Giving Your Opinion (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Giving your opinion
What is opinion writing?
Opinion writing allows you to express your personal views and feelings about various topics such as films, music, books, sports, or current issues. This type of writing helps you communicate your thoughts clearly while supporting them with reasons and examples. In Spanish exams, you might be asked to write about your favourite activities, preferences, or views on different subjects.
The key to good opinion writing is being clear about your viewpoint and providing simple reasons to support what you think. You'll use specific phrases to introduce your opinions and show whether you agree or disagree with others.
Guidelines for writing your opinion
When expressing your opinion in Spanish, follow these steps:
- Start with a clear opinion statement - Use phrases like En mi opinión... or Yo creo que...
- Give supporting reasons - Explain why you think this way using porque (because)
- Use appropriate tone - Most opinion writing uses an informal, personal tone
- Stay organised - Present your ideas in a logical order
- Include examples - Support your points with specific examples when possible
Remember to keep your language simple and clear. Focus on communicating your message effectively rather than using overly complex structures. This approach will help you avoid common grammatical errors and ensure your opinion is understood.
Phrase bank
Expressing personal opinions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| En mi opinión... | In my opinion... |
| Yo creo que... | I believe that... |
| Yo pienso que... | I think that... |
| Desde mi punto de vista... | From my point of view... |
| Yo siento que... | I feel that... |
| Como yo lo veo... | As I see it... |
| Personalmente, yo pienso que... | Personally, I think that... |
| A mí me parece que... | It seems to me that... |
| Yo diría que... | I would say that... |
| De hecho, yo pienso que... | In fact, I think that... |
Expressing agreement
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo estoy de acuerdo contigo | I agree with you |
| Estoy contigo en eso | I'm with you on that |
| Tomo tu opinión | I take your opinion |
Expressing disagreement
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo no estoy de acuerdo contigo sobre... | I don't agree with you about... |
| Lo siento, pero yo tengo una opinión diferente | I sorry but I'm of a different opinion |
| Yo no puedo aceptar esa opinión tuya | I can't accept your opinion that |
Notice how Spanish opinion expressions often begin with the subject pronoun Yo (I), even though it's technically optional in Spanish. This emphasis helps make your personal viewpoint very clear to the reader.
Additional opinion expressions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo creo/considero que... | I believe/consider that... |
| Yo creo que... | I reckon that... |
| Me parece que... | It seems to me that... |
| Por lo que yo sé... | As far as I am concerned... |
| En mi opinión... | To my mind... |
| Según mi criterio... | To my way of thinking... |
| Francamente... | Frankly speaking... |
| Tal como yo lo veo... | As I see it... |
| La manera en la que yo lo veo... | The way I see things is that... |
| Es mi creencia que... | It's my belief that... |
| Bajo mi punto de vista... | It's my view that... |
| Para mí... | To me... |
| Por lo que puedo contar... | As far as I can tell... |
| Supongo que... | I assume... |
| Yo diría que... | I would say... |
| Bajo mi punto de vista... | In my point of view... |
Sample answers
Worked Example: Film Opinion
Spanish: Yo pienso que la mejor película de todos los tiempos es "El Padrino", porque la historia es muy emocionante y cada personaje está bien construido. Además, la actuación de Marlon Brando es simplemente sorprendente.
English translation: I think that the best film of all time is "The Godfather", because the story is very exciting and every character is well constructed. Besides, Marlon Brando's performance is simply stunning.
Key features:
- Uses Yo pienso que... to introduce the opinion
- Gives clear reasons with porque (because)
- Uses además (besides) to add another point
- Includes specific examples (Marlon Brando)
Worked Example: Language Learning Opinion
Spanish: En mi opinión, es muy importante conocer idiomas para conseguir un buen trabajo. Creo que las personas que hablan varios idiomas tienen más oportunidades en el mundo moderno.
English translation: In my opinion, it's very important to know languages to get a good job. I believe that people who speak several languages have more opportunities in the modern world.
Key features:
- Uses En mi opinión as an opinion starter
- Follows with Creo que... for additional support
- Gives practical reasons for the opinion
- Uses present tense throughout
Common mistakes and tips
Common mistakes to avoid:
Critical Grammar Errors to Avoid:
- Forgetting accent marks - Remember accents on words like opinión, creo, más
- Using English word order - In Spanish, adjectives usually come after nouns: una película interesante (not una interesante película)
- Overusing "muy" (very) - Try using other intensifiers like bastante (quite), realmente (really), extremadamente (extremely)
Helpful tips:
Strategies for Success:
- Start simple - Use basic opinion starters like Yo creo que... or En mi opinión... before trying more advanced phrases
- Practice transitions - Use words like además (besides), también (also), pero (but) to connect your ideas
- Be specific - Instead of saying Es bueno (It's good), say Es muy interesante (It's very interesting) or Es emocionante (It's exciting)
- Use examples - Support your opinions with concrete examples to make them more convincing
Key Points to Remember:
- Start your opinion clearly using phrases like En mi opinión... or Yo creo que...
- Always give reasons for your opinions using porque (because)
- Keep your language simple and focus on clear communication
- Use specific examples to support your points
- Practice both agreeing and disagreeing phrases for balanced discussions