Hi there, this is Harry, welcome back to advanced English lessons with Harry, where I try to help
you to get a better understanding of the English language. Helping you with all of your vocabulary,
adjectives, adverbs, transformation, phrasal verbs. Whatever you need,
we're here to help you. And indeed, if you're preparing for proficiency exams,
or you're preparing, preparing for a job interview, well, you've come to the right
place. If you've got any worries, any concerns, drop me a line, and we'll see
what we can do to help you. And at the end of this particular lesson, of course, as always,
I'll give you my address. And if you want to contact me, well, you'll have the details there.
Okay, so as I said, this is an advanced English lesson.
And in this particular lesson, we're looking at useful phrases for essays. So this is all about
your written English. Useful phrases for essays and most of the phrases I'm going to give you now
are really good for more formal type of writing. So if you're writing an essay for a particular
exam, whether it be IELTS or FCE or CAE, these expressions are really useful. You could be
writing a thesis, you could be writing reports, you could be getting your students to write
essays, so they're going to be helpful for you in that respect. So as I said, they're quite formal.
I've divided them into different sections, but it's all about phrases that you would use to make
your English sound a little better. And in exams, in particular, IELTS and CAE the examiner loves
to see these types of phrases used, because it indicates that you've got a better understanding
of the English language, that you can use these phrases in certain paragraphs throughout your
essay, either at the beginning or the middle, or the end of your essay. So look at them carefully,
practice them, try and use them and see how you can introduce them into your writing.
Now, they're not expressions that I would generally use in spoken English,
you might use one or two of them in a real formal setting. Or if you're making the presentation,
for example, to your colleagues, or clients or some convention, then of course, you might find a
use for these expressions, because you'll probably include them in a PowerPoint presentation.
But ultimately and mostly I've put them down here for ways of helping you to improve your
written English and particularly, when you're writing essays is really, really important.
When you're writing an essay that you have the right structure. You know that you have
the beginning, your which is really the question that you've been asked, you have the main body,
which is your views, or your arguments or your points of view, and then the very end,
which is your conclusion or summary of your particular essay. So these are the types of
expressions that you can use in different parts of your essay. Okay, so as I say,
I've split them into different sections. One section is called expressing an opinion. So
where you want to express an opinion, second, is commonly held views. Third, saying what other
people think so giving other people's opinion. And then finally, referring to sources. Which is
always important when you're writing more formal documents is that you must refer to your source,
where did you get the information from. Okay, we'll take it one section after another.
So the first one is expressing an opinion. So here, we've got three,
it's probably true to say that okay, so here you're expressing your opinion,
it's probably true to say that most people haven't travelled more than six countries
a year or three countries a year. Okay. So it is probably true to say that most people
never travel to more than three or four or five or six countries a year. It's probably
true to say that that means that it can't be disputed because it's general information.
A little bit stronger, that can be no doubt that Okay,
so there can be no doubt that the longest days of the year and the darkest days happen in winter,
there can be no doubt. So nobody is going to dispute it because it's more or less a fact.
It is simply not the case that everyone enjoys black humour. It is simply not the case that okay,
so you're again expressing your opinion. So three ways to say it,
it is probably probably true to say that. There can be no doubt that. Or simply not the case that.
Okay, second section commonly held views so these are general views held by lots of people,
so they're not Your opinion, they're not my opinion, they are commonly held views
or views held generally by people. So here's how we express it. It is widely believed that
this is very, very commonly used as a really good way to introduce a point.
So you're not saying this is my opinion, your opinion, but it is widely believed
that so widely meaning lots of people in every country, all over the world.
No one would dispute the fact that... So again,
you're putting it out there that not you or me, no one would dispute the fact that...
Few people would contest the fact that. Or few people would dispute the fact that. So another
way so we're not saying no one here, we're saying few people would Okay, so few people
would mean that it's the very, very likely that some might, but few people would contest that
or few people would dispute the fact that okay. So, it is generally agreed that it is generally
agreed that again, a common way of telling people that not your opinion, not my opinion,
but generally most people or unbalance a lot of people would have these opinions
So commonly held views, it is widely believed that. No one would dispute the fact that. Few
people would contest or dispute the fact that and then it is generally agreed that.
So let's give a couple of examples when you might use it. It is widely believed that birds all fly
south, in the autumn. It is widely believed that all birds fly south in the autumn. No one would
dispute the fact that the sun rises in the east and it sets in the west. No one would dispute
that because it's a fact. Few people would contest the fact that people get a little weaker and lose
strength as they get older. So few people would contest meaning disagree or dispute the fact that
as we grow older, we get a little weaker. And then finally, it is generally agreed that it is
generally agreed that it is much better to live in peace and harmony with each other than to be
continuously fighting with our neighbours. It is generally agreed that so of course,
some people might dispute those facts, but on balance, everybody would agree. Okay.
Now, the next section is saying what other people think. So here, we're very specifically focusing
on other people's opinion, not your opinion, okay. You're the writer, the author of this particular
essay, but this is what other people say, okay, so there are those who argue that, okay, so you've
made your point in your essay, but then you're going to give a counter argument by introducing it
as follows. There are those who argue that people should have to pay for their hospital care. Okay,
so some people think it should be free. But there are those who argue that nothing should be free in
this life, you should have to pay for everything, including your hospital care hospital treatment.
It has been suggested that it has been suggested that people who pay for their hospital care are
more likely to appreciate it. Yeah. So it has been suggested that so you're not suggesting it,
but you're using this expression. It has been suggested that you're not saying who,
but generally people it has been suggested that.
Or it is often claimed that. It is often claimed that people who have three or more
children really don't control them as well as people with just one child. So it is often
claimed that people who have three or more children don't have the same control over
the children as those who have only a single or one child. I'm not making these statements.
I'm just using them as an example of course, but it is often claimed that.
And then finally, opponents, those people who are against you or supporters, people who are with
you, proponents of something. So they argue that. What do they argue? So opponents of this proposal
argue that supporters of this proposal argue that, and those who have put forward the suggestion
proponents of this suggestion argue that. So what we're saying is these are different people,
the opponents have a suggestion. So perhaps there's a plan to build a motorway through your
city. Okay. So the opponents of this suggestion argue that it will destroy the character of the
town or the city. Supporters of this motorway, say that they will bring more people into the town and
city and therefore they will spend more money. And then proponents, the people who have put forward
have argued that this is the way forward, this is progress, and you can't stop progress. So here,
we're using these words to tell us other people's views or the other people think.
So let me go through them again. And so here we're saying what other people think not what you think.
But what other people are thinking. There are those who argue that it has been suggested that.
For example, so there are those who argue that white is a better colour than black or black is
a better colour than white. It has been suggested that heavy people have more fun or laugh more.
It is often claimed that people with blonde hair have more fun. And then opponents of a
particular scheme, supporters of a particular scheme, proponents of particular scheme argue
their point of view. Okay, so different ways when people say what they believe or what they think.
And then the final section is where we're referring to sources, which is where we
get our information from the source of our information. All the evidence suggests that. Okay,
all the evidence suggests that this is the best way forward for everybody. Our
recent survey proved that 80% of people would be in favour of high-rise buildings
in the city. Judging by the comments made by the people in on the internet,
most people will be in favour of bigger schools, larger classrooms. And interviews with students
or residents have revealed that 80% of students will drop out of college if they get bad marks.
Okay, so these are expressions that we can use when we're referring to sources of information
that we have used in our essay to support our argument to oppose our argument, or to get our
point of view across so let me go through those ones again. So we're referring to sources of
information. All the evidence suggests that blah, blah. A recent survey proved that blah blah,
judging by the comments made by people and then interviews with students have revealed that Okay
So let me give you some specific examples of those. All the evidence suggests that the British
people voted for Brexit, using wrong information. A recent survey proved that the people who voted
for Brexit would change their mind if they had a chance to vote again. Judging by the comments made
by people on the internet, nobody understood what they were voting for when they voted for Brexit,
an interview with students have revealed that none of them voted either yes or no in the
Brexit referendum. Okay, so different ways to give information or sources of information that help
you with any particular argument in an essay that you are writing and the examples I gave you there
were relating to Brexit and the British government and the vote that they had five, six years ago.
Okay, so let's go through them again. We've got 1 2 3 4 sections,
all relating to phrases that you can use when you're writing essays. Particularly when you're
writing those proficiency essays and exams like FCE or IELTS, or indeed any college entry essay.
Or if you're teaching yourself which many of you are, then these are expressions that
you could give to your students to use in their essays. So when you want to express an opinion,
it is probably true to say that. There can be no doubt that. It is simply not the case that. All
about expressing an opinion. Commonly held views not just by you commonly held views. It is widely
believed that. No one would dispute the fact that. Few people would contest or dispute the fact that.
It is generally agreed that, so commonly held views. And then what other people think there
are those who argue that not necessarily me there are those who argued that it has been
suggested that it is often claimed that and then opponents or supporters of something, argue that,
whatever their point of view happens to be. And then finally, when we want to refer to our sources
of information to make our arguments, all the evidence suggests that a recent survey proved
that or indicated that judging by the comments made by people on the internet or on Instagram.
And then interviews with students or the elderly or the residents, whoever they happen to be,
whatever the group of people happen to be, have revealed that blah, blah, blah.
Okay, so, good expressions, useful phrases for you to improve your writing skills examiners
love them, they really really love them, it shows a good command of English, drop a few of those
into each of the paragraphs, and it's certainly going to improve your chances of getting a really,
really good score. Now if you need any more help, any other suggestions, then you can
contact me on www.englishlessonviaskype.com. Very happy to hear from you and very happy
to help you with any further information that you need. Okay, this is Harry, thanking you for
watching. Thank you for listening. Just a gentle hint, make sure you join me for the next lesson.