Speakout Advanced p 27. Expressing Opinions. Extra Vocabulary


Ways of giving your opinion

the most usual and general way of giving your opinion
a more informal way of giving your opinion
a more formal way of giving your opinion
used for giving your opinion when you have thought carefully about a situation
used for giving an often critical opinion
a way of giving your opinion when you know that people may not like what you say
used for emphasizing that you are giving your own opinion
used for giving your own opinion, when you realize that other people may not agree with you
Examples:
I think if you work hard you'll do very well in the exam.
It'll be cheaper to take the plane, I reckon.
In my view, it was a big mistake not to try to buy the company last year.
In my opinion, everyone should have some understanding of science. 
Everyone should, in my opinion, have some understanding of science.
It seems to me that John's plans for the website are very convincing.All things considered, I think we were wise to cancel our flights.
If you ask me, both Paul and Simon are being extremely immature.
To be honest/To tell you the truth/To be frank, I thought the show was pretty awful.
Personally, I think you should apologize to your brother.
To my mind, the way she behaved was inconsiderate.As far as I'm concerned, tennis is a much more interesting sport than football.

More phrases:

Another reason why so many people have such a poor understanding of science is, I believe, the lack of adequate funding for science in schools. 

Smith argues that science is separate from culture. My own view is that science belongs with literature, art, philosophy and religion as an integral part of our culture. 

In this writer's opinion, the more the public know about science, the less they will fear and distrust it.

Note: We use from my point of view to express how we see something or how it affects us personally. When we are expressing our beliefs or opinions, we use in my opinion or in my view
E.g. From my point of view, driving is not a good option. I get very tired if I drive more than about two hours. I spent two months working in England. From my point of view, that was the easiest way to learn English. (How the speaker is personally affected by something)
In my opinion/In my view, in 100 years’ time people will still be wearing jeans. In my view, everyone should stay in school until they are 18. (A general opinion about the clothes people will be wearing in 100 years’ time.)


Reporting someone's opinion
Photography is, according to Vidal, the art form of untalented people. 

For Vidal, photography is the art form of untalented people.

His view is that photography is not art but merely the mechanical reproduction of images. 

Smith takes the view that photography is both an art and a science. 

In Brown's view, photography should be treated as a legitimate art in its own right.

James is of the opinion that a good painter can always be a good photographer if he or she so decides.

 Emerson believed that a photograph should only reflect what the human eye can see.

Some critics argue that Picasso remained a great master all his life.

Others maintain that there is a significant deterioration in quality in his post-war work. 

Picasso himself claimed that good art is created, but great art is stolen.

As Smith has noted, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art. 

As the author points out, Picasso borrowed imagery from African art.

The writer challenges the notion that Picasso's sculpture was secondary to his painting.

It has been suggested that Picasso's painting was influenced by jazz music. 

Giving opinions using impersonal language
It is vital that more is done to prevent the illegal trade in wild animals. (Compare: We have to do more to stop people trading wild animals illegally.) 

Journalists play a vital/crucial role in educating the public.

Public trust is a crucial issue for all news organizations. 

The ability to write well is essential for any journalist. 

The Internet has become an indispensable /ˌɪndɪˈspensəbl/ tool for reporters.

In journalism, accuracy is paramount. / …is of paramount importance. 

It is imperative that journalists maintain the highest possible standards of reporting.

This case emphasizes/highlights the importance of honest communication between managers and employees.

Effective communication skills are essential/crucial/vital. 

It should be noted that this study considers only verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is not dealt with here.

It is important to remember that/An important point to remember is that non-verbal communication plays a key role in getting your message across. 

Communication is not only about the words you use but also your body language and, especially/above all, the effectiveness with which you listen.

I would like to draw attention to the role of listening in effective communication.

Choose your words carefully: in particular, avoid confusing and ambiguous language.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you must learn to listen as well as to speak. 

It is clear that more needs to be done to protect biodiversity. (Compare: We clearly need to do more to protect biodiversity.)

It is unfortunate that the practice of keeping monkeys as pets still continues. (Compare: It's absolutely terrible that people still keep monkeys as pets.)

It is difficult for many people to understand the reasons why certain individuals choose to hunt animals for sport. (Compare: I can't understand why anyone would want to kill animals for fun.)

Unfortunately, it would seem that not enough is being done to support tiger conservation. (Compare: Governments aren't doing enough to help tiger conservation.)

There is no doubt that the greatest threat to polar bears comes from global warming. (Compare: I believe that the greatest threat…) 

Making an opinion sound less definite 
Most cybercrime involves traditional crimes, such as theft and fraud, being committed in new ways. Phishing is perhaps/possibly/probably the best-known example of this. 

It seems/appears that the more personal data which organizations collect, the more opportunity there is for this data to be lost or stolen.

It seems clear that introducing national ID cards would do little to prevent identity theft. 

It could be argued that the introduction of national ID cards might actually make identity theft easier.

It is possible that/It may be that the only way to protect ourselves against DNA identity theft is to avoid the creation of national DNA databases. 

  

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