To give an opinion means to say what you think or feel about something. We often give opinions about movies, books, music, food, or experiences in daily life.
When you ask for an opinion, you want to know what someone else thinks.
For example:
“What did you think of the movie?” (You ask for an opinion.) “I really enjoyed it. It was amazing!” (You give your opinion.)
Giving and asking for opinions helps you share ideas, agree or disagree politely, and have real conversations in English! 😊
How to Ask for and Give Opinions 🗣️💭
Here are useful and natural expressions to help you ask for and share your thoughts politely.
Situation
Phrases to Use
Example
Asking for opinions
– What did you think of it? – Did you like/enjoy it? – How was it? – Was it good?
“How was the restaurant?” 🍽️
Giving a positive opinion
– I really enjoyed it. – It was amazing! – Best film/book I’ve seen in ages. – I thought he/she was really good.
“I really enjoyed it. The food was delicious!” 😋
Giving a negative opinion
– I thought it was awful / terrible. – It’s not my kind of thing. – I found it a bit boring. – I was a bit disappointed.
“It’s not my kind of thing. I don’t like horror movies.” 😬
Giving a neutral opinion
– It was OK, I guess. – It’s good, but not her best.
“It was OK, but a bit long.” 😐
Example Conversations 🗨️🎭
Conversation 1: Talking about a Movie 🎬 A: What did you think of the new Spider-Man movie? B: I really enjoyed it! The action scenes were great.
Conversation 2: Talking about a Book 📚 A: Did you enjoy the book? B: It was OK, I guess. A little boring in the middle.
Conversation 3: Talking about a Concert 🎵 A: How was the concert last night? B: To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. The sound wasn’t very good.
When you want to make a plan with a friend, you can use these friendly expressions 👇
💡 Useful Phrase
💬 Meaning
🧠 Example
Would you like to come?
A polite way to invite
Would you like to come to my party? 🎉
Do you want to meet up (this Friday)?
A friendly invitation
Do you want to meet up after class? ☕
Do you want to join us?
Include someone in a plan
We’re having dinner tonight. Do you want to join us? 🍽️
🗣 Tip: “Would you like to…?” is more polite than “Do you want to…?”
How to Respond to Invitations
When someone invites you, you can accept or refuse politely:
💡 Response
💬 Use it when…
🧠 Example
I’d love to! ❤️
You’re happy to join
“Do you want to come?” → “I’d love to!”
Yes, that sounds great/fun! 😄
You agree with the plan
“Let’s go to the park.” → “That sounds great!”
I don’t think I can, sorry. 🙁
You can’t join (polite)
“Sorry, I don’t think I can.”
I’m sorry I can’t, I’m busy. 📅
You already have plans
“I’m sorry I can’t. I’m working that day.”
Organising When and Where to Meet
Once you both agree, you need to arrange the details, time and place!
💡 Phrase
💬 Meaning
🧠 Example
Where / What time shall we meet?
Ask for details
“Where shall we meet?” / “What time shall we meet?”
Shall we meet (at ten / at the park)?
Suggest a place or time
“Shall we meet at the café at 5?”
Let’s meet (in front of / at…)
Confirm a plan
“Let’s meet in front of the cinema at 7.” 🎬
🗣 Tip: We often use present continuous to talk about these future plans:
I’m meeting my friends at 7. We’re having dinner on Friday.
Responding to Suggestions
When your friend suggests something, you can agree or hesitate politely:
💡 Phrase
💬 Meaning
🧠 Example
That’s a good idea! 👍
You like the suggestion
“Let’s go for pizza.” → “That’s a good idea!”
I’m not sure about that. 🤔
You’re not completely happy with the plan
“How about the zoo?” → “I’m not sure about that.”
🗣️ Conversation Example
A: What are you doing this Saturday? B: Not much. Why? A: Would you like to come to the food festival? B: I’d love to! A: Great! Shall we meet in front of the station at 12? B: Sounds good! See you there!
Quick Summary
🧠 Function
💬 Phrases
💡 Example
Inviting people
Would you like to…? / Do you want to meet up?
Would you like to come this Friday?
Accepting
I’d love to! / That sounds great!
Yes, that sounds fun!
Refusing politely
I’m sorry, I can’t. / I’m busy.
I don’t think I can, sorry.
Arranging
Shall we meet at…? / Let’s meet at…?
Let’s meet at 6.
Responding to suggestions
That’s a good idea! / I’m not sure about that.
That’s a good idea!
Let’s Practice
Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3
Speaking
Practice 1
Flip a card.
Student A ->Complete the question/ sentence.
Student B -> Answer the question/ keep up with the conversation
Conditional sentences are used to talk about situations and their consequences. In English, different types of conditionals are used depending on whether we are talking about facts that are always true or possible events in the future.
✅ Zero Conditional: Facts and Things That Always Happen
The zero conditional is used for situations that are always true. It shows a cause and effect relationship that does not change.
Examples:
If you heat water to 100°C, it boils. 💧
If it rains, the ground gets wet. 🌧️
If I am tired, I go to bed early. 🛏️
Key points:
Used for facts, routines, or general truths.
Both parts use the present simple tense.
✅ First Conditional: Real Possibilities in the Future
The first conditional is used for possible events in the future and their likely results. It is often used for predictions, warnings, promises, or advice.
Examples:
If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home. 🌧️🏠
If I study hard, I will pass my exam. 📚
If she doesn’t hurry, she will miss the bus. 🚌
Key points:
Talks about possible future situations.
The if-part uses present simple, and the result uses will + base verb.
Sometimes we don’t know the facts, but we can make guesses or deductions about what’s true. In English, we use modal verbs like may, might, could, must, and can’t to do this. They help us show how sure or unsure we are about something.
Talking About Possibility
When we aren’t sure, but we think something is possible, we use may, might, or could + base form (the base form of the verb, without to).
These modals all mean “maybe”. They show that we’re guessing, not stating a fact.
💭 Examples of Possibility
💬 Sentence
💡 Meaning
She may be ill.
Maybe/ It’s possible she’s ill.
She might be lost.
Maybe/ It’s possible she’s lost.
She could be from another country.
Maybe/ It’s possible she’s is from another country.
She might not be here tomorrow.
Maybe/ It’s possible she won’t come tomorrow.
🎯 Quick Notes
may, might, and could all express the same level of possibility.
To make a negative, add not: might not / may not.
Example: He might not come to class today.
They’re followed by a base form verb
✅ She might be late. ✖️ She might to be late.
🌦 Think of it like this:
Modal
How sure are you?
Example
may / might / could
🤔 Maybe yes, maybe no
It might rain later.
They’re your “maybe modals”
These modals are perfect when you’re not 100% sure, but something is possible!
Talking About Strong Possibility
Sometimes things look or sound true, even if we aren’t completely certain. In this case, we use seem + to + verb to show a strong possibility or something that appears or feels true.
Think of it as saying:
“It looks like…” or “It sounds like…”
💭 Examples of Strong Possibility
💬 Sentence
💡 Meaning
She seems to be very cold.
It looks like she’s cold.
They seem to know each other well.
It appears they know each other.
This café seems to be popular.
It looks busy — probably true.
He seems to be tired.
It looks that way — I’m quite sure.
🧩 Grammar Pattern
seem + to + verb(base form)
✅ She seems to be tired. ✅ It seems to work well.
🌟 Remember
“Seem” is stronger than may, might, or could.
You use it when something looks or feels true, but you don’t have proof.
It’s a polite, soft way to make an observation.
🎯 Compare
Expression
Meaning
Example
may / might / could
possible, not sure
She might be cold.
seem (to)
strong possibility
She seems to be cold.
Talking About Certainty
When you feel quite certain about something or you have good evidence or a strong reason, use must + verb.
It means you are almost 100% sure something is true.
💭 Examples of Deduction (Strong Certainty)
💬 Sentence
💡 Meaning
She must work at McDonald’s.
I’m almost sure. She is wearing a uniform.
He must be tired after the trip.
I’m almost sure. He traveled all night.
You must know her.
I’m sure it’s true. You work in the same office!
That must be our bus.
I’m certain — it’s the right number.
🧩 Grammar Pattern
must + verb (base form)
✅ She must be at work. ✅ He must live nearby.
🧠 Remember
Use must when you see evidence or know facts that make something very likely.
It’s much stronger than may, might, or could.
Don’t use it for the past. This form talks about the present.
🎯 Compare
Expression
Meaning
Example
may / might / could
possible
He might be tired.
seem (to)
strong possibility
He seems to be tired.
must
sure, strong evidence
He must be tired.
Talking About Something is Impossible
When you are certain something is impossible, use can’t + verb. It shows you are sure that your guess or idea is not true.
Think of it like saying:
“That’s impossible!” or “No way!”
💭 Examples of Deduction (Strong Negation)
💬 Sentence
💡 Meaning
She can’t be at work
I’m sure she isn’t. Her car is still here.
That can’t be his house.
Impossible. It’s too big!
He can’t know the answer
I’m certain he doesn’t. He didn’t come to class.
You can’t be serious!
I don’t believe it. It’s not true.
🧩 Grammar Pattern
can’t + verb (base form)
✅ He can’t be at school — it’s Sunday. ✅ That can’t be real!
🧠 Remember
Use can’t when you are sure something isn’t true.
It’s the opposite of must.
Both talk about deduction in the present — what we think now.
⚖️ Compare
Expression
Meaning
Example
must
sure it’s true
She must be tired. (I’m almost sure she is tired)
can’t
sure it’s not true. It’s impossible
She can’t be tired. She just woke up! (It’s impossible she is tired)
🧠 Grammar Focus
Here’s a complete overview of the modals and expressions we use to talk about possibility, certainty, and impossibility:
When we speak or write in English, we often need to give extra information about a person, a place, or a thing. For example:
I met a woman. She works at the museum. → I met a woman who works at the museum.
We combine the two sentences using a relative clause.
Defining relative clauses help us identify exactly who or what we are talking about — they define the noun. Without this information, the sentence would be unclear.
What Is a Defining Relative Clause?
A defining relative clause gives essential information about a noun. It tells us which person, thing, or place we mean.
Without relative clause
With defining relative clause
The man is my teacher.
The man who is wearing a blue jacket is my teacher.
I read the book.
I read the book that you recommended.
The café is closed.
The café where we had breakfast is closed.
🟢 The information in the relative clause is necessary to understand the sentence. If we remove it, the meaning changes.
Relative Pronouns
We use relative pronouns to connect the main clause and the relative clause.
Relative Pronoun
Refers to
Example
who
people
She’s the student who won the prize.
that
people / things
This is the song that I like.
which
things
That’s the laptop which I bought yesterday.
where
places
This is the park where I go running.
whose
possession/ relationship
I met a man whose car was stolen. I met a woman whose husband is an actor.
when
time
Do you remember the day when we met?
🟡 Tip: In defining relative clauses, we don’t use commas because the information is essential.
When Can We Omit the Relative Pronoun?
We can leave out “who,” “which,” or “that” when it’s the object of the clause (not the subject).
✅ The book that I read was interesting. → The book I read was interesting. ❌ The teacher teaches English is great. → (cannot omit — “who” is the subject)
We can omit
We cannot omit
The film (that I watched) was amazing.
The film that won the award was amazing.
The man (who I met) is from Spain.
The man who lives next door is from Spain.
Examples in Context
She’s the woman who teaches our English class.
That’s the shop where I bought my shoes.
He’s the actor whose movies are very popular in Asia.
This is the place where we met for the first time.
Each clause gives key information that helps the listener understand exactly who or what we’re talking about.
A relative clause gives extra information about a noun (a person, thing, or place). It tells us which person, which thing, or which place we are talking about.
💬 Example:
That’s the man who teaches English. → “who teaches English” tells us which man.
So, instead of two sentences:
That man is my teacher. He teaches English. You can join them: That’s the man who teaches English.
Relative Pronouns
Relative Pronoun
Used for
Example
Meaning
who
people 👩🏫
She’s the woman who works in the office.
→ “who” = the woman
which
things 🧁
This is the cake which I made yesterday.
→ “which” = the cake
that
people and things 🙋♂️📱
He’s the man that lives next door. It’s the phone that I bought.
→ “that” = who / which
where
places 🏫
That’s the school where I studied.
→ “where” = in that place
💡 Note: In speaking, we often use that instead of who or which — it’s more common and informal.
How to Form a Relative Clause
Step
Example
1️⃣ Start with two simple sentences.
This is the girl. She lives next door.
2️⃣ Replace the repeated word (she → who).
This is the girl who lives next door.
✅ Final sentence:
This is the girl who lives next door.
Examples
💡Remember
Don’t use a subject after who, which, or that. ❌ This is the woman who she works here. ✅ This is the woman who works here.
That can often replace who or which, especially in speech: ✅ It’s the restaurant that I like best.
