SUGGESTIONS, OPINIONS, AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT

[This post is really intended as a help for speaking communication, but of course there are things here that you can use in writing, provided you are aware of some facts: Is it expression or interaction? Are you sure you aren't using something informal in a writing formal context?]

These language functions are basic and (almost) always come up in your oral exams. So let’s see whether you can use more variety little by little. But I suggest that you don’t try to memorise all of this!

Note: I have used a different approach in each section.

SUGGESTIONS

Making suggestions

1) WHAT ABOUT/HOW ABOUT ... + Base form + -ING

What about going to the pictures tonight?// What about a drink?

How about going to the pictures tonight?// How about a walk?

2) WHY + Negative

Why don't we go to the swimming pool tomorrow?

3) IMPERATIVE: Let's + Base form

Let's go to the restaurant now!

4) COULD

We could visit Paris next week.

5) COULDN’T…?

Couldn’t we invite my cousin to the party?

6) SUGGEST

I suggest you/ we go to a movie// I suggest we should go to a movie.

7) SHALL

Shall we have a cup of tea?

8) WHAT… SAY?

What would you say to a cup of coffee?

9) DON’T YOU THINK…?

Don’t you think it’s a good idea to do the washing up?

10) MIGHT

We might as well stay home tonight.

Accepting suggestions

·  Ok. Yes, let's do that.
·  Yes, I'd like to.
·  Yes, I'd love to.
·  What a great/ fantastic/ good idea!
·  Why not?
·  Yes, with pleasure.
·  Yes, I feel like taking a walk/ doing that.

·  That sounds like a good idea.  

·  Sounds great to me!

Refusing suggestions

• No, let's not do that// No, let’s do something else.
• No, I'd rather not// What about doing something else, is that ok?
• I don't feel like it// I don’t feel like doing that, sorry.
• I dislike going for a walk.
• What an awful / bad idea!
• I’m not too keen on that, sorry.

OPINIONATING

Asking for opinions

·     What do you think of X?

·     What’s your opinion of X?

·     How do you feel about X?

·     I was wondering what your opinion of X was? [tentative]

·     I was wondering where you stood on the question of X? [formal]

·     What about X? [informal]

·     What do you reckon to X? [informal]

Expressing personal opinions

·     I (really) (don’t) think (that) (+ SENTENCE)

·     In my opinion, (+ SENTENCE)

·     From my point of view, (I think) (that) (+ SENTENCE)

·     Personally, (I think) (that) (+ SENTENCE)

·     I’m absolutely convinced that (+ SENTENCE)

·     As far as I’m concerned, (+ SENTENCE)

·     I may be wrong, but (+ SENTENCE)

·     It would seem to me that (+ SENTENCE) [tentative]

·     As far as I’m able to judge, (+ SENTENCE) [tentative]

·     As I see it, (+ SENTENCE) [direct]

·     Frankly, (I think) (+ SENTENCE) [direct]

·     To be perfectly honest, (+ SENTENCE) [direct]

·     I don’t believe for a minute that (+ SENTENCE) [strong]

·     If you ask me, (+ SENTENCE) [informal]

·     I reckon (+ SENTENCE) [informal]

Expressing agreement

·     (Yes, I think) that’s right.

·     I’d go along with you on that.

·     I’d go along with you there.

·     I take your point.

·     I tend to agree (with that). [tentative]

·     (Yes,) I’d tend to agree with you on that / there. [tentative]

·     Yes, definitely. [direct]

·     I quite / completely / strongly agree with you on that / there. [direct and strong]

·     I couldn’t agree more! [direct and strong]

·     I’m with you on that / there. [informal]

Expressing disagreement

·     Do you really think so?

·     Maybe, but (+ SENTENCE) *

·     I wouldn’t go along with you there / on that. [tentative]

·     I’m not sure about that. [tentative]

·     I’m not sure I agree with that. [tentative]

·     I’m not really sure if I would agree / go along with you there / on that. [tentative]

·     I wouldn’t agree. [direct]

·     I can’t accept that. [direct and strong]

·     I quite / completely / strongly disagree with you on that / there. [direct and strong]

·     You can’t be serious. [strong; informal]

·     You must be joking. [strong; informal]

·     Are you kidding? [strong; informal]

 ……………………………………………………………………………….

  

* This is one of the cases where you can add ‘For one thing, (+ SENTENCE); for another, (+ SENTENCE)’, to at least give two reasons.

N.B.

If you’d like to get a basic, sound start, it may be a good idea to basically concentrate on the blue structures (subjectively, they sound to me broadly commoner and/or easier).

When you say something tentatively, you soften your view and don’t express strong feelings.

Of course there may be similar combinations. Thus, you tend to leave out ‘that’ in informal English and not to do so in formal English.

At exams, don’t use really formal English when the situation is neutral or, of course, informal.

TOPICS AT THE SPEAKING EXAM

What kinds of topics can you expect at the speaking exam?

Common everyday things not requiring specialized vocabulary. Therefore, the variety of topics is, in principle, very large. In practice, we examiners and teachers don’t usually think up many new or original topics - well, partly because we want to assess your everyday-life communication rather than your knowledge of very specific matters.

NOTE: We often use cards that show a heading or title (e.g. Keeping fit, Friendship, The time machine) that may be misleading. What you’ll have to talk about is the instructions, not necessarily this heading or title, which is normally more general and which, in any case, is rarely exactly the same as what the instructions tell you to deal with.

In the interaction a common instruction is to reach an agreement on something. Make sure you do that before you finish. As a matter of fact, in this task you usually have to do one or more of these: exchanging opinions, reaching an agreement, making decisions together, making plans together.

Sometimes it’s based onn real life. Sometimes you have to pretend to be someone that you are not or be in a position where you are not (a role-play). I tend to prefer the former, but roleplaying can be useful if one wants to test some specific things: “at a hotel reception (host and receptionist)” and “advice to a child, etc” (a parent and a child) are just two examples so I do use it, more often in Basic in than Intermediate, and more often in this than in Advanced.

The following is a list of topics (a sample, not a complete list!) that may give you an idea about what to expect (based on previous years). It’s important to realize that these are not the real instructions. You’ll be asked more specific things in relation to these topics! There’s usually a situation and a few specific instructions. For example, the first given in the random list was actually:

Cheap holidays. You and you English-speaking flatmate(s) want to travel around Spain on a low budget. Talk about the following points: places to visit; where to stay; how to travel.

A RANDOM SAMPLE OF POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR TASK 1 (INTERACTION)

Deciding about holidays

Planning a relaxing weekend

Advising a friend who’s coming to live in Madrid

Advising a friend with health problems

Deciding about your school’s cultural activities

Deciding about your town’s summer festival

Deciding what to include in a guide of Madrid

Deciding on what to spend some money won at the lottery

Your English course past experience and new course expectations

Planning a year off together

Going to a wedding

Deciding ways of keeping fit together

Discussing different family matters

What pet to get

What to do for a week away

A present for a friend

Sharing an appartment

A mutual friend is having a baby

Helping a mutual friend

Going to a concert together

Spending 300,000 euros in one morning

Improving the working atmosphere

Organising a dinner party at home

In the monologue, you can expect to have to (especially) describe, narrate and give opinions, argumentation …

Again, Reading newspapers, for example, in the list below is not very specific: it might be what newspapers you/people read and why, or how, or when, etc. In the case of the first in the list below (as an example), the real instructions were:

Education. Describe your early school days. Talk about this subject, taking into account the following points: your happiest memory; your most unpleasant memory; someone who made an impact on you.

A RANDOM SAMPLE OF POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR TASK 2 (MONOLOGUE)

Your early school days

Your dream job

Summer festivals in little towns

New technologies for learning languages

Hobbies as a way to relax

Sharing a flat

Your first long journey

Family, workmates/classmates, friends

Your eating habits

Your neighbourhood

Your house or flat

Your job

Your favourite place

Reading newspapers

Mobiles phones

Your country

When you talked to a native speaker

Someone you really like

Eating habits nowadays

The first time (you drove a car or fell in love or …)

Education today

A teacher (from your past)

Your favourite type of accommodation

Your favourite means of transport

Neighbours

The role of grandparents today