1. Impersonal points of view
These are useful both in the introduction for restating the question and in the main body for introducing the main arguments in an impersonal way.
Impersonal points of view – making an impersonal argument
- There are those who say that
- It is often said that Many commentators are of the view that
- A common opinion is that
- A popular belief is that
- It is often said that
- One argument put forward is that
- It can be argued that
- It is generally accepted that
2. Personal opinions
These phrases for expressing personal opinions are particularly useful in conclusions, where you are much more likely to be personal.
They are also of use in the introductions in opinion based essays.
- Personal opinions
- My personal view is that
- It seems to me that
- I tend to believe that
- I am of the opinion that
- I would argue that
- In my experience
3. Commenting
A second category of opinion language is showing the strength of your opinion. This language can be used either with personal opinions or more impersonal opinions.
Commenting
- Of course,
- Naturally,
- Evidently,
4. Generalising – making your writing look academic and more cautious
Part of the academic process – and IELTS is at least partly academic – is to generalise appropriately.
This language is needed to soften statements which would be too strong.
- Generally speaking,
- On the whole,
- ……tends…..
- Typically,
- By and large
- ……tends…..
- ..may/might/could…..
- Often/frequently/sometimes/usually
