An opinion is a perspective or judgment about something that may not necessarily be based on facts or concrete knowledge. In our daily lives, especially during interactions with others, we often find ourselves discussing opinions—whether it’s expressing, asking about, agreeing with, or disagreeing with someone else's viewpoint.
Are you familiar with the expressions commonly used to share ideas? In this lesson, we will explore some of the most common English expressions for giving, asking about, agreeing with, and disagreeing with opinions through example dialogues.
Asking and Giving Opinions
| Asking about Opinions | Giving Opinions |
|---|---|
| What do you think of ...? | I think / feel (that) .... |
| What is your opinion on/about ...? | I strongly believe (that) .... |
| How do you feel about ...? | Well, as far as I’m concerned .... |
| What are your feelings about ...? | I’m convinced / sure / positive that .... |
| What do you like from ...? | In my opinion .... |
| Tell me what you think of .... | It seems to me that .... |
| How do you like ...? | Well, to my mind .... |
| What’s your take on ...? | In my point of view, .... |
| Why do you say that? | Well, if you ask me, .... |
| Do you agree with / that ...? | I have no doubt that .... |
| What should I ...? |
Agreeing and Disagreeing With Opinions
| Agreeing | Disagreeing |
|---|---|
| Exactly / certainly. | I disagree (with you). |
| I think / suppose so. | I see your point, but .... |
| I agree (with you). | Do you think so? |
| You’re (absolutely) right. | I don’t think / suppose so. |
| That’s true. | You must be mistaken. |
| That’s exactly what I think. | Oh, surely not. It's not the same thing at all. |
| I’m with you. | It’s not right. |
| I'm on your side. | Yes, but on the other hand, .... |
| I'll give you that. | As for me, I would rather .... |
| I couldn’t agree more. | We must agree to disagree. |
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Talking about a Talented Person
Rena: "Did you see Ali's performance last night?"
Udin: "Yes, I did. What's your take on it?"
Rena: "It was fabulous! I never thought he has such a great talent in music."
Udin: "I agree with you. It was one of his best performance."
Rena: "I'm sure that if he keeps practicing and practicing, he will be a great musician some day."
Udin:: "That's exactly what I think, Rena."
Dialogue 2: Talking about Health
Julia: "Have you heard the news? The government has urged members of the public to wear a mask to prevent the new virus infection."
Santi: "Yes, I've heard about that. What's your point of view? Should we really do that?"
Julia: "Well, there are controversies about it. Personally, I would rather wear one than nothing."
Santi: "Let's think about it. I'm sure that if everyone starts doing that at the same time, it will create a sudden shortage of clinical masks for health care workers."
Julia: "I see your point, but is clinical mask a must? We can use a cloth mask for protection, instead."
Santi: "I agree with you on this. Clinical masks should be worn only when someone has flu or cough, or they are exposed directly to sick persons."
Julia: "That's what I do when I go out. Cloth mask will be enough for protection."
Santi: "By the way, I have another question. In your point of view, is it really effective in protecting us from the new virus infection?"
Julia: "Well, that's still debatable. After all, taking a precaution is much better and safer than doing nothing, especially in the midst of this outbreak."
Dialogue 3: Talking about Clothes
Raisa: "What should I wear to Dea's birthday party?"
Ima: "I think, any dress will be OK. I know you have quite a lot of party dresses."
Raisa: "Yes, but I don't want to be seen in the same old dress."
Ima: "Dea and our friends have never seen all of your dresses, right?"
Raisa: "You're right. Then, I'll choose the green one that I wore in my cousin's engagement party."
Ima: "That'll be fine. I don't think we can afford buying a new dress every time we are invited to a party."
Raisa: "That's true, Ima."
Exercise Section
A. Do you know what they imply?
The sentences below are taken from the sample dialogues above. Determine the implied meaning of each sentence by writing:- 'A' if it asks for an opinion
- 'B' if it expresses an opinion
- 'C' if it shows agreement with an opinion
- 'D' if it shows disagreement with an opinion.
- What's your take on it?
- I agree with you. It was one his best performance.
- I'm sure that if he keeps practicing and practicing, he will be a great musician some day.
- That's exactly what I think.
- What's your opinion? Should we really do that?
- Personally, I would rather wear one than nothing.
- I see your point, but I don't think clinical mask is a must.
- After all, taking a precaution is much better and safer than doing nothing, especially in the midst of this outbreak.
- What should I wear to Dea's birthday party?
- I see, but Dea and her friends have never seen all of your dresses, right?
B. Complete these dialogues.
Select the most appropriate phrase or sentence from the box to complete the dialogues below. Write the letter of your chosen answer (A, B, C, or D) in the blank spaces provided.Dialogue 1
B. I see
C. What makes you think so
D. Tell me what you think
Yana: about Indonesian movies.
Maya: , some of them are good, but some are not worth-seeing.
Yana: ?
Maya: Some films are made seriously by reputable and experienced producers, while some are made just to be a flash in the pan.
Yana: . By the way, what is your favorite film genre?
Maya: Thrillers and dramas. I like the film that bases its story line on common people's every day life, yet emotionally capturing or thrilling.
Dialogue 2
B. I disagree with you
C. What do you think
D. It seems to me
Woman: Look! Our school walls have been repainted. It looks fresh now. ?
Man: that the old color is nicer.
Woman: Are you kidding? The newly painted wall and the flowers look wonderful together.
Man: To me, it’s the worst color combination our school has ever had.
Woman: this time.
Dialogue 3
B. as for me
Nadia:"Dina, that's a red rose, isn't it?"
Dina: "Yes, it is. And look at that yellow one. Isn't that magnificent?"
Nadia: "Well, , I would rather have the red one. I'm not really keen on yellow roses. Do you have a garden, Dina?"
Dina: "Yes, but it's a small one. It's fun to take care of flowers in our spare time."
Nadia: ". Flowers can be very refreshing."
C. What is your opinion on these issues?
Do you agree or disagree with the following issues? Write your opinion and reason(s).- Wearing masks in public should remain a common practice during flu seasons and other health crises.
- Strict lockdowns should be applied to control the spread of serious contagious diseases when necessary.
- Only health workers and those with medical conditions should wear clinical masks, while general public masks can be different.
- People always seek new experiences or possessions and are rarely fully satisfied with what they have.
- Students should not be allowed to bring mobile phones to school to avoid distractions.
- National Tests (such as UN) are an essential tool for measuring and improving education standards.
- Students using social media during school hours should face disciplinary action.
- Social media profiles should be considered when recruiting new employees.
- School education must be free and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.
- The requirement for school uniforms should be reconsidered, focusing more on student comfort and individuality.
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