HOW TO EXPRESS PERSONAL AND GENERAL OPINIONS

There are various ways to express your personal opinion:

• In my point of view
• From where I am standing
• The way I see it
• I am under the impression
• I hold a strong opinion on/about
• I have reason to believe
• I firmly believe
• It´s a matter of opinion, but…
• I have the suspicion that
• I share your opinion on
• I have no doubt that
• I would say that

To express general opinions, a great thing to do is to use “the impersonal passive”:

• It is thought that
• It is generally believed that
• It is said that
• It is well known that

You can also make reference to the general public:

• Most people think that
• The majority of people believe
• People say that
• almost everyone knows

Topics:

Travel and tourism:

1. Some people say that tourism is making all countries become more similar. Is this a desirable development?
2. Which people generally benefit most from modern tourism?
3. Who tends to benefit the least?
4. What developments do you think will occur in the tourism industry in the future?
5. Is the sudden influx of ecotourism a turn for the better?

Popular culture:

1. It could be said that popular culture is dumbing down society. Would you agree?
2. How can we influence the younger generation to avoid being influenced by reality TV stars?
3. Which everyday influences or occurrences do you think are detrimental to the progress of our society?
4. Why is it important to establish a sense of belonging in your culture through the sharing of tastes and interests?
5. To what extent does our consumerist economy depend on popular culture?

DOWNLOAD THESE QUESTIONS IN PDF HERE