ICAO Level 5 Structure: Expressing Opinions

When it comes to a speaking part of an ICAO exam, there’s a vast spectrum of possibilities to express your opinion and justify it. Let’s focus now on the first area. Why you should use phrases that emphasize your opinions? First of all, it enriches your speech and shows you have a wide range of vocabulary. Secondly, all the phrases are also discourse markers that help to keep you follow a clear and organized structure. Finally, they always make a good impression. Which are worth paying attention to and which you should replace with a better equivalent? Read the following article to find out how small phrases can make a truly big impact and help you transit from a mediocre Level 4 to Level 5.

Expressing Opinion – Level 4 Simple Phrases

One of the most overused phrases is ‘I think’. It is so natural and so many people don’t even realize it when it is repeated too much and, hence, the overall exam impression may not be spectacular in the ears of a listener. Here are the others Level 4 types:

  • I think…
  • I believe…
  • I feel…
  • If you ask me…
  • In my opinion…
  • I agree… / I disagree…
  • I’m not sure about…

Is there a magic formula on turning all these boring Level 4 phrases into Level 5? Yes, there is but you need to remind what adjectives and adverbs are.

ICAO Level 5 vocabulary and structures

Expressing Opinion – Level 5 Phrases with Adjectives and Adverbs

Use adjectives and adverbs in order to add an extra flavor and transform all the mentioned phrases into more Level 5 oriented.

  • I personally think…
  • I strongly believe…
  • In my honest opinion…
  • I partly agree…
  • I absolutely disagree…

Or you can use more advanced phrases like:

  • My take on that is…
  • In my view…
  • My opinion on (sth) is…
  • Couldn’t agree more/ couldn’t agree less – you completely agree/ disagree
  • According to…

It’s one of the most common discourse markers. It’s easily remembered and it wonderfully enriches your speech. However, you have to be careful and be aware you know when “in my opinion” should be used instead. Read the following comment to check the difference.

“According To” versus “In my opinion”

“According to” implies someone else’s opinion or statement. According to is implies stronger views unless it is stated by a respected organization or an authority.

When we want to express our opinion we use f.e. “In my opinion“.

Compare:

“In my opinion, she needs to undergo surgery for a heart problem.” (It’s my view on this health issue.)

but “According to IATA, air transport requires access to high-quality infrastructure at competitive cost.” (In this case, IATA opinion is expressed.)

According to as a discourse marker