Ranking Weak and Strong Opinion Phrases

Ranking weak and strong opinion phrases

When your teacher says an opinions phrase, make a circle out of the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. When they say a second phrase, make the circle bigger if the opinions phrase is stronger than the previous phrase and smaller if the second phrase is weaker. Stronger means a stronger opinion, stronger agreement, or stronger disagreement. Weaker means a stronger opinion, weaker agreement or weaker disagreement/ more polite disagreement. Do the same with each pair of phrases that you hear, putting your hands back in a medium-sized circle for the first phrase of each pair each time.

Label the pairs of phrases below with two circles, with a bigger circle next to the stronger opinions phrase in each pair.

Check your answers with the answer key or by reading out the stronger in each pair as a class.

Test each other on the phrases below:

• Test each other with the same making circles with your fingers activity as before.
• Say a weaker phrase and help your partner make it stronger
• Say a stronger phrase and help your partner make it weaker
• Say a phrase and see if your partner can make it stronger and/ or weaker
• Say a phrase with a key word missing and see if your partner can complete it
• Say a key word and help your partner make a strong or weak phrase out of it

Choose one of the opinions phrases and say an opinion with it. Your partner will at least partly disagree. Continue discussing until one of you changes your mind (at least a little).

Useful phrases for discussing your opinions “I’d go even further and say…” “My opinion is (almost) exactly the same”

 

Opinions phrases to rank

Giving strong and weak opinions

In my opinion,…

This is just my opinion, but…

 

In my honest opinion,…

In my humble opinion,…

 

To be honest,…

To be perfectly honest,…

 

To be frank,…

To be perfectly frank,…

 

I think that…

I do think that…

 

I think…

I guess…/ I imagine…/ I suppose…

 

I think that…

I’m not sure, but I think that…

 

I believe that…

I firmly believe that…

 

I believe that…

I beliiiiiiiiieve that…

 

I feel that…

I personally feel that...

 

I’d say that…

I’d guess that…

 

I’d say that…

I’d probably say that…

 

I’m fairly sure that…

I’m not sure, but I think…

 

I’m sure that…

It’s difficult to say for sure, but…

 

I’m positive that…

I’m fairly positive that…

 

I know for a fact that…

As far as I know,…

 

I happen to know that…

To the best of my knowledge,…

 

It could be said that…

It could perhaps be said that…

 

It is clear that…

It seems clear to me that…

 

I think everyone will agree that…

Not everyone will agree with me, but…

 

There is very little doubt that…

There is (absolutely) no doubt that…

 

Without a doubt,…

Without the shadow of a doubt,…

 

In my experience,…

In my limited experience,…

 

I don’t have much experience of this, but…

I don’t have any experience of this, but…

 

I haven’t read anything about this, but…

I haven’t read much about this, but…

 

As many people think…

As most people think…

 

It might be a good idea to…

It’s probably a good idea to…

 

It’s not a good idea to…

It’s a terrible idea to…

 

My thoughts on this are…

My initial thoughts on this are…

 

Strong and weak agreement

You’re right.

You may be right.

 

You may be right.

You maaaaaay be right.

 

You’re right.

You’re probably right.

 

You could be right.

You’re probably right.

 

I agree with you.

I couldn’t agree with you more.

 

I agree with…

I partially agree with…

 

I mostly agree with…

I totally agree with…

 

I feel the same way.

I feel exactly the same way.

 

I feel the same way.

I feel just the same way.

 

I feel the same way.

I feel more or less the same way.

 

That makes sense.

That kind of makes sense.

 

That makes sense.

That makes complete sense.

 

That makes sense.

That seems to make sense.

 

That’s what I wanted to say.

That’s just what I wanted to say.

 

You took the words out of my mouth.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

 

Strong and weak/ polite disagreement

I can see why you might think that, but…

I can’t see why you think that.

 

I can’t accept that.

There’s no way I can accept that.

 

I don’t agree with…

I can’t agree with…

 

I don’t agree that…

I certainly don’t agree that…

 

I don’t agree.

I don’t agree at all.

 

I don’t agree.

I don’t think I agree.

 

I don’t agree.

I really don’t agree.

 

I don’t agree.

I don’t really agree.

 

I don’t really agree.

I really don’t agree.

 

I don’t see it that way.

I don’t really see it that way.

 

I don’t see any merit in that.

I don’t see much merit in that.

 

I don’t think it’s a good idea to…

I don’t think it’s such a good idea to…

 

I have a different point of view.

I have the opposite point of view.

 

I don’t agree.

I’m not sure that I agree.

 

 

 

Suggested answers

Giving strong and weak opinions

In my opinion,… O

This is just my opinion, but… o

 

In my honest opinion,… O

In my humble opinion,… o

 

To be honest,… o

To be perfectly honest,… O

 

To be frank,… o

To be perfectly frank,… O

 

I think that… o

I do think that… O

 

I think… O

I guess…/ I imagine…/ I suppose… o

 

I think that… O

I’m not sure, but I think that… o

 

I believe that… o

I firmly believe that… O

 

I believe that… O

I beliiiiiiiiieve that… o

 

I feel that…O

I personally feel that... o

 

I’d say that… O

I’d guess that… o

 

I’d say that… O

I’d probably say that… o

 

I’m fairly sure that… O

I’m not sure, but I think… o

 

I’m sure that…O

It’s difficult to say for sure, but… o

 

I’m positive that… O

I’m fairly positive that… o

 

I know for a fact that… O

As far as I know,… o

 

I happen to know that… O

To the best of my knowledge,… o

 

It could be said that…O

It could perhaps be said that… o

 

It is clear that… O

It seems clear to me that… o

 

I think everyone will agree that… O

Not everyone will agree with me, but… o

 

There is very little doubt that… o

There is (absolutely) no doubt that… O

 

Without a doubt,… o

Without the shadow of a doubt,… O

 

In my experience,… O

In my limited experience,… o

 

I don’t have much experience of this, but… O

I don’t have any experience of this, but… o

 

I haven’t read anything about this, but… o

I haven’t read much about this, but… O

 

As many people think… o

As most people think… O

 

It might be a good idea to… o

It’s probably a good idea to… O

 

It’s not a good idea to… o

It’s a terrible idea to… O

 

My thoughts on this are… O

My initial thoughts on this are…o

Strong and weak agreement

You’re right. O

You may be right. o

 

You may be right. O

You maaaaaay be right. o

 

You’re right. O

You’re probably right. o

 

You could be right. o

You’re probably right. O

 

I agree with you. o

I couldn’t agree with you more. O

 

I agree with… O

I partially agree with… o

 

I mostly agree with… o

I totally agree with… O

 

I feel the same way. o

I feel exactly the same way. O

 

I feel the same way. o

I feel just the same way. O

 

I feel the same way. O

I feel more or less the same way. o

 

That makes sense. O

That kind of makes sense. o

 

That makes sense. o

That makes complete sense. O

 

That makes sense. O

That seems to make sense. o

 

That’s what I wanted to say. o

That’s just what I wanted to say. O

 

You took the words out of my mouth. o

You took the words right out of my mouth. O

 

Strong and weak/ polite disagreement

I can see why you might think that, but… o

I can’t see why you think that. O

 

I can’t accept that. o

There’s no way I can accept that. O

 

I don’t agree with… o

I can’t agree with… O

 

I don’t agree that… o

I certainly don’t agree that… O

 

I don’t agree. o

I don’t agree at all. O

 

I don’t agree. O

I don’t think I agree. o

 

I don’t agree. o

I really don’t agree. O

 

I don’t agree. O

I don’t really agree. o

 

I don’t really agree. o

I really don’t agree. O

 

I don’t see it that way. O

I don’t really see it that way. o

 

I don’t see any merit in that. O

I don’t see much merit in that. o

 

I don’t think it’s a good idea to… O

I don’t think it’s such a good idea to… o

 

I have a different point of view. o

I have the opposite point of view. O

 

I don’t agree. O

I’m not sure that I agree. o

 

Brainstorming stage

Without looking above for now, brainstorm as many phrases as you can into the gaps below. Note that sometimes both phrases from a pair above can go in the same space below (for example because they are strong and even stronger). Other phrases not above are also fine as long as they are clearly strong or clearly weak.

Giving strong opinions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving weak opinions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strongly agreeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weakly agreeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strongly disagreeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weakly disagreeing/ Politely disagreeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at the previous worksheets for more phrases to go in these spaces, the first time looking with your pen down and trying to memorise them to write above when your teacher lets you pick your pen up again. Then brainstorm more suitable phrases.

Brainstorm more weakly disagreeing/ politely disagreeing phrases with “but” in the middle.

Compare your extra phrases as a class.