Agree or Disagree with an Opinion

Summary

In this video from Madame English, viewers learn how to ask for and give opinions, as well as how to agree or disagree with others. The tutorial covers both direct and indirect ways of asking questions about opinions and provides several expressions for sharing personal thoughts. It also highlights ways to agree, such as 'I completely agree' and 'You're absolutely right,' and how to politely or directly disagree, like 'I see your point, but...' and 'I disagree.' The video concludes with a practical example about tourism's impact on Lampung's economy, showcasing these language skills in action.

Takeaways

• 😀 Asking for opinions can be done directly with questions like 'What do you think about?' or 'How do you feel about?'
• 😀 Indirect ways of asking for an opinion include phrases like 'I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on?'
• 😀 Giving an opinion is expressing personal thoughts and feelings, and can be stated using phrases like 'I think that' or 'In my opinion'.
• 😀 To agree with someone's opinion, you can use phrases like 'I agree,' 'Absolutely,' or 'I couldn't agree more.'
• 😀 Disagreeing with someone's opinion can be done politely with phrases like 'I see your point, but' or 'It's an interesting idea, but'.
• 😀 Direct disagreement can be expressed with statements like 'I don't agree with that' or 'I don't think that's correct.'
• 😀 Agreeing with someone's opinion shows shared viewpoints, while disagreement indicates a different perspective.
• 😀 An example of agreeing with an opinion is about the impact of tourism on Lampung's economy, where one might say, 'I completely agree.'
• 😀 When discussing the development of Lampung's beaches, it's important to balance development with environmental preservation.
• 😀 The script emphasizes practicing giving and asking for opinions in discussions, focusing on effective communication of personal viewpoints.

Q & A

What are direct questions used for when asking for an opinion?

Direct questions are used to clearly ask someone for their opinion. Examples include: 'What do you think about...?', 'How do you feel about...?', and 'What’s your opinion on...?'

Can you give an example of an indirect question for asking someone's opinion?

An example of an indirect question would be: 'I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on...' or 'Could you tell me your perspective on...?' These are more polite and less direct than direct questions.

How do you express your opinion in a conversation?

You can express your opinion by saying phrases like 'I think that...', 'In my opinion...', 'I believe that...', or 'Personally, I feel that...'

What does it mean to agree with someone’s opinion?

Agreeing with someone’s opinion means that you share the same viewpoint. You can express agreement using phrases such as 'I agree', 'Absolutely', 'Definitely', or 'I couldn’t agree more'.

What are some polite ways to disagree with someone’s opinion?

Polite ways to disagree include phrases like: 'I see your point, but...', 'I understand where you’re coming from, however...', and 'That’s an interesting perspective, but I think...'

What are direct disagreement phrases?

Direct disagreement phrases are more straightforward and include: 'I don’t agree with that', 'I disagree', and 'I don’t think that’s correct'.

Why is it important to ask for opinions in discussions?

Asking for opinions in discussions allows you to understand others' perspectives, engage in meaningful conversations, and build mutual respect and understanding.

How can agreeing with someone’s opinion impact a conversation?

Agreeing with someone’s opinion helps to strengthen the connection in a conversation, shows support, and can lead to more productive and positive exchanges.

In the Lampung tourism example, what was the first person’s opinion about tourism's effect on the economy?

The first person believed that tourism helps Lampung’s economy by bringing in money from visitors, which supports resorts, hotels, and local businesses.

What was the second person’s viewpoint on keeping Lampung’s beaches natural?

The second person thought it was an interesting idea but believed that some development was necessary for tourism, as long as it was done responsibly to avoid harming the environment.