In my opinion,…

If we start a sentence with this phrase, then we are telling the listener that this is what we think
and it is not a fact.
This phrase is almost always used at the beginning of a sentence.

In my opinion, + sentence
 In my opinion, chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream.
 In my opinion, the government should pay for university.
We can change the word "my" to another person. We do this if we know another person's
opinion and want to share it.
 In her opinion, the company's offer was not good enough.
 In their opinion, this neighborhood is the best to raise kids.
When speaking, we can add this expression to the end of our sentence. English is quite flexible
when speaking.
 Children under 10 should not use smartphones, in my opinion.
 There should be severe penalties for companies who pollute, in my opinion.
 The subway is better to get around the city than taking the bus, in my opinion.
We can also use this similar expression in the same way. It is also the same as "I think that…".

It is my opinion (that) + sentence

 It is my opinion that the company doesn't invest enough in research.
 It is my opinion that the city should build more parks.

Bonus Tips and Points

Here is a list of some common ways to express an opinion.
 I think that…
 I believe that…
 I feel that…
 In my opinion, …
 It is my opinion that…
 As far as I am concerned,

Real-World English Conversations
A) What do you think about climate change?
B) In my opinion, it is the most important issue facing human beings.
A) Where should we go for vacation?
B) In my opinion, we should go somewhere quiet and just relax.
A) In my opinion, this house is overpriced.
B) I disagree. It is the same price as other houses in the neighborhood.
It is bad…
This sentence pattern is used to talk about general truths. "It" does not have any special meaning.
It is just a placeholder.
 Smoking is bad. = It is bad to smoke.
It is bad + infinitive…
 It is bad to smoke.
 It is bad to lie.
  It is bad to judge other people by how they look.
We can also say that not doing something is bad. Use "not to + verb".
 It is bad not to try your best.
 It is bad not to eat healthy.
 It is bad not to be honest.
The phrase "not bad to + verb" means that something is okay.

It is not bad + infinitive…

 It is not bad to go home early sometimes.
 It is not bad to eat dessert once in a while.
 It is not bad to date many people before you get married.
When we want to be specific about what or who we are talking about, we can add "for + noun".

It is + adjective + infinitive…
 It is boring to study grammar.
 It is hurtful to lie about other people.
We can also use positive adjectives.
 It is good to exercise.
 It is nice to spend time together.
 It is fun to surf.

Real-World English Conversations

A) Why do you smoke? You know it is bad for your health.
B) I know that it's bad to smoke, but I am addicted. It is hard to quit.
A) I think that it is bad to live alone.
B) Why do you think that? I think it is nice and peaceful to live alone.
A) Living alone can make people lonely and sad.
B) I disagree. I feel more comfortable and relaxed when I am alone.

How could you…?

This expression is used to express anger or surprise at someone's action.
If somebody does something that is horrible or shocking, then we can use this question pattern to
express anger or disbelief.

How could you + verb…?

Remember that "could" is the past tense form of "can". So, this question is always referring to
some action in the past.
 How could you eat the whole box of cookies?
 How could you lie to me?
 How could you be so mean to her?
 How could you forget my birthday?
If we are surprised or angry at a 3rd person's action then we can change "you" to another person
or organization.
 How could he leave without saying goodbye?
 How could Mark say those mean words to Alice?
 How could they treat people so badly?
There are many times when we use this expression to show surprise. We are not angry at all.
 How could you eat all of the cookies by yourself?
 How could he finish all of the work by himself?
 How could you know that?
Bonus Tips and Points
1. We often use the short form of this question when responding to what somebody said. When
we use it this way, it is usually used to show anger and surprise.
A) I'm sorry, but I forgot to feed your fish while you were on vacation and they died.
B) How could you?
A) She stole her cousin's boyfriend.
B) How could she?
This is also often used in a sarcastic way. In other words, we are speaking like we are angry, but
we are not actually angry. We are just joking.
A) I forgot to bring your book today.
B) How could you? I'm just joking. Don't worry about it. Just bring it tomorrow.
2. We can make a very similar sentence using the present perfect tense.
 How could he have finished all of his work already?
 How could they have known that?
 How could she have not been prepared for her presentation?

Real-World English Conversations

A) How could you eat that whole pizza by yourself?
B) I'm sorry. Did you want some?
A) My boss called me an idiot today.
B) How could he do that? He doesn't sound like a good boss.
A) How could they give their dog away? It was so cute.
B) I guess the dog was very bad. It destroyed a lot of things in their house.
A) I see. I guess that makes sense.
A) Mrs. Yellen was arrested last week.
B) Why?
A) She was stealing a lot of money from the organization she worked for.
B) Didn't she work for a charity that helps poor children?
A) Yes.
B) Oh my gosh! How could she do that?

We are happy…
There are quite a few sentence patterns that can use the word "happy". Remember that the "be
verb" changes the tense of these sentences (present tense, past tense, future tense, etc.).
Subject + be verb + happy (that) + sentence
 I am happy that you are okay.
 I am happy I didn't get fired from my job.
 She is happy that we will come to her wedding.
Use "be verb + not" to make a negative sentence.
 I am not happy that you lied to me.
 She was not happy the store didn't give her a discount.
 She wasn't happy that her phone broke.
Subject + be verb + happy about + noun/gerund…
 He is happy about moving to New York.
 She is happy about getting married.
 I was happy about the results.
 We are happy about our progress.
 Mark is happy about getting a new job.
Subject + be verb + happy with + noun…
The noun in this sentence can be a person or a thing. This sentence is usually used to talk about
results or performance.
 I am happy with my performance.
 She was happy with her test score.
 The management was happy with our presentation.
 She is not happy with the quality of her new dress.
 Mark is not happy with me.

Bonus Tips and Points

1. We can only use this sentence pattern when the subject is the person doing the action.
Subject + be verb + happy + infinitive…
 I am happy to meet you. (=I am happy that I am meeting you.)
 She will be happy to help.
 I was happy to hear that you were okay.
2. Here are some common questions that use the word "happy".
 Why are you happy?
 Why were you happy yesterday?
 When do you feel happy?

Real-World English Conversations

A) How are you doing today?
B) I am so happy today because my sister is visiting from New York.
A) When do you feel happy?
B) I feel happy when I am with my family.
A) Same here.
A) Were you sad after you saw that movie? It made me cry.
B) I hated the movie. I was happy after it was over.
A) Are you crazy? That movie was amazing.
A) I am happy that you called me. We haven't met in so long.
B) I am happy to see you, too.
A) You look excited. What's going on?
B) I just got a promotion. So, I am really happy.
A) Congratulations. That is great news.

I thought…
We use this sentence pattern to talk about our ideas, opinions or expectations in the past. We do
not think these things now.
Subject + thought (that) + past tense sentence
 She thought that baseball was boring when she was young, but now she likes it.
  She thought that the party was fun.
 We thought that the movie was too violent.
We can use this sentence pattern in a few different ways.
1. We can use it to talk about past events or experiences. We still have the same opinion of
something, but we use the past tense because it happened in the past.
 I thought that the movie was good.
 She thought the restaurant was nice.
 We thought Europe was amazing.
2. We can use it to talk about our opinions from an earlier time that are different from our
opinions now.
 I thought video games were fun when I was young. But now, I don't like them.
 She thought English was hard at first, but she doesn't think that now.
 We thought it wasn't good the first time we went, but now we love it.
3. We can use this pattern to show that something was different than our expectation.
 I thought this restaurant was expensive.
(Looking at the menu and seeing cheap prices)
 I thought it was cold in Russia.
(During the summer when it is very hot in Russia)
 We thought that you weren't coming.
(When a friend shows up to a party unexpectedly)

Bonus Tips and Points

1. We can make a negative past tense sentence by using "did not think", "didn't think", or by
adding the word "not" in the statement.
 I did not think that it was good.
(=I thought that it was bad/not good.)
 I didn't think that she was going to come.
(=I thought that she was not going to come.)
2. Sometimes, we can use either the present tense or past tense to express the same thing.
 I think this book is good.
 I thought this book was good. (In this sentence, we really thought that the book was
good.)
3. Unlike #2, we can also use "thought" or "did not think" to show that we were wrong.
 I thought this book was good, but it was terrible.
 She didn't think she would finish on time, but she did.
 They thought it was cheap, but it was expensive.

Real-World English Conversations

A) I thought you were traveling in Europe this week. What are you doing here?
B) I am traveling to Europe next week.
A) What did you think about the movie?
B) I thought that it was okay.

Who says…?
We use this pattern when we hear something strange, something that we do not believe, or
something that we do not understand.
Many times, we use this question when we want to know where a person got their information
because we do not believe that it is true.
A) I heard that coffee gives you cancer.
B) Who says that? = Who said that?
It is also common to use this question when angry.
 Who says that I can join this club? That is unfair!
Here are a few more examples.
 Who says that men can't take care of babies?
(=The person believes that men can take care of babies.)
 Who says that women have to be pretty to get a good job?
(=The person believes that women do not have to be pretty to get a good job.)

Who says (that) + sentence?

 Who says that men can't cook?
 Who says we can't bring food into the concert?
 Who says that pasta isn't healthy?
 Who says that men don't get plastic surgery?

Real-World English Conversations

A) Men can't cook.
B) Who says that men can't cook? That is nonsense. I am a great cook and I am a man.
A) I heard that most women are terrible drivers compared to men.
B) Who says that women are terrible drivers? My husband is not a woman and he is a terrible
driver.
A) Who says that I can't go in?
B) It is a rule, sir. Nobody can enter the bank until 9 am.
A) You can't bring food into the stadium.
B) Who says that I can't bring food in?
A) It is a rule. Nobody is allowed to bring outside food or drinks into the stadium.

I am willing to….
This sentence pattern is used to show that we will do something if we need to, if it is required, or
if we have no problem doing it. It does not mean that we want to do something. It shows that we
will do it if we need to.
 I am willing to work weekends or holidays.
(This doesn't mean that I want to work on weekends or holidays, but it means that I will
work on these days if it is required or if I need to.)
 I would prefer to stay in New York City, but if the company needs me to work
somewhere else, then I am willing to move.
(My first choice is not to move, but I will do it if the company needs me to.)

Subject + be verb + willing + infinitive…

 I am willing to help you.
 She is willing to donate money to our charity.
 I am willing to move abroad for work.
 They are willing to accept your offer.
  He was willing to answer our questions.
"Not willing" is very similar to "do not want".
 He is not willing to move abroad.
 She's not willing to transfer to a branch office.
 They aren't willing to negotiate.
 Mark isn't willing to compromise.
 My children are often not willing to eat their vegetables.
It is very common to use an if-statement with these sentences. This means that we are willing or
not willing to do something, but it depends on another condition.

Subject + be verb + willing + infinitive + if…

 They are willing to lower the price if you order more units.
 I am willing to forgive him if he apologizes first.
We can also switch the order of the sentence.
 If the company offers me more money, then I am willing to join their sales team.
 If they are serious about it, then my boss is willing to listen to them.

Bonus Tips and Points

1. Do not use "willing" when asking questions about things that people usually like or want.
 Are you willing to get a present? (Strange Question!)
 Are you willing to get a higher salary? (Strange Question!)
These are strange questions because everybody wants to get a present or has no problem getting
a higher salary.
2. These questions are often used during job interviews. Here are some examples of questions.
We often use "would" with these questions as part of an unreal conditional, but the "if-statement"
has been removed.
 Are you willing to travel on business?
 Are you willing to move to a different city?
 Are you willing to work overtime?
 Are you willing to work on holidays if there is an emergency?
 Would you be willing to work late to help your coworkers (if you were hired)?
 Would you be willing to transfer to a branch office (if you worked here)?
 Would you be willing to start next week (if you got the job)?

Real-World English Conversations
A) Would you be willing to work weekends?
B) I prefer to spend time with my family on the weekend, but if there is an emergency or
important work, then I would be willing to work on the weekend.
A) Would you be willing to give up one month's salary in exchange for one month's vacation?
B) Haha. That is a funny question. Yes, I would be willing to give one month's salary for a one-
month vacation. But I think my wife would be very angry with me.
A) Are you willing to die for your country?
B) To be honest, I don't think so.
A) Would you be willing to steal to feed your family?
B) Yes. I would be willing to do that.
A) Would you be willing to move abroad to work?
B) I think it depends on what country I was moving to. I don't like hot places, so I don't know if I
could move anywhere that is too hot.

Speaking Level 3: Don’t even think about…

This sentence pattern is used to strongly tell somebody not to do something. Not only are we
telling them not to do it, but we are also telling them not to think about doing it.
We use this pattern to warn people.
 Don't even think about saying anything. I will kill you if you do!
 Don't even think about touching my sandwich!
 Don't even think about smoking. I'll punch you if you smoke.
We can also it to give advice.
 Don't even think about your ex-boyfriend. You will find a better guy soon.
 Don't even think about the test results. Try to think about something else.
 Don't even think about smoking. Focus your attention on something else.
It depends on the situation and how you say it.
Don't even think about + noun/gerund…
 Don't even think about leaving early.
 Don't even think about saying her name.
 Don't even think about eating the last cookie.
 Don't even think about touching my computer while I am gone.
 Don't even think about it.
 Don't even think about touching my phone while I am in the bathroom.
 Don't even think about that problem now.
There is a similar sentence pattern that we use a lot in English.
Subject + didn't even think about + noun/gerund…
This pattern shows that a thought never came into a person's head. We usually use it to
exaggerate or emphasize.
 I am a workaholic, but when I stayed at that hotel I didn't even think about work because
everything was so nice and beautiful.
 She didn't even think about her problems when she was snowboarding.
 They didn't even think about their marketing strategy when they were making this
business plan.
 She didn't even think about how her family would feel when she moved to China.

Bonus Tips and Points

1. We can also make present tense sentences. These sentences show what a person does not think
about.
We usually say this when a person used to think about something a lot, but now does not.
 I don't even think about my ex-girlfriend anymore.
 She doesn't even think about her hometown anymore.
 We don't even think about moving to a new city anymore. It is impossible.
We also use it when something is so crazy, outrageous, or unthinkable, that the thought of doing
it never pops into a person's head.
  They don't even think about reporting their boss' bad behavior.
 I don't even think about telling my wife to lose weight. She would kill me.
2. We can also use the present perfect tense to make similar sentences. These sentences show
that a particular action has not been thought about or considered by a person or group of people.
 We haven't even thought about hiring a new supplier.
 She hasn't even thought about selling her apartment.

Real-World English Conversations

A) Can I have that cookie?
B) No! It's mine. Don't even think about touching it.
A) I might go home early today.
B) Don't even think about it. We have a lot of work to do.
A) I'm thinking about calling my ex-girlfriend.
B) Don't even think about calling her. She was terrible for you.
A) You are on a diet. Don't even think about touching that hamburger.
B) But it looks so good!
A) I said don't even think about it.
A) Don't even think about pushing me into the swimming pool.
B) Too late! I already thought about it.
A) That is funny, but seriously don't do it.