USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR SPEAKING PRACTICE

Expressing Opinions

English Vocabulary
Below are some phrases that you can use to help express opinions. Some of these
phrases are more appropriate for written English such as giving your opinion in an essay
whereas some can also be used in spoken English.

Personal Point of View

We use these words and phrases to express a personal point of view:

In my experience
As far as I'm concerned
Speaking for myself
In my opinion
Personally, I think
I'd say that
I'd suggest that
I'd like to point out that
I believe that
What I mean is

General Point of View

We use these words and phrases to express a point of view that is generally thought by
people:

It is thought that...
Some people say that...
It is considered...
It is generally accepted that...

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR SPEAKING PRACTICE

Agreeing with an opinion
We use these words and phrases to agree with someone else's point of view:

Of course.
You're absolutely right.
Yes, I agree.
I think so too.
That's a good point.
Exactly.
I don't think so either.
So do I.
I'd go along with that.
That's true.
Neither do I.
I agree with you entirely.
That's just what I was thinking.
I couldn't agree more.

Disagreeing with an opinion

We use these words and phrases to disagree with someone else's point of view:

That's different.
I don't agree with you.
However
That's not entirely true.
On the contrary
I'm sorry to disagree with you, but
Yes, but don't you think
That's not the same thing at all.
I'm afraid I have to disagree.
I'm not so sure about that.
I must take issue with you on that.
It's unjustifiable to say that...

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR SPEAKING PRACTICE

Asking someone's opinion
"What do you think?"
"What's your view?"
"How do you see the situation?"
"What's your opinion?"
Talking about your beliefs
"I believe in" (the importance of free speech)
"I'm a (great / firm) believer in " (fresh air and exercise)
"I'm convinced that" (there's a solution to every problem)
"I'm passionate about" (human rights)
"I'm committed to " (working towards peace")
"I don't believe in "
"I think that is" (true / complete nonsense, etc)
Note
After a preposition such as in or about, you need either a noun or a gerund.
For example: "I believe in free speech", or "I believe in saying what you think".
After "that", you need a clause.
For example, "I believe that we must safeguard the planet."
Giving a reason for your beliefs
"There must be / can't be .. (life after death) because otherwise"
"There's no evidence for / to support " (an afterlife)
"There's no other way to explain / account for "
Talking about your religious beliefs
"I'm a practising " (Catholic, Muslim, Jew etc)
"I'm a non-observant / lapsed " (Catholic)

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR SPEAKING PRACTICE

"She's a devout" (Christian, etc)
"I'm a 'don't know.'"
"I'm an agnostic."
"I'm an atheist."
"He's an extremist / fundamentalist / evangelist."
Talking about your political beliefs
"I support / back (the Labour Party)."
"I'm a Conservative / Liberal / Socialist / Labour Party supporter."
"I'm a life-long (Conservative / Labour Party supporter)."
"I've always voted (Tory, Liberal etc)."
"He's a staunch Conservative."
"She's a dyed-in-the-wool Marxist."
Speaking tip
To avoid misunderstandings or arguments, only talk about your political or religious
beliefs in conversations with people you know well. It's probably also safer to avoid
religious or political discussions with colleagues at work. The British, in particular, tend
to view political and religious beliefs as extremely personal, and can sometimes find too
much public discussion of these embarrassing or even insulting.
Here are some phrases you can use to "exit" an uncomfortable discussion.
"I'm not really comfortable talking about if you don't mind."
"I'd rather not discuss my (political) beliefs if you don't mind."
"I'm not sure this is the right time / place to discuss "