You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin, and I'll be your host for today's lesson on expressing opinions in English.
Imagine you're in a difficult meeting where everyone is disagreeing.
Tension is high, and the boss turns to you and says, so what do you think?
In this situation, you need to express your opinion.
But giving an opinion isn't always easy, as you surely know.
You've got to say it the right way.
But the right way has changed a bit.
Ten to fifteen years ago, business meetings were often quite formal.
But many meetings today tend to be more informal and you can see this change in the different ways of expressing opinions in English.
Sometimes we need to be cautious, while at other times, we might want to be more direct or stronger.
And there's still a difference between giving opinions in a group setting and speaking informally.
When we want to be informal, we are often more direct.
We say exactly what we think.
But when we're being formal or cautious, we tend to add words and expressions to soften our opinions.
We also use words like might and could instead of must and should.
Overall, we try not to sound too strong or direct.
In today's dialogue, we'll hear a conversation between Kerry, Nick, Gregory, and Lola.
Their company hired a freelance writer to do some work, but the writer hasn't communicated with them lately.
Kerry is asking the group for their opinions about what they should do.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
How does Carrie ask Vincent for his opinion near the start of the meeting?
Two, what expression does Gregory use to introduce his strong opinion?
Three, what is one expression that Lola uses to make her opinion careful or cautious?
Okay, everyone.
We need to figure out a course of action today.
We haven't heard from this guy in, what, two weeks?
That's right.
He won't even return my calls now.
And we plan to go to print on the 24th, right?
That's creeping up fast.
Then let's talk options.
Vincent, can I start with you?
Where do you stand on this?
Well, in my view, I think we should give it a bit more time.
His early drafts look good.
You know, maybe he's had a crisis and we just have to stretch the timeline a bit.
Okay, so just wait it out.
How long do you think we can do that?
I feel we could probably give it another week.
Alright, I guess that's one way to go.
Anyone else?
Gregory, you want to chime in?
Yeah, to be perfectly frank, I think we need to take a hard line here.
This is a job for legal.
I think it starts with a formal letter.
Then we go from there.
Okay, the legal angle.
That's another possibility.
But before we go down that path, I'd like to hear some other ideas.
Lola, what do you think we should do here?
Yeah, so it would seem to me the copy is pretty close to being finished.
I mean we haven't seen any revisions after that last draft, but to be honest they were pretty close right.
Maybe we could just take it the rest of the way ourselves?
So just cut him loose and work with what we've got.
You know, it might be good for us to have a look at that last draft.
Give me a sec.
I left some copies on my desk.
I'll be right back.
Okay, I'm going to get a refill.
You know, this is stupid.
Why's that?
Well, obviously, using freelancers is just asking for trouble.
If you ask me, we've got to stop outsourcing this kind of stuff in the first place.
Yeah, I guess you might be right.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language the group used in their meeting.
The group needs to figure out what to do quickly because they need the writer's work so they can go to print on the 24th of the month.
Okay, everyone.
We need to figure out a course of action today.
We haven't heard from this guy in, what, two weeks?
That's right.
He won't even return my calls now.
And we plan to go to print on the 24th, right?
That's creeping up fast.
Then let's talk options.
Vincent, can I start with you?
Where do you stand on this?
Kerry wants people's opinions about what they should do or their course of action.
So how do you ask for an opinion?
Well, you can ask what people think or feel, or ask for their views, thoughts, or opinions.
Another way to do this, as Kerry shows, is to ask where someone stands on an issue or question.
Let's practice some of these different ways of asking for opinions.
What do you think of the new website?
How do you feel about this issue?
What's your opinion on the budget problems?
What are your views on this?
Where do you stand on the hiring decision?
What are your thoughts on our new strategy?
Carry has started out by asking for Vincent's opinion.
Let's hear how Vincent gives a basic opinion about the issue.
Well, in my view, I think we should give it a bit more time.
His early drafts look good.
You know, maybe he's had a crisis, and we just have to stretch the timeline a bit.
At this point in the meeting, there's no tension or conflict.
Vincent doesn't have to be so careful about how he gives his opinion.
This is just a basic example of saying what you think, and that's how you can do it.
You can say what you think, feel, or believe.
You could also use other expressions like, in my view, as Vincent has done, to express a basic opinion.
Let's run through some of these ways of giving basic opinions in English.
I think this is the right way to go.
I believe this is our only real option.
In my view, we need to change some of our policies.
Personally speaking, this design doesn't really work well.
I feel this isn't the right time to spend more money on equipment.
Now let's get back to the dialogue, as Kerry asks Gregory for his opinion and Gregory shows that he has a pretty strong opinion about the issue.
Okay, so just wait it out.
How long do you think we can do that?
I feel we could probably give it another week.
All right, I guess that's one way to go.
Anyone else?
Gregory, you want to chime in?
Yeah, to be perfectly frank, I think we need to take a hard line here.
This is a job for legal.
I think it starts with a formal letter.
Then we go from there.
Vincent didn't sound too worried about the situation, but Gregory is definitely concerned.
He's upset about the situation with the writer and he has a strong opinion about how they should deal with the problem.
The expression, to be perfectly frank, helps him introduce his strong opinion.
When the others hear that expression, they know that Gregory is serious.
He also uses very direct language like this is a job for legal instead of something like I think, maybe this is a job for legal.
Let's practice some more ways of giving strong opinions with special expressions and direct language.
To be perfectly frank, there's no way this will work.
It's obvious to me that customers are going to hate the change.
As far as I'm concerned we're spending too much money on this.
It's clear to me that people aren't happy with the new system.
I would argue that we need to sell the building as soon as possible.
There's no doubt in my mind that James is the right person for the job.
I'm sure this is the right decision.
I believe strongly that we need more time to do this.
Next, let's hear what Lola thinks about the situation.
Unlike Gregory, she's going to give a cautious or careful opinion.
Listen to the difference.
Okay, the legal angle.
That's another possibility.
But before we go down that path, I'd like to hear some other ideas.
Lola, what do you think we should do here?
Yeah, so it would seem to me the copy is pretty close to being finished.
I mean we haven't seen any revisions after that last draft, but to be honest they were pretty close right.
Maybe we could just take it the rest of the way ourselves?
Lola doesn't want to follow Gregory's strong opinion with another strong opinion.
That might raise a level of emotion or tension.
Instead, she wants to be a bit cautious or careful.
To do that, she uses indirect language and words that soften her ideas.
For example, she says, it would seem to me, and maybe we could just.
While Gregory's language gave the idea of must or should, Lola gives the idea of might or could.
Let's try some of these different ways of giving cautious opinions.
Well, I tend to think that this is something for management to decide.
I must admit that I'm not sure.
Two weeks is enough time.
To the best of my knowledge, our customers don't use social media much.
I think it's fair to say that this solution would be too expensive.
I could be wrong, but aren't we too busy to take this on?
I'm no expert, but the design seems a bit too messy.
Lola mentioned that the copy or text that the writer worked on was almost finished.
That makes Carrie think they should look at that copy.
Let's listen.
So just cut him loose and work with what we've got.
You know, it might be good for us to have a look at that last draft.
Give me a sec.
I left some copies on my desk.
I'll be right back.
Okay, I'm going to get a refill.
While Lola and Carrie are out of the room, Vincent and Gregory continue the discussion.
Now that it's just two colleagues talking privately, they feel more free to give their opinions informally.
You know, this is stupid.
Why is that?
Well, obviously, using freelancers is just asking for trouble.
If you ask me, we've got to stop outsourcing this kind of stuff in the first place.
Yeah, I guess you might be right.
We heard Gregory give a strong opinion before, but he still had to be polite and respectful.
Now, with only Vincent listening, he can be a bit more informal.
And that means expressing his opinions with even stronger language, like obviously, and if you ask me.
What are some other ways of giving informal opinions?
Let's run through some examples.
Pay close attention to the expression at the start of the sentences.
I'll tell you what I think.
This plan is totally impossible.
If you ask me, we're in big trouble financially.
Obviously, this is going to hurt sales in a big way.
Basically, this is the worst time to start a new campaign.
As we've seen, how you give your opinion depends on the situation.
Sometimes you want to be careful.
Sometimes you want to be strong.
And sometimes you want to be informal.
And other times, you might just want to give a basic opinion.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
First, imagine you are in a meeting about a hiring decision where you are asked your opinions about different job applicants.
You'll hear a cue from the meeting chairperson.
Then, I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Alright, let's start with the applicant from LA.
What are your views on her?
First, give a basic opinion saying that she doesn't have enough experience.
Answer.
I believe she doesn't really have enough experience for the job.
Okay, I think I can agree with that.
So how about Andy Summers from Chicago?
Now say strongly that you think he would be perfect for the job.
Yes, as far as I'm concerned, Andy would be perfect for the job.
Now imagine you are running a meeting about some possible changes to the company's website.
You'll hear a cue from someone in the meeting.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response.
Let's begin.
Okay, I think everyone's here.
First, say you'd like to get started and ask for opinions about the new homepage.
Answer Alright then, let's get started.
What are everyone's thoughts about the new homepage?
I for one think that the colors are really great.
Wouldn't you agree?
Now, cautiously give your opinion that the colors are too dark.
Answer Well, I tend to think that the colors are a bit too dark.
To finish off, let's practice some of the vocabulary and expressions we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear You can say, If Mallory keeps messing up, I think we should cut her loose.
After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
With these delays, I believe we'll have to stretch the Answer.
With these delays, I believe we'll have to stretch the timeline on the project.
Okay.
Is there anyone else who wants to... in on this issue?
Answer.
Okay, is there anyone else who wants to chime in on this issue?
If the new catalog is finally finished, then we can go to next week.
Answer.
If the new catalog is finally finished, then we can go to print next week.
Now that we know the problem, we need to decide on the right course of Answer.
Now that we know the problem, we need to decide on the right course of action.
We've learned how to ask for opinions and how to give basic opinions.
We've also covered how to give strong opinions, cautious opinions, and informal opinions.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
