May 25, 2011

2 Tips for Expressing Opinions in the IELTS exam

A few months ago, we shared some pointers for questions that require you to express or justify your opinion in writing or speaking.

In those tips, we basically reminded you to be clear in stating your opinions. Now how could you do this?

Remember these 2 techniques:

1) Make use of phrases that help you convey your stand or view; and

2) Make use of modal verbs to show possibilities or suggestions.

Some examples of phrases are "I think," "I believe," "From my point of view," "It is thought," "It is believed," or "It is viewed," among others.

On the other hand, examples of modal verbs are "can," "could," "may," or "might," among others.

To see the techniques in action, I'd invite your attention to the Eric Thompson article, "Schumacher still has what it takes" at the NZ Herald website. Here, Mr. Thompson wrote:
"Is Schumacher the greatest driver so far in 60-odd years of F1? Who knows. From my point of view you can't compare Fangio, Hawthorn and Clarke etc with today's drivers - it's pointless. The Schumachers and Sennas of the modern era could no better drive a 1960s car than Fangio etc could drive the video cars of today."

Notice the the phrase "From my point of view..." when he stated his opinion on the greatest driver in Formula 1. Note as well how he used the modal verb "could" to manifest his view that it's pointless to compare the great drivers.

To summarize, be sure to include phrases and modal verbs that clearly express your views. Making use of these techniques could help improve your scores in the IELTS.

We hope you liked our tips for today. Cheers!


Attribution to Eric Thompson and the NZ Herald for the article excerpt.