You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
In this Business English Pod episode, we'll be looking at ways to give and ask for opinions.
We'll be looking both at more formal or careful language as well as at more informal or direct language.
Giving and asking for opinions is a very important part of meetings and discussions of all types.
First, let's listen to a more formal situation.
We'll be listening to part of a meeting at Digisoft, a multinational software company.
Sheila, a vice president, is talking to Walt, George and Bruce, three software engineers, about the deadline for the new software release.
Release here means launch, that is, bring the product onto the market.
So let's move on to the topic of release date.
Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product?
Walt?
Well, I tend to feel that we should probably be able to start testing the product in April.
That means that if all goes well, we can have a first release in May or June.
I see.
Thank you, Walt.
What's your reaction to that, Bruce?
May or June.
Well, from my point of view, that sounds about right.
Excuse me.
May I come in here?
I wonder if I could say something.
Go ahead, George.
What would you like to add?
Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early.
Actually, we are still having some pretty major problems with bugs in the update engine and I just don't see how we will be able to fix those bugs.
Okay, now let's listen to George, Bruce, and Walt walk into the break room right after the meeting.
Sheila, their boss, is not here.
This is a more informal situation.
Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea-Liverpool game last night?
What did you think?
Well, quite a game, huh?
Chelsea looked pretty good.
You always have to rub it in, don't you, Bruce?
You know I'm a Liverpool fan.
How about you, George?
Actually, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen.
But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games.
We're all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil.
So now you've heard both formal and informal conversations.
First, let's look at the formal conversations.
How does Sheila ask for her employees' opinions?
Sheila is in charge.
She is the boss and the chairperson of the meeting.
One way for her to ask for an employee's opinion is simply to say his name with a rising intonation or tone.
Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product?
What?
Sheila also uses some other ways to ask for her employees' opinions.
All these ways are relatively formal.
They signal that this is a formal meeting.
She says, I see.
Thank you, Walt.
What's your reaction to that, Bruce?
And?
Go ahead, George.
What would you like to add?
Together with these speakers, try some other formal phrases for asking for an opinion.
How do you feel about that, Cecilia?
Could you please share your thoughts on that Sam?
What's your view on this Richard?
Tony, what's your feelings on this?
Now let's look at the language Walt Bruce and George use to express their opinions in a formal situation.
Walt says Well, I tend to feel that we should be able to start testing the product in April.
This language, I tend to feel that, shows a careful formal tone.
Walt uses this tone because he is talking to his boss and perhaps because he's not sure whether or not the others will agree with him.
Let's keep listening.
I see.
Thank you, Walt.
What's your reaction to that, Bruce?
May or June?
Well, from my point of view, that sounds about right.
Bruce, likewise, uses more formal, careful language.
Well, from my point of view, this makes him sound more polite since he's talking to his boss.
In addition, it gives him time to think.
Giving yourself time to think is another reason to use these phrases.
How about George?
How did he offer his opinion?
Excuse me, may I come in here?
I wonder if I could say something.
Go ahead, George.
What would you like to add?
Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early.
Think about the ways that George uses to express his opinion.
I wonder if I could say something.
And, well, it seems to me that these ways of expression are quite careful.
George has a good reason to be careful, doesn't he?
He disagrees with his colleagues.
Now let's practice some further formal or careful phrases for expressing your opinion.
I have the impression that he didn't really want to come.
Don't you think that that's a little early?
I tend to feel it's a bit too early to start.
Next, let's turn to the more informal discussion between Walt, Bruce, and George.
Remember, they're in the break room right after the meeting.
Bruce asked George and Walt, Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea-Louisville game last night?
What did you think, Walt?
Quite a game, huh?
Chelsea looked pretty good.
This is an informal, relaxed discussion among colleagues.
You can tell it's informal because Bruce uses the informal word, guys, to address George and Walt.
Also, he says, what do you think?
This is an informal way to ask for an opinion.
Walt says, You always have to rub it in, don't you, Bruce?
You know I'm a Liverpool fan.
To rub something in is an idiom.
It means to remind someone on purpose of something that is uncomfortable or painful.
Here, it's done as a joke.
It sounds like Walt is a Liverpool fan and he's unhappy because Chelsea won the game.
Let's keep listening.
How about you, George?
Actually, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen.
How about you is another direct way to ask for an opinion.
Next, notice how George starts his sentence with actually.
Actually is a direct or informal way to state an opinion.
It shows us that George has something new or surprising to say.
With George, practice more direct ways to state an opinion.
The point is, we're doing very well in this market.
The way I see it, we're heading for trouble.
Obviously, there's only one choice.
Basically, I think we have two options.
Finally, let's listen to the end of the dialogue again.
How about you, George?
Actually, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen.
But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games.
George means that if Bruce and Walt keep telling the boss that they can meet the May deadline, everyone is going to have to work very hard.
In fact, they're going to have to work so hard that they won't have any time to watch football games.
Listen to some more examples of this sentence pattern.
This means because you're looking at her very often, she'll think that you've fallen in love with her.
This means, if we keep working this slowly, we'll not be able to finish the project on time.
One last time, let's listen to the final part of the dialogue again.
We're all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil.
To burn the midnight oil is an idiom.
It means to work hard or to work late into the night until past midnight.
Because it's dark, you have to burn a candle or a light.
Thus, you have to burn the midnight oil.
Now, let's practice what we've learned today.
First, we'll try using the formal phrases we learned for expressing an opinion.
Imagine you're leading a meeting at your company.
In the prompt, you'll hear the name of one of your employees and a topic.
After the beep use some of the phrases you've learned today to ask for his or her opinion about that topic.
For example, if you hear Sheila stock price, you can say how do you feel about the stock price, Sheila?
Let's give it a try.
George, new product launch.
Jenny, sales performance. employee turnover issue.
Now, listen to some possible answers.
New product launch.
Could you share your thoughts on the new product launch, George?
Jenny, sales performance.
Answer.
Jenny, what's your view on the sales performance?
Max, employee turnover issue.
Answer.
Max, what are your feelings on the employee turnover issue?
Good.
Now let's practice giving an opinion.
Imagine you work at Digisoft. and you're attending a meeting with your manager, Pat.
First you'll hear a prompt telling you whether you should be formal and careful or informal and direct.
Then, Pat will ask a question.
After the beep, respond appropriately with your own opinion.
You should make up any details you need.
Careful, formal.
So, do you think we should release the product this month?
Careful, formal.
What do you think of our customer's new product, direct informal?
So what should we do to increase sales?
Now, listen to some example answers.
Of course, your answers will be different.
These are just provided for reference careful, formal.
So do you think we should release the product this month?
Answer Hmm.
Don't you think it's a little too early?
I tend to think we should release it next month.
Careful.
Formal.
What do you think of our customer's new product?
Answer Well, I have the impression that it's a very good product.
Direct Informal So what should we do to increase sales?
Answer The way I see it, we should be advertising in more places.
How did you do?
To increase fluency, try substituting different language when you practice again.
That concludes this unit.
We've practiced formal and informal ways of giving and asking for opinions.
In the next unit, we'll be looking at ways of agreeing and disagreeing in meetings and discussions.
