Business Writing

Giving Opinions

When you’re writing it may be important to state an opinion and to make it clear whose opinion you are giving. Is it your own? Perhaps it’s the opinion of an author, or a colleague?

Here are some phrases you can use in your writing to signal that you are giving an opinion, and to signal whose opinion it is.

These phrases can also be used when you’re talking and can be useful when you’re putting forward a point of view, for example, when you’re at a meeting.

Reporting Your Own Opinions

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  • As far as I’m concerned…
  • As I see it…
  • Frankly speaking…
  • From my point of view…
  • I believe…
  • I guess…(US English)
  • I tend to (think, feel, believe) that…
  • I think…
  • I would have to say…
  • I’m convinced that…
  • If you ask me…
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  • In my opinion…
  • In my view…
  • It seems to me that…
  • Personally…
  • Speaking for myself…
  • Speaking personally…
  • The way I see it…
  • To be honest…
  • To my mind…
  • What I’m trying to say is…
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Referring to Someone Else’s Opinion

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  • According to the writer…
  • As for the journalist…
  • As the writer puts it…
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  • From [enter name here]’s point of view…
  • From the author’s perspective…
  • The author considers that…
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There are some phrases we can use to introduce opinions that are governed by some other authority, e.g. the law, an official point of view, etc.

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  • Legally…
  • Morally…
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  • Officially…
  • With respect to the law…
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When Something is Generally Known

Sometimes you might want to express someone’s opinion without saying whose opinion it is. For example, you could be referring to something that is generally known. In these cases you can use:

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  • It is considered…
  • It is generally accepted that…
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  • It is thought that…
  • Some people say that…
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