Expressing opinions with nuance
Express opinions with nuance: degrees of certainty, partial agreement, hedging and qualified views — not just ‘I agree’ or ‘I disagree’.
In this lesson you will
- Express degrees of agreement
- Hedge and qualify opinions
- Show you see more than one side
Learn
Real opinions are rarely black and white. Degrees of agreement: I completely agree → I’d go along with that → I agree up to a point → I see what you mean, but… → I’m not convinced → I strongly disagree.
Hedging: It seems to me that… ; I’d say that… ; To some extent… ; It could be argued that… ; I tend to think that…
Qualifying: in most cases, generally speaking, for the most part, in certain situations, not necessarily: Technology doesn’t necessarily* make us lonelier, but in some cases it can.*
Showing both sides: On the one hand… on the other hand… ; It’s not as simple as… ; Much depends on…
Examples
- I agree up to a point, but it depends on the person.
- Generally speaking, I’d say that young people read less.
- It’s not as simple as saying that video games are bad.
- I tend to think that smaller schools work better.
Vocabulary
nuance
a small but important difference
up to a point
partly
convinced
completely sure
qualify
add a limit to a statement
tend to
usually
Practice
Partial agreement:
Speaking
Give nuanced opinions (30 seconds each): Should everyone go to university? Are cities better than the countryside? Is technology making us less social? Avoid simple yes/no answers.
Writing
Write a nuanced paragraph (120–150 words) on “Money brings happiness”, showing partial agreement and at least four hedging or qualifying phrases.
Lesson quiz
“I tend to think” is…
Review
Key points
- Degrees of agreement.
- Hedge: it seems, I tend to think.
- Qualify: in most cases, not necessarily.
- Show both sides.
What you learned
- ✓ I can express nuanced opinions.
- ✓ I hedge and qualify.
- ✓ I show both sides.