Giving opinions and supporting your viewpoint
Lección 10 Bloque 2
Seguro que ya conoces algunas frases que te ayudan a expresar tu opinión, como pueden ser "I think" o "In my opinion”. En esta unidad vas a ver algunas frases más complejas para poder expresar tu opinión, así como algunas estructuras que te ayudarán a respaldar tu punto de vista.
Expresa tu opinión
Si estás completamente seguro y convencido de algo, puedes usar el verbo “convince”. Puedes utilizarlo junto a un adverbio y ponerlo así:
I’m firmly/ absolutely/ deeply/ strongly convinced...
Por ejemplo:
I’m deeply convinced that education is paramount.
I’m firmly convinced that he is not a suitable candidate.
I’m absolutely convinced that this book will be a success.
I’m strongly convinced that my colleagues are working hard every day.
Una alternativa a lo que has visto, puede ser:
- I’m well assured that ...
- It’s beyond all doubt that ...
- It’s my strong conviction that...
- I’ve always held that...
- I’m confident that...
Por ejemplo:
I’m well assured that nature is more important that nurture when it comes to personal characteristics.
It’s beyond all doubt that it’s better to live in a city.
It’s my strong conviction that shopping is one of the best things to do ever.
I’ve always held that your parents have to give you basic education.
I’m confident that universities should be government-run.
Cuando no puedes opinar sobre un tema
Si no tienes una opinión sobre algo o nunca has tratado ese tema del que hablan, utiliza una de las siguientes frases:
- I’ve never given it much thought.
- I don’t have any comments about this topic.
- I have insufficient information about it to express my opinion.
- It doesn’t make any difference to me.
Argumenta tu punto de vista
Normalmente, después de expresar tu opinión tienes que justificarla y respaldarla. Para ello, vas a ver algunas frases que te pueden ayudar a hacerlo. Casi siempre se hace dando razones de por qué piensas así.
Una palabra típica para dar razones es “because” pero hay otras palabras y frases que ayudan a hacerlo.
Fíjate.
1. As or since, seguido de subject + verb.
Por ejemplo:
As it is raining right now, I can’t go to the gym.
He mentioned that he won’t be able to go to work tomorrow as he has a doctor’s appointment.
Since Betty doesn’t want to do the dishes, I will have to do it.
I have never been to Europe since the price of the plane tickets is very high.
2. That’s the reason why..., seguido de subject + verb. Puedes utilizarlo dentro de la oración o como una frase nueva.
Por ejemplo:
We didn’t know he was in the hospital, that’s the reason why we came to visit him to his house.
I thought that people in my company were friendly. That’s the reason why I never suspected anything bad happening.
The most important information on the news was the one related to the recent elections. That’s the reason why we didn’t hear anything about the recent earthquake in Japan.
Es muy común utilizar la forma corta de esta frase – that’s why.
Por ejemplo:
We were hungry that’s why we ate in the street.
Why are you walking? Oh, yes, I forgot, your car is broken. That’s why.
His children like apples, that’s why he always buys 3 kilos when he goes to the supermarket.
3. Thanks to/owing to. Y, normalmente, van seguidas de un nombre o pronombre.
Por ejemplo:
Thanks to him, I managed to pass my exam.
They had a delicious meal thanks to the new social program.
Owing to the new school program, I will be studying for 5 years.
We decided to get a lawyer owing to the current situation with the contracts.
Venga y ahora a practicar con los siguientes recursos sobre este tema.
DESTREZAS
Puedes practicar el reading leyéndote estos artículos:
- The best way to offer an opinion on anything
- Voicing your opinion in the workplace
Para el listening, te sugiero que veas y escuches los siguientes videos:
- How to create a product review video
- Expressing your opinions on the Internet
Para practicar el writing, te recomiendo que mires el siguiente enlace porque te va a ayudar a aprender cómo escribir un "opinion essay".
Y, para practicar tu speaking, trata de contestar a las siguientes preguntas, expresando y justificando tu punto de vista.
-Do you believe aliens exist?
-Is animal testing ever justified?
-Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated?
-Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid?
-Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools?
-Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five?
-Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving?
-Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger?
-Are Comic-Book Movies Ruining Film?
-How Do You Think education system in your country could Be Improved?