Useful Expressions

Various Expressions used in asking for and expressing opinions

Function Expressions

Asking for an opinion What’s your opinion on… Do you have anything to add?

What do you think of… Don’t you think that…

What are your views on …

Giving opinions I believe that.. From my point of view ..

I am certain that.. In my opinion..

I must say.. I think that…

It is quite clear that.. I would say that …

I maintain that .. It seems to me that …

I am sure that … I think it would be fair to say that

…
As far as I am concerned ..
I guess..
I suppose . ..

Agreement Disagreement

Complete I totally agree with you Direct I’m sorry, I beg to differ
Agreemen Disagreemen
I see your point of view I absolutely disagree with you
t t
That’s true/right/brilliant I’m sorry but I have to disagree

That’s good/splendid idea I disagree

True. I am glad you say that I am afraid that I don’t agree

Yes, I feel the same way. I agree I don’t think so

Yes, I’m sure you are right I don’t see your point

Absolutely/ Definitely I don’t get it

I couldn’t agree with you more

Yes, I think that is a wonderful idea

 Tentative I agree with you to a point Indirect Are you sure?
Partial Disagreemen
Agreemen I agree with you to a certain extent t I could be wrong but
t I think you are right but I see your point but I think it would
be better if ..
You’ve got a point there but
Really?
Well, perhaps you are right
Oh, I don’t know about that
I agree that….but…
I’m not sure about that
That may be so but
I do not think that is always true
I will take that into considerations because

Some expressions used in making suggestions, recommendations and some possible responses.

Suggestion Positive Yes, that’s a good idea

respons
Wouldn’t it be a good idea to e That would be nice

Shall we Okay

I think we should
Negative I think that is out of the question
I feel that we should respons
e I can foresee problems
Perhaps we could
I’m not convinced that this will work
Why don’t we
The suggestions will give rise to other problems
What about
I’d rather not
How about
No. I don’t really like the idea
Let’s
No, I really don’t think so
It might be a good idea to

Have you ever thought of

Maybe we should

If I were you, I would

Don’t you think we should

Recommendation Positive I fully support

respons
 I strongly recommend that e I am in favour of

I strongly advise that I totally agree with

I propose that I approve of

I would like to put forward a proposal I see no objection to that

that
I would certainly endorse

Negative I am totally opposed to the proposal

respons
I think that is out of the question
e
I can foresee problems

I’m not convinced that this will work

This will give rise to other problems

Various expressions that may be used in persuading someone

Persuassive Have you considered I encourage you to

expression Do you realize that I am very sure there is no harm

s
Don’t you think I feel you should

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to I persuade you to

I wonder if you have thought of

Maybe you should consider

It would be in your own interest to

I can assure you that

You have no need to fear

USEFUL PHRASES FOR MY SPEAKING TEST II

TASK A
You need to organize your speech so that there is a smooth glow of ideas.

INTRODUCTION BODY CONCLUSION

- Introduce topic -Include major points and -Reinstate your opinion

elaborate on them
-Highlight main points of task -Summarize main points of the
-Talk about the most important topic
-Give definition (if any) point first
-Give advice or
-Use transition signals to connect recommendations
ideas

Some expressions you may use when presenting information.

INTRODUCTION

Let me enlighten you on I would like to begin by

Today, I would like to talk on The reason I am here is to talk about

I have been asked to talk on

BODY

I would like to mention briefly To begin with

I would like to comment on The next issue is

There are several points I would like to make Furthermore/Moreover/ In addition

My first point is Let me give you an example

Firstly / First of all Let us consider

CONCLUSION

In general Let me conclude by saying

All in all I would like to conclude by

In a nutshell Finally

MUET SPEAKING PRACTICE

A
· Good morning to the examiners and all my friends.

· Firstly, I would like to suggest …………….

· My main point is ……………….. (explain/give example)

· My next point is ……………….. (explain/give example)

· The next point I would like to make is ……………( “ )

· However / But / Nevertheless …………………. Etc

· I have mentioned earlier that ………………….

· Therefore / Thus / Hence …………………….. etc

· In short …………………………

· Thank you.

· Good morning …………………

· First of all, I propose ………………….

· The most important factor is ………………… (explain/give example)

· Next, let’s look at ……………………………. ( “ )

· Another suggestion is………………………( “ )

· However / But / Nevertheless …………………..etc

· Therefore / Thus / Hence / As a result …………………….etc

· Those are the suggestions …………..

· Thank you.

· Good morning…………..

· As a start, I would like to suggest …………………..

· It is important to …………………………(explain/give example)

· The next issue is ……………………….( “ )

· Another point I would like to emphasize is ……………( “ )

· However / But / Nevertheless …………..

· Therefore / Thus / Hence / As a result ……………….

· In summary, I would suggest ………….

· Thank you.

· Good morning ……….

· I would like to begin by suggesting ………………

· One important reason is ……………….(explain/give example)

· Next, I would like to highlight …………( “ )

· Moving on to my next point, which is ……….. ( “ )

· However / But / Nevertheless …………..

· Therefore / Thus / Hence / As a result ……………….

· As a conclusion, I would say…………..

· Thank you.

Day 1, Session 1 Year End 2011 (not exact words)

People who give the most meaningful contribution to society
a)garbage collectors
b)toilet cleaners
c)road sweepers
d)gardeners
Candidate A:

Good morning to the examinerS and my fellow candidateS. There are many people in this world who
contribute meaningfully to society. Some sit in high positions while those who do menial tasks are no
less worthy. Likewise, garbage collectors have a significant contribution to our society as not many
would voluntarily do this 'stinky' but necessary job.
First and foremost, I think garbage collectors deserve merit because they are the ones who maintain the
cleanliness of our neighbourhood. This is because, without them, there would be rubbish strewn around
everywhere which is a sight for sore eyes. Moreover, the stench itself would cause unease among
citizens who need to go about their daily business. For example, rotten food, soiled diapers and so on
would be an unbearable sight if not collected and disposed of properly.
Secondly, garbage collectors should be held in high esteem as their job of maintaining the hygiene of
society is a crucial one. This means that without them, diseases would spread rampantly. In addition, the
overall health of society would suffer as garbage that is uncollected is an excellent breeding ground for
bacteria and insects. For instance, piles of uncollected rubbish is the perfect place for dengue and
malaria carrying mosquitos and many more.
Last but not least, a garbage collector's job is very meaningful to society because in this modern era,
humans have managed to produce so much rubbish per day that without them, the sheer amount would
drown the whole city in a week! Imagine how much plastic packaging each of us throws away within a
day. Take for example all the empty plastic bottles, Maggi mee wrappers, plastic packaging from the
supermarket and even paper products like cigarette boxes and newspapers among others.
In short, society would be seriously crippled if garbage collectors did not do their job. Therefore, I truly
believe that garbage collectors provide a very meaningful contribution to today's society. Thank you.

Candidate B: Toilet Cleaners.

          A very good morning I bid to one and all. Everyone has a role to play in society no matter how high
or low their profile is. We should be thankful that we have toilet cleaners because they are the people
who give the most meaningful contribution to society. I would like to discuss three reasons for this. (15
secs)

            First and foremost, it is the main duty of the toilet cleaners to maintain the cleanliness and
hygiene of public toilets. Quite often, we have come across toilets that are in dire need of cleaning
where the smell is putrid and there is urine and faeces everywhere, disgusting, right? Without toilet
cleaners, people would completely avoid public toilets unless they are so desperate they are willing to
endure the horrid stench. These unhygienic toilets are also a toxic zone for bacteria and diseases such as
Hepatitis and so on. Thus, toilet cleaners do us a grateful service of maintaining the public toilets so they
are safe to use.
          Secondly, toilet cleaners are also instrumental in maintaining the facilities in the public toilets. This
is because it is quite common for public property like toilets to be vandalised by irresponsible people.
Some trash the place and spray graffiti on the walls, while there have also been cases of breaking toilet
bowls, sinks and others. If the toilet cleaners are around, these incidences can be reduced greatly and
society can enjoy a better and cleaner image. Therefore, toilet cleaners have a very meaningful job
because they help maintain a good impression of our country especially to international tourists.

            Last but not least, being a toilet cleaner is an extremely meaningful contribution to society
because not many people want to do this menial task. The responsibility of cleaning toilets is not
aglamorous job, in fact, people may be embarrassed to tell others that their occupation in life is a toilet
cleaner. However, I completely believe that without them, public toilets would hazardous to our health
and they provide us a service that is crucial and necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Hence, we should be
thankful to them for their commitment in their profession.

            In essence, the most meaningful contribution to society is by toilet cleaners because they help
maintain hygiene, our country’s image and it is a thankless job. Thank you and have a nice day.