OS 4 Rice

Communication Tools: Sharing Opinions

When talking about an opinion, a good discussion often follows these steps.

1. GIVING AN OPINION
! (Personally) I think

! In my opinion,

! If you ask me,

! Maybe / Perhaps

! ______________________

! ______________________

3. ANSWERING A FOLLOW-UP ?
! XXXXXXXX

4. SUPPORTING YOUR OPINION

! because
! One reason is / And another reason is

! ______________________________

5. AGREEING
! I think so, too.

! Me, too.

! So do I. / So am I. / So have I. (etc.)

! Exactly.

! Thats a (really) good point.

! My idea is similar to (Name)s because

! ________________________

2. ASKING A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION

 ! Why? (This is the most popular one to ask!)

! What?

! When?

! Where?

! How?

! Do you?

4. ASKING FOR AN OPINION

! How about you?

! What do you think, (name) ?

! Whats your opinion?

! ______________________________

5. DISAGREEING
! Well, yeah, but

! Maybe , but

! I know what you mean, but

! I see your point, but

! Actually

! ________________________

Communication Tools: Sharing Opinions Practice

Sit with a group. You will have many short conversations about your opinions on the topics below.
One student will choose a topic from the list and give his/her OPINION about it. Then, use the
steps on the Communication Tools: Sharing Opinions to help you have a simple discussion
about the topic.

Good Example:
(1) Student A: Personally, I think everyone should have a pet.
(2) Student B: Why?
(3&2) Student A: Pets are great friends. Do you have a pet?
(3&4) Student C: Yeah. I have a dog. How about you?
(3&5) Student B: No. Actually, I dont like animals.

Bad example:

Student A: How about best kind of

pet? Student B: Cat. And you?
Student C: Me, too. Me, too. You? No Communication Tools
Student A: Dog. or follow-up questions!
Students B & C: Ohhhh. Sososososo.

Possible topics
- your choice
- best kind of pet
- best season
- best place to live while in Dubai
- best way to make friends at ZU
- war is necessary
- vegetarianism (not eating meat) is best
- Speaking English is easier than writing English