do that.
But remember it is going to rain later.
Rita: But I’m so bored!
When in doubt, go for suppose.
It’s the most common version of these two phrases!
I know
Now we move onto a more direct expression of
opinion.
When you say I
know, you are certain your opinion is correct and true. This can be
used to dramatic effect during a debate or an argument that you
feel passionately about.
Bear in mind though,
as we looked at with in my humble opinion, This
phrase can be regarded as impolite because you are effectively saying something
with 100 percent certainty. You don’t think there is any chance of being wrong.
Take a look:
Andrew: Tim, why were you shouting at Amber earlier?
Tim: Oh, it was just silly, she was lying to me.
Andrew: Really?
Tim: Yeah, she denied it but I know she is
not telling the truth.
Andrew: Well, she might be telling the truth Tim,
be fair.
Tim: No, you don’t understand. I know that she is
lying to me! I just know it!
Make sure you are absolutely sure of yourself
with this one!
May I?
This is a very formal but very useful phrase
to use in expressing your opinion.
By asking may
I? you are effectively asking for permission to join the
conversation or debate. It’s especially used if you are listening to two people
arguing that you don’t know very well or if the situation is nothing to do with
you.
It’s difficult to explain, so let’s look at an
example:
Peter: James, you’re being ridiculous. We always eat pizza on
Friday night.
James: So what? I want to try Indian food tonight!
Ken: Um, guys, may I?
Peter: Go ahead.
James: Of course.
Ken: Well I was just thinking, why don’t we have one type of
food tonight and the other tomorrow to make sure you’re both happy.
Peter: Yeah, maybe.
James: That is a good idea, I must admit.
As mentioned above, it is very formal but it
allows you the chance to say what you think without the extra problem of being
uninvited!
If you ask me
This is similar to
asking may I? but with this phrase you
are directly entering the conversation, not necessarily with permission from
this in an argument or debate.
Think of it literally,
you’re saying if somebody wants to know what I think, this is it.
A common retort to this phrase, if your opinion is unwanted would be
nobody asked you.
Take a look:
Emma: If we leave at four o’clock tomorrow then we should get
there in plenty of time.
Tony: No, I think we should leave earlier than that.
Verity: If you ask me, we should just go by
plane. That would me much better!
Emma: Nobody asked you, Verity!
Of course, it us unusual
to hear nobody asked you as it is quite rude, but be prepared
to hear it a couple of times as saying if you ask me can
sound quite direct depending on the context.
If I were you
This is a good phrase
for giving advice as well as expressing your opinion. It should only be used in
an informal context.
Here, you are putting
yourself in the shoes of the person to whom you are speaking. It’s very useful
because you are not directly telling them what to do, but simply saying what
you would do if you were in the same situation.
Jenny: I don’t know what to do. I want to go to the disco but
I have a test tomorrow. I should probably study.
Tom: That’s a tough one, what class is the test?
Jenny: It’s maths.
Tom: I’ve heard that test is really easy. If
I were you, I would go to the disco.
In using this diplomatic phrase, you might get
some very good results!
To be honest
This is a very common phrase in English and is
a nice one to use in all different types of conversation. Start using this
in your speech today!
The cool thing about
this phrase is that you can use it formally or informally in many situations.
It is also neither assuming nor direct.
Just think about it
logically, it means that you are making an extra connection with your listener
by at least saying you are going to speak honestly. Maybe you are talking about
a sensitive subject or a problem and this phrase will be employed to cut
through the unspoken information.
Take a look:
Ben: Did you see the election result? How fantastic!
Nina: Oh really? No I didn’t see it.
Ben: Oh okay, it was all over the news!
Nina: Yeah but to be honest, I don’t really
like politics.
Ben: Fair enough!
This another phrase you can use to be humble.
It’s also slightly
false in its construction. What you are doing here is inviting your listener to
tell you that you are wrong and also admitting that it’s possible (perhaps
likely) that you are wrong. It takes pressure off of you in a conversation.
Of course, normally,
you don’t actually think you are wrong but by admitting it’s possible you are
making yourself more humble.
Here’s an example:
Perry: I can’t believe that it’s Glen’s birthday tomorrow! I
need to get him a present!
Tina: I could be wrong, but isn’t it the 25th
tomorrow?
Perry: Yeah it is!
Tina: Glen’s birthday isn’t until the 26th, you have a bit
more time to go!
Perry: Phew! That’s a relief.
This is best suited to formal situations but
can also be used in informal ones. A very useful phrase!
I’m no expert, but
This is similar to I could be wrong but it is
usually used for more extensive debates.
It could also be used sarcastically for a
humorous effect:
Nancy: I’m having real trouble reading this book, Ed, my vision
is getting worse and worse.
Ed: I’m no expert, but wouldn’t it help to see if
you put your glasses on?
Nancy: Very funny, but yes you are probably right. I just
don’t like wearing them!
Using this humorously,
you’re making a joke about the situation. In the example above, You don’t
actually need to be an expert to know that if you need glasses, then wearing
them makes it easier to see things.
In a serious way, you
invite the other party in the conversation to tell you their expertise on the
subject at hand. Whenever you use I’m no expert, but it
is usually followed by a question directly aimed at either the person or the
issue.
Have a look:
Pete: Hi Barry, how’s it going?
Barry: Not too bad, thanks Pete,
how about you?
Pete: I’m great! I’ve just gotten back from
owl-watching.
Barry: Owl-watching? But it’s 12 o’clock in
the afternoon!
Pete: Yes, what’s the problem with that?
Barry: Well, I’m no expert, but
don’t owls come out at night?
Pete: Actually, there are lots of owls that come out
in the day as well.
Barry: How interesting!
You can also change this phrase to a statement
by saying well, you’re the expert!
Personally
This is a useful phrase to distinguish your
opinion from a group of people who might think differently than you.
This is particularly
good to use if you don’t agree with a decision that your group has made.
Politicians often use this phrase when their party has made a collective
decision which they are planning to oppose.
For example:
Murray: So, Emily your party has voted against raising
wages, what do you think of that?
Emily: Well, I respect their decision but I do not necessarily
agree with it. I have very different views on this issue.
Murray: What do you mean?
Emily: Well, personally I think people work
very hard for their money and I think they deserve even more than they get at
the moment.
Murray: Interesting, that’s very different to your
party’s view.
Emily: Well, as I said, this is my personal view and
I cannot change that.
In other situations,
you can use this to politely disagree with friends when they are making plans
or having a discussion about something. It’s a really good way to state a
strong opinion without being judged to harshly. By saying personally, you
take total responsibility for the opinion.
Dave: So, it’s agreed, we will go to the cinema and then we
will eat at the Italian restaurant next door?
Tony: That sounds good to me! Charlotte, you are very quiet
today, what’s wrong?
Charlotte: Well, personally I would rather go
bowling. But nobody asked my opinion.
Dave: You should have said! We can do that as well if you
want?
Tony: Yeah, we could go bowling, then go to the cinema and
then go to the Italian restaurant. How does that sound?
Charlotte: That sounds perfect!
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