Expressing Opinions and Arguments in English

Expressing Opinions and Arguments in English (B2–C1 Guide)

Hello English learners! Welcome to a new lesson. Today, we’re going to learn how to express opinions and build arguments in clear, natural, and convincing English — a skill that is absolutely essential for Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced), essays, articles, reviews, and reports, as well as discussions, presentations, and debates. 

Good English isn’t just about having ideas. It’s about organising them, supporting them, and guiding your reader or listener step by step.

Let’s learn how to do that.

The basic structure of a good argument

A strong argument usually follows this pattern:

1. State your opinion
2. React to other views
3. Give reasons and examples
4. Structure your points logically
5. Speculate or evaluate
6. Emphasise important ideas
7. Summarise and conclude

We’ll look at useful language for each step.

Stating your opinion

Use these expressions to introduce what you think:

• In my opinion, …
• From my perspective, …
• I believe that …
• It seems to me that …
• As far as I’m concerned, …
• If you ask me, …
• To my mind, …

In my opinion, this policy will improve productivity.

From my perspective, the best solution is to work as a team.

To my mind, creativity and discipline should go together.

Agreeing and disagreeing politely

In good English, we often partly agree, soften disagreement, or show respect.

Agreeing

• I completely agree.
• I couldn’t agree more.

I couldn’t agree more. That’s exactly the problem.

Partly agreeing or soft disagreement

• I agree with you to a certain extent, but …
• I see your point, but …
• I understand where you’re coming from, however …

I see your point, but I think we should look at the long-term effects.

Stronger disagreement (still polite)

• I have to disagree with you on that point.
• I respectfully disagree.

I respectfully disagree. I think the evidence suggests something else.

Expressing Opinions and Arguments in English

Giving reasons and examples

This is where your argument becomes convincing.

• One reason for this is …
• This is because …
• For example / For instance, …
• Such as …
• To illustrate this point, …
• This can be seen in …

One reason for this is the rapid development of technology.

For example, many people now work from home.

This can be seen in the growing number of remote jobs.

Structuring your argument

These words help your ideas flow logically.

• Firstly, … / Secondly, …
• Moreover, … / Furthermore, …
• In addition to this, …
• Finally, …
• In conclusion, …

Firstly, we need to identify the problem.

Moreover, we should consider the cost.

Finally, we must decide how to implement the solution.

Speculating and hypothesising

These expressions are perfect for discussions, essays, and evaluation tasks.

• It could be argued that …
• There’s a possibility that …
• It’s likely that …
• Hypothetically speaking, …
• If we consider …
• Let’s assume that …

It could be argued that social media has changed the way we communicate.

Let’s assume that the plan is approved — what happens next?

Emphasising important points

Use these to sound confident and persuasive.

• What is important to remember is …
• It should be noted that …
• Undoubtedly, …
• Without a doubt, …
• There is no denying that …

There is no denying that climate change is a serious problem.

What is important to remember is that change takes time.

Summarising and concluding

End your argument clearly and neatly.

• To sum up, …
• In summary, …
• Overall, …
• On the whole, …
• All things considered, …

All things considered, this solution seems both practical and affordable.

In summary, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

Mini example

In my opinion, working from home has more advantages than disadvantages. Firstly, it saves time and money. For example, people don’t need to commute every day. Moreover, it often improves work–life balance. Of course, I understand where you’re coming from, but there is no denying that flexibility has become extremely important. All things considered, I believe remote work is here to stay.

Common mistake

❌ In my opinion, I think that…

✅ In my opinion, …

✅ I think that …

Don’t double your opinion markers.

Final thought

Being able to express opinions and build arguments is not just an exam skill — it’s a life skill. If you can present your ideas clearly, support them with reasons, and conclude them logically, your English will sound confident, mature, and persuasive.

And that’s an argument nobody can disagree with. 😉

Learn all about linking words and phrases here

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