Speaking Task 7: Expressing Opinions

A personal belief or judgement.

“In my opinion, the plan needs more detail.”

Often used: in my opinion · a strong opinion

CELPIP tip: Upgrade 'I think' to 'In my opinion' or 'My view is that' for a more polished, scored response.

The regular journey between home and work.

“My daily commute takes about an hour each way.”

Often used: daily commute · long commute · commute to work

CELPIP tip: Say 'lengthy commute' to sound fluent; useful when comparing city vs. suburban living in opinions.

Absolutely necessary; extremely important.

“Good communication is essential for teamwork.”

Often used: absolutely essential · essential for

CELPIP tip: Formal; use 'it is essential that...' to sound authoritative when giving strong recommendations or opinions.

Comments about how well something is done.

“My manager gave me helpful feedback.”

Often used: give feedback · positive feedback

CELPIP tip: Collocate strongly: 'constructive feedback' or 'provide feedback on' to sound professional in emails.

The state of being physically healthy.

“Swimming improves overall fitness.”

Often used: physical fitness · fitness level

CELPIP tip: Collocate strongly: 'physical fitness,' 'fitness routine,' or 'fitness goals' to sound natural in opinions.

Harmful substances that damage the environment.

“Air pollution is worse in large cities.”

Often used: air pollution · reduce pollution

CELPIP tip: Neutral and versatile; upgrade with 'air/water pollution levels are rising' for a more specific, vivid expression.

The protection of nature and natural resources.

“The park is a model of successful wildlife conservation.”

Often used: wildlife conservation · water conservation

CELPIP tip: Use 'wildlife/energy conservation' collocations in formal opinion tasks; stronger than simply saying 'protecting nature.'

The subjects and content taught in a course or school.

“The new curriculum includes more hands-on science projects.”

Often used: design a curriculum · core curriculum

CELPIP tip: Formal; strong collocations: 'design a curriculum' or 'school curriculum.' Avoid in casual speech tasks.

Money that you owe to someone.

“She worked hard to pay off her student debt.”

Often used: pay off debt · in debt

CELPIP tip: Strong in opinion essays; collocate with 'accumulate debt' or 'fall into debt' to sound sophisticated.

A disadvantage or negative feature.

“The main drawback of the plan is the cost.”

Often used: major drawback · main drawback · only drawback

CELPIP tip: Neutral and versatile; use 'one major drawback is...' to introduce counterarguments smoothly and naturally.

Facts that show whether something is true.

“There is strong evidence for the claim.”

Often used: scientific evidence · clear evidence

CELPIP tip: Always say 'evidence suggests' not 'evidences'; collocate with 'compelling' to strengthen arguments.

A test done to learn something.

“The experiment confirmed their theory.”

Often used: run an experiment · controlled experiment

CELPIP tip: Use 'conduct an experiment' formally; ideal when predicting science/tech outcomes in opinion tasks.

One thing that helps cause a result.

“Cost was the deciding factor in our choice.”

Often used: a key factor · an important factor

CELPIP tip: Use 'a key/major factor' to sound analytical; stronger than saying 'one reason' in opinion tasks.

Traditions and culture passed down.

“The festival celebrates local heritage.”

Often used: cultural heritage · preserve heritage

CELPIP tip: Pair with 'cultural heritage' in formal opinions; stronger than 'traditions' and boosts your lexical score.

Free time for relaxation and fun.

“He reads in his leisure time.”

Often used: leisure time · leisure activities

CELPIP tip: Formal; collocate with 'leisure time' or 'leisure activities' in opinion essays for a polished tone.

A substance in food that the body needs to grow and stay healthy.

“Vegetables are full of important nutrients.”

Often used: essential nutrients · rich in nutrients

CELPIP tip: Formal health term; collocate with 'essential nutrients' or 'nutrient-rich diet' to boost register.

Full of substances that keep you healthy.

“A nutritious lunch keeps me focused.”

Often used: nutritious meal

CELPIP tip: Upgrade 'healthy food' to 'nutritious meal' in advice and opinion tasks for a more precise, higher-scoring word.

A return to health after illness.

“Rest is important for a full recovery.”

Often used: full recovery · speedy recovery

CELPIP tip: Neutral; collocate: 'full recovery' or 'recovery process'; natural in personal experience and advice tasks.

Large or important enough to have an effect.

“There has been a significant improvement in sales.”

Often used: significant impact · significant increase

CELPIP tip: Formal upgrade for 'big' or 'important'; collocate with 'a significant impact/improvement' for higher scores.

Worth the time, money, or effort spent.

“The course was difficult but worthwhile.”

Often used: worthwhile investment · well worthwhile

CELPIP tip: Neutral; say 'it is worthwhile to invest in...' to justify recommendations—sounds natural and evaluative.

To make a process work by machines, not people.

“They automated the entire billing process.”

Often used: automate a task · fully automate

CELPIP tip: Use in formal opinion tasks; collocate with 'automate repetitive tasks' to sound precise and professional.

A gas or substance sent into the air.

“Cars produce harmful carbon emissions.”

Often used: carbon emission · reduce emissions

CELPIP tip: Always use plural 'emissions'; collocate with 'reduce carbon emissions' for a high-scoring environment topic phrase.

The ability to act and decide independently.

“She showed initiative by solving it herself.”

Often used: take the initiative · show initiative

CELPIP tip: Strong workplace collocation: 'take the initiative'; use in opinion tasks about leadership or productivity.

Introducing new ideas or methods.

“The startup created an innovative app.”

Often used: innovative approach · innovative design

CELPIP tip: Formal; avoid overuse—pair with a specific noun: 'innovative solution/approach' to sound precise, not vague.

To become part of a group or society.

“Newcomers work hard to integrate into society.”

Often used: integrate into · fully integrate

CELPIP tip: Formal register suits survey opinions; use 'integrate into the community' to show precise, high-band phrasing.

Not too much or too little; reasonable.

“Moderate exercise improves your mood.”

Often used: moderate exercise · in moderation

CELPIP tip: Use as adjective: 'moderate exercise' or 'a moderate approach'; signals balance, boosting argument credibility.

Highly skilled and competent at something.

“She is proficient in three programming languages.”

Often used: proficient in · highly proficient · become proficient

CELPIP tip: Formal upgrade for 'good at'; use 'proficient in' (e.g., proficient in software) in workplace emails.

Responsible and required to explain actions.

“Managers are accountable for their teams.”

Often used: hold accountable · accountable for

CELPIP tip: Formal; collocate: 'hold someone accountable for'; powerful in opinion tasks about workplace or government.

To publicly support a cause; a supporter.

“She advocates for better public transport.”

Often used: advocate for · strong advocate

CELPIP tip: Use as verb in opinions: 'I advocate for...' is more precise and formal than 'I think we should support...'

Careful with money; not wasteful.

“Living a frugal lifestyle helped them save.”

Often used: frugal lifestyle · frugal spending

CELPIP tip: Formal opinion contexts; stronger than 'careful with money'—pair with 'frugal lifestyle' for higher-band impact.

No longer used because something newer exists.

“That technology is now completely obsolete.”

Often used: become obsolete · obsolete technology

CELPIP tip: Use 'become obsolete' when predicting technology trends; stronger than 'old' or 'outdated' in formal contexts.

Involving a lot of sitting; not active.

“A sedentary lifestyle can harm your health.”

Often used: sedentary lifestyle · sedentary work

CELPIP tip: Formal, high-level adjective; 'sedentary lifestyle' is a strong collocation for health opinion/survey responses.

To weaken or damage something gradually.

“Constant criticism can undermine confidence.”

Often used: undermine confidence · undermine efforts

CELPIP tip: Formal and precise; use 'this undermines the argument that...' to rebut opposing views with sophistication.

finish something by the required time

“The entire team worked overtime to meet the deadline for the product launch.”

CELPIP tip: Use when advising on time management; pair with 'consistently' to sound more professional.

deal with or respond to a problem directly

“The HR department acted quickly to address the issue of workplace harassment.”

CELPIP tip: Essential in formal emails and difficult-situation tasks; always more professional than 'fix a problem.'

perform required tasks or responsibilities

“All employees are expected to carry out their duties with professionalism.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral and versatile; use to describe job roles clearly — more precise than 'do my work.'

accept or begin handling new duties

“She was willing to take on additional responsibilities after her colleague resigned.”

CELPIP tip: Use when describing career growth experiences; collocates well with 'additional' or 'greater.'

present a convincing argument or justification

“She made a compelling case for hiring two additional staff members.”

CELPIP tip: Use when persuading or justifying in opinion tasks; signals confidence and advanced argumentation.

discuss and agree on the terms of a formal agreement

“The sales director spent three weeks negotiating a contract with the overseas supplier.”

CELPIP tip: Use in business opinion or persuasion tasks; collocates with 'successfully' for stronger impact.

come to an agreement that everyone accepts

“After two hours of discussion, the board finally reached a consensus on the budget.”

CELPIP tip: Formal alternative to 'agree'; signals sophistication in opinion tasks about group decisions.

actively deal with global warming problems

“World leaders met to discuss new policies to tackle climate change.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral; 'tackle' sounds more dynamic than 'deal with'—pair with 'urgent need to' for emphasis.

generate or increase income for a business

“The marketing campaign was designed to drive revenue during the slow season.”

CELPIP tip: Formal business phrase; use in opinion writing to show economic reasoning — impresses at CLB 9+.

encourage and build a supportive workplace culture

“Leadership training helps managers foster a positive work environment for their teams.”

CELPIP tip: Strong in opinion and advice tasks; 'foster' alone elevates your score — avoid overusing 'create.'

make something clearer or easier to understand

“This new study sheds light on the causes of urban poverty.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral but sophisticated; use to introduce supporting evidence: 'This statistic sheds light on the real issue.'

make business processes more efficient

“The new software helped the company streamline its operations and reduce costs.”

CELPIP tip: High-scoring phrase for business opinion tasks; pair with 'in order to' for strong sentence structure.

Used to introduce the first point.

“Firstly, let me explain the background.”

Often used: sequence

CELPIP tip: Always pair with 'secondly/finally' for structured arguments; signals clear organization to raters.

Used to introduce a contrasting idea.

“The plan is costly; however, it is effective.”

Often used: contrast

CELPIP tip: Formal contrast marker; place after a period or semicolon in writing: 'It is affordable. However, quality matters.'

As well as; besides.

“In addition to English, she speaks French.”

Often used: addition

CELPIP tip: Stronger than 'also'; always followed by a noun/gerund: 'In addition to saving money, it…'

Used to introduce a final summary.

“In conclusion, the benefits are clear.”

Often used: conclusion

CELPIP tip: Reserve strictly for final paragraph/sentence; overuse weakens impact. Pair with a strong summary statement.

Said in a simpler or clearer way.

“It failed; in other words, we start over.”

Often used: clarification

CELPIP tip: Use to restate a complex point simply—shows clarity of thought. Strong collocation: 'In other words, the risk outweighs the benefit.'

Especially; specifically.

“I enjoy sports, in particular tennis.”

Often used: emphasis

CELPIP tip: Pinpoint your strongest supporting detail: 'In particular, the cost savings stand out.' Signals precision to raters.

For that reason; as a result.

“The data is incomplete; therefore, we must wait.”

Often used: result

CELPIP tip: Formal; signals logical conclusion — 'costs are rising; therefore, planning is essential.' Boosts argument cohesion.

As a result.

“He missed the train and consequently was late.”

Often used: result

CELPIP tip: Use in formal opinion writing to show cause-effect; stronger than 'so' or 'therefore'.

Simple to suggest but hard to do.

“Saving money is easier said than done.”

CELPIP tip: Informal; use to acknowledge complexity before giving a nuanced opinion—shows critical thinking.

Over a long period; eventually.

“Saving now pays off in the long run.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral; strengthens argument conclusions. Synonym: 'ultimately'—use both to show range.

The most important fact or point.

“The bottom line is that we need more time.”

CELPIP tip: Neutral; use to signal your strongest conclusion. 'The bottom line is…' adds persuasive impact.

To describe something exactly right.

“You hit the nail on the head with that idea.”

CELPIP tip: Informal; use when agreeing strongly in opinions. Avoid in formal writing tasks—use 'precisely' instead.