Giving an opinion - Elementary
It is very important to show people when you are giving an opinion and to show that it is not a fact. Giving an opinion as a fact is not very polite in the UK.
10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing:
- I reckon...
- I'd say...
- Personally, I think...
- What I reckon is...
- If you ask me...
- The way I see it...
- As far as I'm concerned...
- If you don't mind me saying...
- I'm utterly convinced that...
- In my humble opinion...
How To Use These Phrases In Your English:
- We follow all the phrases with a sentence or clause that shows the speaker's opinion.
- Phrases 1 - 3 are really quite informal. You can use these phrases when you are discussing something with friends or people who you know well.
- In phrase 1, 'reckon' is a very common word in the UK today. It means 'I think' but British people use the word 'reckon' much more often than 'think'.
- Phrases 5, 6 and 7 are all quite polite and show clearly that the statement is only an opinion.
- Phrase 8 is more polite because it says to the other speaker that they might not agree with what you are saying.
- Phrase 9 shows a very strong opinion. The speaker has no doubt at all that it is true.
- Phrase 10 is the most polite expression of the ten. It is often written on the Internet as the abbreviatoin 'IMHO' or 'imho'.
Elementary