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At times, hotel staff may be asked about their opinion of some topic, such as a good place to go shopping or the what they think of a particular tour company. The situation may also occur when a staff may want a guest opinion about something, such as the quality of service at the hotel or whether a particular shop had good prices for their merchandize . Look at the expression below that can be used to give or elicit an opinion.

Asking for opinions                               Giving opinions

 What do you think of (….                          I think (… it's one of the best places

    The Night Club for live                             in town).

    entertainment?)                           

What is your opinion of (...                        In my opinion (…it's not that good.)

  the pizza at Pizza Hut?)

What is your attitude toward (...                My attitude toward that is ( … I think

    all the recent development                      it's being over done.)

    in Thailand?)

Do you agree that (…                                 No, not really, (...it's too hot at certain

    Phuket is one of the best vacation           times of the year).

    spots in the world)?

Are you in favor of (… legalized                 Yes, I am.

   gambling)?

Do you oppose or favor (…a                    I (...oppose it because...).

   global currency)?

Dialogue 

Guest: What did you think of the Saxophone Restaurant in Patong?

Staff: If you like jazz, it’s a very good place and the food is pretty good.  

Guest: In your opinion, do you think that my kids would like to go elephant

              trekking?

Staff: Well, most children seem to enjoy it.

Guest: Do you agree that Thailand should legalize gambling?

Staff: Actually I do, I think it would generate more tourist dollars and income

           for the government.

Staff: Even though Thai boxing is a Thai national sport, I personally think it’s

           savage and brutal.

Guest: Really, I kind of like it.

Practice

Practice using the above expressions by having a dialogue similar to the ones above with a partner, one partner taking the role of the guest and the other the role of the staff. For additional practice, switch roles. Practice the dialogue several times, trying to use all of the expressions noted above.

More Practice

What are you and your partner’s opinions about these topics? Discuss them.

Give detailed reasons for your opinions.

          The acting skills of Tom Hanks                               The movie Titanic    

          Your partner’s hair style                                           The WWF                     

          The honesty of politicians in your country               Madonna

          Plays by Shakespeare                                            The death penalty       

          Exploration of space– worth while or not               Your partner’s attire     

          Using cell phones while driving                               Your English teacher                                                                                               (don’t be rude)            

After expressing an opinion other people can either agree or disagree.  Look at these expressions for doing just that.

       Agreeing                                             Disagreeing

       I think you’re right                                I think you’re wrong about that

       I believe so too                                    I don’t believe so

       I agree                                                  I disagree

       I'll go along with that                            I can’t go along with that

       I concur                                                 I beg to differ

       I'm with you                                          We don’t see eye to eye on that

Dialogue 

Guest: I think Patong Beach is the best beach on the Island.

Staff: Personally, I prefer Surin Beach, it's quieter usually.

Guest: I think my kids would really enjoy elephant trekking.

Staff: From what I've seen of them, I think they are a little old for that and

           would find it boring.

Guest: I think that Thailand should legalize gambling?

Staff: Actually I do too, I think it would generate more tourist dollars and a lot

           more income for the government.

Staff: Thai boxing is such a savage and brutal sport.

Guest: I don't think it's any worse than boxing.

Practice

Practice using the above expressions by having a dialogue similar to the ones above with a partner, one partner taking the role of the guest and the other the role of the staff. For additional practice, switch roles. Practice the dialogue several times, trying to use all of the expressions noted above.

More Practice

Do you agree or disagree with your partner about the following topics? Discuss these topics with your partner and give reasons why you agree or disagree.

                          Watching golf is exciting

Governments should spend less money on social services

Watching too much TV is bad for a child’s mind

Tests are a poor method of assessing students acquired knowledge

For more information on giving opinions Click Here

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