Opinions

• Be comfortable with expressing opinions on a range of topics - this will allow you to articulate thoughts effectively
• “Creo que…” - this translates to “I believe that…” in English. A simple and effective start to any opinionated sentence.
• “Pienso que…” - another pathway to expressing your opinion, translates to “I think that…”
• The verb “gustar” is essential when talking about likings and interests. E.g., “Me gusta la música”, means “I like music”.
• “No me gusta…”, “Me encanta…” and “Odio…” can all be used to express different strengths of opinion. These phrases mean “I don’t like…”, “I love…” and “I hate…” respectively.
• “A mi juicio” or “en mi opinión” can be used to express “in my judgement” or “in my opinion”.
• Make sure to use “porque” to give reasons for your opinions. This word translates to “because”.
• Remember, Spanish requires the use of the subjunctive tense when discussing subjective opinions or emotions.
• Be familiar with a variety of adjectives and how they agree with the nouns they modify (in terms of gender and number).
• Extend your opinions by using connectives like “pero” (but), “y” (and), “sin embargo” (however).
• Look for opportunities to use a variety of tenses when offering your opinions. The use of past, present, and future tenses can make your arguments more nuanced and interesting.
• Learn phrases that cover a broad range of opinions, not just “good” and “bad”. Consider phrases that cover “interesting”, “boring”, “exciting”, “difficult”, “easy”, “expensive”, “cheap” and so forth to give nuance to your opinions.
• Practice forming opinions about a range of social and cultural topics, such as family, school life, ambitions, holidays, technology, friends, hobbies, hometown, environment, etc. This will set you up to handle a variety of discussion topics.