Asking for and giving opinions

With a partner, read the conversational text given !

Conversation 1

Siti       : why are you looking so sad?

Jane     : I was reading an opinion article on bullying. It made me extremely sad.

Siti       : ah ! people like to exaggerate things, bullying as such is no big deal.

Jane     : no, I don’t think so. Bullying is prevalent in or society. It is important that everyone       should be made aware of this social evil.

Siti       : I don’t agree with you. Little bit teasing here and there is acceptable.

Jane     : I am of the opinion that no one has any right to harass or make people feel inferior. No one should have that kind of power.

Siti       : hey! stop! You are getting too serius!

Jane     : yes! You should be serious about it as well. I would like to point out that bullying is everyone’s problem and responsibility. If you condone bullying in any way, shape or from it means you are taking part in it whether it is directly or indirectly by being silent.

Discuss these questions with your partner ! 

 1. What is happen between Siti and Jane ?

       2. What kind of conversation is above?

       3. Whom do you agree with, Jane or Siti? Why?

       4. Have you witnessed bullying? Describe how you felt!

Conversation 2

Milly    : do you like your smartphone?

Brian   : Yes. I think I got more than I expected.

Milly    : why?

Brian   : I just want to buy a smartphone which has 1 gigabyte of RAM. But this smartphone gives me more.

Milly    : I think you’re lucky.

Brian   : Yeah. I think with the price I’ve paid, got a smartphone with 2 gigabytes of RAM is very awesome.

Milly    : but what do you think about the camera? Is it good?

Brian   : not too bad. I got 8 megapixels for primary cameras, and its secondary camera 5 megapixels. But it is not the important point.

Milly    : why?

Brian   : I do not like selfie. Hahaa

Conversation 3

Emily               : Hi Tom! What are you doing?

Tommy            : I’m reading a newspaper.

Emily               : any good news?

Tommy            : I’ve just read about full day school.

Emily               : so what your opinion about that?

Tommy           : in my view, it is useful for Indonesian education development. Because if school time is extended until 4 or 5 PM, students can learn more. So, Indonesia’s educational ranking in the world can be increased.

Emily              : Do you think like that? But how about the students? Don’t you think it is too boring for them? In school all day.

Tommy         : No, If the teacher can bring class situation more fun, giving them exciting       activities, so the student will enjoy their day in school.

Emily              : I think you’re right.

Sentence Structure to express opinion.

Subject	Verb	Object
I	agree	with what you are saying.
We	believe	this is not the right way to handle things.
I	reckon	this could be right considering the reasons you have provided.
I	agree	that I didn’t look at it from this perspective.
I	doubt	that this is possible.
We	assume	you are biased in this issue.
I	don’t agree	with you.
I	think	you are mistaken.
I	think	so too.

Expressions

Personal Point of View	General Point of View
In my opinion…. What I mean is… In my humble opinion … I would like to point out that… To my mind… By this I mean… I am compelled to say… I reckon… I think… Personally, I think… In my experience… I strongly believe that… As far as I am concerned… From my point of view… As I understand…	Most people do not agree… Almost everyone… Some people say that… Some people believe… Of course, many argue… While some people believe… Generally it is accepted… The majority disagree with… The majority agree with… It is sometimes argued… It is considered…

Agreeing	Disagreeing
Of course. This is absolutely right. I agree with this opinion. I couldn’t agree more. I agree with what you are saying but have you ever… I agree, I never thought of that. Neither do I. That’s a good point. I think so too.	I am sorry, I don’t agree with you. I am not sure I agree with you. I don’t agree with you. I am afraid I have to disagree with you. I do not believe that… By this I mean… I think you are wrong. That’s not the same thing at all. It it not justified to say so. I am not convinced that…. I can’t say I agree with this, and here’s why…

Exercises

       I. Fill in the blanks using the opinion expressions given in the box below !

1.   I ________________ with you bullying should be banned.
2.  It is all right if you don’t agree with me but I have every right to my___________.
3.  As far as I ________________, I will not support bullying in my school.
4.  I _____________ that medical care should be free for everyone.
5.  Some people____________ eating fish and yogurt at the same time causes a severe skin disease.
6. I feel quite______________ about this issue.

 

      II. Choose one of the topics given below. Create a dialogue of your opinion with your partner about your chosen topic.

1.  You watched the opening ceremony of ASIAN Games, what do you think about Jokowi’s dramatic entrance eventhough he used stuntment?
2. You study at 4^th Xaverius Senior High School and you study in afternoon class. How do you feel study at this school from afternoon until evening? What are the advantages and disadvantages as a afternoon student in this school? 

references :

• Buku Penunjang Kurikulum 2013 Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris Kelas XI, Kemendikbud, Revisi Tahun 2017
• https://multimedia-english.com/grammar/expressing-opinions-57
•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxS5siu60y0&t=27s
•  https://englishclas.com/10-contoh-dialog-asking-and-giving-opinion-singkat/