Giving opinions and building an argument: You're exactly where you should be: the opinion language here (en mi opinión, creo que, es importante que…) is taught identically at SL.
What changes at HL
- The HL difference is ambition.
- Stating a view and defending it carries a 450–600-word essay.
- It powers your spoken response to a literary extract in the oral.
- Build a bank of these phrases now and you'll always have a way into the argument.
Stating and backing up a view: Giving an opinion means doing two things. A bare opinion with no reason stays in the lower bands; an opinion plus a reason plus an example is what the discursive writing and the oral conversation reward.
Two steps
1
State it
Say what you think: creo que…, en mi opinión…
2
Justify it
Back it with a reason: porque…, ya que…
Opinion + reason + example.
Watch the negative: One grammar point to watch: a negated opinion (no creo que…) switches the next verb into the subjunctive.
- la opinión
- opinion — what you personally think
- creo que
- I believe / think that — introduces an opinion (+ indicative)
- justificar
- to justify — to back up your opinion with a reason
- estar de acuerdo
- to agree — to share someone's view
- el subjuntivo
- the subjunctive — the verb mood triggered by no creo que…
- el indicativo
- the indicative — the ordinary verb mood after a plain creo que…
Opinion + reason, always: The single biggest mark-winner here is the justification. Never write Creo que es bueno. and stop — add …porque… or …ya que…. In the oral, every opinion you give should be followed by a reason, ideally with an example.
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Phrases for stating, agreeing, contrasting: Here is the phrase toolkit, grouped by job: stating, agreeing or disagreeing, and one trap.
Three jobs
- Stating an opinion takes the indicative (creo que es…).
- Agreeing / disagreeing lets you respond to others.
- The trap: no creo que / no pienso que takes the subjunctive (no creo que sea…).
Para dar una opinión (+ indicativo)
- creo que… — I think that… (Creo que es importante.)
- pienso que… — I think that… (Pienso que tienes razón.)
- en mi opinión… — in my opinion… (En mi opinión, hace falta.)
- me parece que… — it seems to me that… (Me parece que funciona.)
- desde mi punto de vista… — from my point of view… (Desde mi punto de vista, es justo.)
Para estar (o no) de acuerdo
- estoy de acuerdo (con…) — I agree (with…)
- no estoy de acuerdo — I disagree
- por un lado… por otro lado… — on one hand… on the other hand…
Negated opinion → subjunctive: A plain opinion keeps the indicative: Creo que es verdad. But the moment you negate it, the verb after que becomes subjunctive: No creo que sea verdad. Same with No pienso que… → No pienso que tenga razón. This is the one form examiners look for here.
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Where opinions earn marks: Opinion language is the backbone of the discursive writing and the oral conversation. Here are the moments you reach for it, each with a Spanish example.
Reason makes the argument: Notice that the reason (porque / ya que) is what turns a comment into an argument.
Cuándo expresar opinión
- Discursive writing — En mi opinión, deberíamos reciclar más, porque protege el medio ambiente. (In my opinion, we should recycle more, because it protects the environment.)
- The oral conversation — Pienso que la tecnología ayuda, ya que facilita el estudio. (I think technology helps, since it makes studying easier.)
- Justifying with a reason — Me parece útil porque ahorra tiempo. (It seems useful to me because it saves time.)
- Weighing two sides — Por un lado es cómodo; por otro lado, es caro. (On one hand it's convenient; on the other hand, it's expensive.)
- Responding to someone — Estoy de acuerdo, pero creo que falta información. (I agree, but I think information is missing.)
Justify with porque / ya que: Whenever you state a view, attach a reason with porque or ya que. An example after that (por ejemplo…) makes it stronger still. Opinion → reason → example is the chain that pushes you up the bands.
Opinion, reason, example, conclusion: Here is a short opinion paragraph built in the classic shape. Tap Ver traducción or the audio button to hear it.
The classic shape
1
Opinion
State your view.
2
Reason
Back it up with ya que or porque.
3
Example
Give one concrete case.
4
Weigh both sides
Por un lado… por otro lado…
5
Mini-conclusion
Sum up with Por eso….
Opinion → Reason → Example → Both sides → Conclusion
Indicative vs subjunctive: Notice the plain opinions use the indicative (creo que reduce) while the negated one uses the subjunctive (no creo que sea).
Una opinión en acción
Opinión, razón, ejemplo, conclusión
- En mi opinión, el transporte público es la mejor opción para la ciudad.
- Creo que reduce la contaminación, ya que hay menos coches en las calles.
- Por ejemplo, en mi ciudad el metro transporta a miles de personas cada día.
- Por un lado es barato; por otro lado, no llega a todos los barrios.
- Por eso, no creo que sea perfecto, pero pienso que es mejor que el coche.
Steal this skeleton: The chain is reusable for any topic: En mi opinión… (opinion). Creo que… porque… (reason). Por ejemplo… (example). Por un lado… por otro lado… (two sides). Por eso, pienso que… (conclusion). Drop in your topic and you have a full discursive paragraph.
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The slips to watch for: Three classic opinion errors cost marks. Compare the right version with the typical mistake.
The three slips
- Forgetting the subjunctive after a negated opinion (no creo que es… → no creo que sea…).
- Giving an opinion with no justification.
- English calques, like translating I am agree word for word.
Correcto
- No creo que sea buena idea.
- Creo que es útil porque ahorra tiempo.
- Estoy de acuerdo contigo.
Error común
- No creo que es buena idea.
- Creo que es útil.
- Estoy de acuerdo. / Soy de acuerdo.
Negate → subjunctive, and always justify: Two checks before you move on: if your opinion is negated (no creo que…), is the next verb in the subjunctive (sea, tenga, pueda)? And does every opinion have a reason attached? Also avoid the calque — it's estoy de acuerdo, never soy de acuerdo.