|+| نوشته شده توسط پگاه اولی در یکشنبه نهم تیر 1387 و ساعت 21:33  

 اصطلاحات و عبارات مفيد براي مهارت نگارش در IELTS-درس چهارم

Giving opinion 1

1 what you say when giving your opinion about something

 

in my opinion/in my view used when giving your opinion about something:

• Their concerns are, in my opinion, fully justified.

• In my opinion, the cathedral is one of the world's most beautiful churches.

• In my view, the court made the right decision.

STUDY NOTE: Grammar

Don't say 'According to my opinion' when you mean in my opinion.

 

I think that used when giving your opinion about something:

• I think that everyone should be able to own their own home.

• I think that hunting should be banned.

STUDY NOTE: Grammar

In formal essay writing, people often try to avoid using phrases with ‘I’ or 'me', and use more impersonal phrases such as in this writer’s view or in this writer's opinion.

When you are writing essays, it is a good idea to quote another writer to support your argument, rather than just say I think that ... This will give your argument much more authority. For example: As Hobsbawm (1969) has pointed out, the rise of the cotton industry created a huge demand for cotton goods.

 

in this writer’s view/opinion used in formal essays when giving your opinion:

• In this writer's view, the present system is in need of reform.

• In this writer's opinion, the arguments against using nuclear energy are overwhelming.

 

it seems to me that used when saying that you think that something is probably true. You use this especially when you have considered a situation carefully and want to give your overall opinion about it:

• It seems to me that there is some truth in her argument.

 

I believe that used about strongly held beliefs, for example about moral issues:

• I believe that the death penalty is morally wrong.

 

Giving opinion 2

2 ways of saying what another person’s opinion is

 

somebody's opinion/view is that used when saying what another writer's opinion is about something:

• The judge's opinion was that she was fit to stand trial.

• His view is that consumers should be told the whole truth about the product they are buying.

• The general opinion is that the combined vaccine works better. (=most people think this)

 

in somebody's opinion/view used when saying what another writer's opinion is about something:

• The important thing, in Galileo's opinion, was to accept the facts and build a theory to fit them.

• Criticism is quite different, in Barthes's view, from ordinary reading.

• In his opinion, the portrait painter seeks to capture the moment when the model looks most like himself or herself.

 

be of the opinion that/take the view that to have a particular opinion. These are formal phrases:

• Until then, most scientists were of the opinion that these variations in weather were compatible with established climate patterns.

• Levitt takes the view that low prices are the key to marketing success.

 

have/hold an opinion to have a particular opinion:

• Everybody has a different opinion of what America represents.

• They held the same opinions on many issues.

• Voters tend to have a low opinion of politicians. (=think they are not very good)

• Teenage girls generally have a higher opinion of themselves as learners than boys, according to a recent study. (=they think that they are better)

 

for somebody preposition used when saying what someone's opinion is, especially when this is a general opinion which also affects their other ideas about a subject. For somebody is usually used at the beginning of a sentence:

• For Chomsky, language is an abstract system of rules which is used by human minds for transmitting and receiving ideas.

• For Vygotsky, social factors play a fundamental role in intellectual development.

 

as far as somebody is concerned used when you want to emphasize that you are talking about the opinion of a particular person or group:

• As far as he was concerned, the failure showed the limits of military intervention.

• The election was a formality as far as the ruling party was concerned.

 

from sb’s point of view used when saying what someone's reaction to something is, based on how it affects them:

• From their point of view, the system worked quite well.

• It is important to consider the situation from the point of view of the ordinary man in the street.

 

Writing about advantages

 

advantage noun [countable] a good feature that something has, which makes it better, more useful etc than other things:

• The great advantage of digital cameras is that there is no film to process.

• The advantage of using a specialist firm is that the people who work there have years of experience.

• One of the big advantages of this type of engine is that it is smaller and lighter than a conventional petrol engine.

• The university has the advantage of being one of the oldest and best respected in the country.

• The movement of the sea is predictable. This gives wave power a distinct advantage over (=an obvious advantage compared to) wind power.

• Despite a few problems with the design, the car's advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages. (=the problems are not enough to stop it being a good car)

 

benefit noun [countable] a feature of something that has a good effect on people's lives:

• Regular exercise has many benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease.

• Modern technology has brought great benefits to mankind.

• There has been a great deal of research into the potential benefits of using genetically modified crops.

 

merit noun [countable] a good feature that something has, which you consider when you are deciding whether it is the best choice:

• The committee will consider the merits of the proposals.

• In her book, she discusses the relative merits of the two political systems. (=she compares the features that they have)

• The merits and demerits of (=the good and bad features of) alternative funding systems were widely discussed in the newspapers.

• The chairman saw no great merit in this suggestion. (=he did not think that it was a good idea)

 

good point noun [countable] a good feature that something has:

• One of the good points about the car is that it is easy to drive.

• Each system has its good and bad points.

 

plus point noun [countable] a good feature that something has:

• The small but powerful battery is another of the camera's many plus points.

• The estate agent's leaflet said a major plus point was the recently modernized kitchen.

 

the good/great/best thing about used when mentioning a good feature of something:

• The great thing about living in a city is that you can go shopping at almost any hour of the day or night.

• Her wicked sense of humour was the best thing about her.

• The good thing about cycling is that you don't have to worry about getting stuck in a traffic jam.

STUDY NOTE: Grammar

the good/great/best thing about is rather informal. Don't use it in formal essays.

 

the beauty of something is that used when you want to emphasize that something has a very good or useful feature:

• The beauty of the design is that it is so simple.

Writing about disadvantages

 

disadvantage noun [countable] a bad feature that something has, which makes it less good, less useful etc than other things:

• The main disadvantage of this book is its price.

• These vaccines have two serious disadvantages. Firstly, they are not 100% effective, and secondly, they are expensive to make.

• A major disadvantage of using large quantities of chemicals is that they quickly get absorbed into soil.

 

drawback noun [countable] a disadvantage which makes you think that something is not so good, even though it has other advantages:

• The major drawback of this method is that it can be very time-consuming.

• Aluminium is very light and also very strong. Its main drawback is that it cools down very rapidly.

• Summer in the Scottish islands can be beautiful. The only drawback is the weather, which can be very changeable.

 

downside noun [singular] the disadvantage of a situation that in most other ways seems good or enjoyable:

• The downside of running your own business is that you are responsible if anything goes wrong.

• Everyone wants to be rich and famous, but it does have its downside.

• Most comfort eaters enjoy what they eat, but the downside is that they soon start to put on weight.

 

bad point noun [countable] a bad feature that something has:

• There are good points and bad points about single sex schools.

• For all its bad points, and there are many, it is still the best software system of its kind available.