English Course · Level 5 (B2) · Week 12 of 12
Debating Opinions
Grammar: Essay and presentation language · structuring an argument (Level 5 review)
This week's plan
| Day | Learn | Listen / Watch | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Words: Debate · Sentences 1–2 | BBC 6 Minute English: “Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?” (podcast) | Exercise 1 |
| Day 2 | Words: Agreeing and disagreeing · Sentences 3–4 | engVid (Benjamin): “Conversation Skills: How to agree or disagree” (video) | Exercise 2 |
| Day 3 | Words: Introducing arguments · Sentences 5–6 | TED: Daniel H. Cohen, “For argument's sake” (video) | Exercise 3 |
| Day 4 | Words: Conceding and concluding · Sentences 7–8 | BBC 6 Minute English: “Are opinion polls accurate?” (podcast) + BBC The English We Speak: “No two ways about it” (podcast) | Exercise 4 |
| Day 5 | Words: Presentation signposts · Sentences 9–10 | engVid (Benjamin): “How to Give an Informative Presentation: What to say and do” (video) | Write & Speak |
| Day 6 | Review all 30 words + 10 sentences | British Council B2: “Comparing two charts” (writing) | Redo mistakes |
| Day 7 | Free day ☺ | TED-Ed: “How to spot a misleading graph” (Lea Gaslowitz, animation) (video) | Tick your tracker |
30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.
30 words to learn
Set 1 · Debate
- a motionموضوع المناظرة / المقترح
- an opponentالخصم / الطرف المعارض
- a counter-argumentحجّة مضادّة
- a rebuttalتفنيد / ردّ على الحجّة
- evidenceدليل / أدلّة
- a viewpointوجهة نظر
Set 2 · Agreeing and disagreeing
- I couldn't agree more.أتفق معك تمامًا.
- I see your point, but…أفهم وجهة نظرك، لكن…
- That's a fair point.هذه نقطة وجيهة.
- I beg to differ.اسمح لي أن أختلف معك.
- With all due respect, …مع كامل احترامي، …
- I'm in two minds.أنا متردّد / محتار.
Set 3 · Introducing arguments
- first and foremostأولًا وقبل كل شيء
- it is often claimed thatكثيرًا ما يُزعَم أن
- opponents argue thatيرى المعارضون أن
- there is no doubt thatلا شكّ أن
- it is worth noting thatتجدر الإشارة إلى أن
- a case in pointمثال واضح على ذلك
Set 4 · Conceding and concluding
- admittedlyلا بدّ من الاعتراف بأن / من المسلَّم به
- while it is true thatفي حين أنه من الصحيح أن
- despite the fact thatعلى الرغم من أن
- even soومع ذلك
- on balanceإجمالًا / بعد الموازنة
- all things consideredمع أخذ كل شيء بعين الاعتبار
Set 5 · Presentation signposts
- to begin withفي البداية
- moving on to…بالانتقال إلى…
- let me illustrate this with…دعوني أوضّح ذلك بـ…
- this brings me to…وهذا يقودني إلى…
- to sum upخلاصة القول / باختصار
- I'd like to finish by…أودّ أن أختم بـ…
10 sentences to memorise
- 1It is often claimed that social media brings people together.كثيرًا ما يُزعَم أن وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي تقرّب بين الناس.
- 2I see your point, but I'm afraid I can't agree.أفهم وجهة نظرك، لكن يؤسفني أنني لا أستطيع الموافقة.
- 3Admittedly, school uniforms are not cheap; even so, they reduce pressure on students.لا بدّ من الاعتراف بأن الزيّ المدرسي ليس رخيصًا؛ ومع ذلك فهو يقلّل الضغط على الطلاب.
- 4While it is true that cars are convenient, they are also a major cause of pollution in Cairo.في حين أنه من الصحيح أن السيارات مريحة، فهي أيضًا سبب رئيسي للتلوّث في القاهرة.
- 5Opponents argue that homework puts too much pressure on young children.يرى المعارضون أن الواجبات المنزلية تضع ضغطًا كبيرًا على الأطفال الصغار.
- 6With all due respect, there is no evidence to support that claim.مع كامل احترامي، لا يوجد دليل يدعم هذا الادعاء.
- 7On balance, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.إجمالًا، أعتقد أن المزايا تفوق العيوب.
- 8This brings me to my final point.وهذا يقودني إلى نقطتي الأخيرة.
- 9Not only is the plan expensive, but it is also unlikely to work.ليست الخطة مكلفة فحسب، بل من غير المحتمل أيضًا أن تنجح.
- 10What really matters is not who wins the debate, but what we learn from it.ما يهمّ حقًا ليس من يفوز بالمناظرة، بل ما نتعلّمه منها.
Grammar: Essay and presentation language · structuring an argument (Level 5 review)
A strong argument has a clear structure: introduction (background + your position) → body paragraphs (one main idea each: topic sentence, explanation, example or evidence) → counter-argument + rebuttal → conclusion (summary + final thought). This week you use the grammar of the whole level inside this structure.
كثير من المتعلمين يكتبون المقال كفقرة واحدة طويلة، أو يكرّرون رأيهم دون دليل، أو يتجاهلون الرأي الآخر. المقال والعرض الجيّدان لهما هيكل واضح: مقدمة تعرض الموضوع ورأيك، ثم فقرة لكل فكرة تبدأ بجملة رئيسية (topic sentence) ثم شرح ثم مثال أو دليل، ثم تعرض الرأي المخالف وتردّ عليه (Admittedly… Even so…)، ثم خاتمة تلخّص ولا تضيف أفكارًا جديدة. واستخدم قواعد هذا المستوى لتقوية أسلوبك: المبني للمجهول غير الشخصي، والجمل المؤكِّدة (cleft)، والقلب (inversion)، وأدوات التخفيف (hedging).
| Part | Useful language | Level 5 grammar to use |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | It is often claimed that… · This essay will argue that… · In this talk I'd like to… | impersonal passive: It is widely believed that… |
| Main points | First and foremost… · Furthermore… · A case in point is… · Let me illustrate this with… | cleft: What matters most is… · participle clause: Having considered… |
| Counter-argument | Opponents argue that… · Admittedly… · While it is true that… | hedging: It could be argued that… · may · tend to |
| Rebuttal | Even so… · However, this ignores… · There is little evidence that… | inversion: Not only… but also… · Rarely do… |
| Conclusion | On balance… · All things considered… · To sum up… · I'd like to finish by… | probability: … is bound to / likely to… |
One paragraph = one main idea. Start each body paragraph with a clear topic sentence.
Support every claim with a reason AND an example or a fact.
In a presentation, use signposts (Moving on to… · This brings me to…) so the audience always knows where you are.
Never introduce a new argument in the conclusion.
Exercises
Exercise 1 · Which part of an essay is each sentence from? Write Introduction, Main point, Counter-argument, Rebuttal or Conclusion.
- 1) Opponents argue that uniforms limit students' creativity.
- 2) All things considered, I am convinced that uniforms do more good than harm.
- 3) It is often claimed that school uniforms are old-fashioned, but this essay will argue that they are still useful.
- 4) First and foremost, uniforms reduce the pressure to wear expensive clothes.
- 5) Even so, students can still express their personality through their ideas, hobbies and work.
Show the answers
Exercise 2 · Complete with: admittedly · a case in point · on balance · this brings me to · opponents argue · I couldn't agree more.
- 1) ___ that working from home makes people lonely.
- 2) Reading improves your vocabulary. ___ is my brother, who learned hundreds of words from novels.
- 3) ___, the course is expensive, but it is worth every pound.
- 4) “Exercise is the best medicine.” — “___! I feel better every time I go running.”
- 5) ___, I think the benefits of tourism outweigh the costs.
- 6) ___ my second point: the cost of the project.
Show the answers
Exercise 3 · Rewrite the sentences with a Level 5 structure, using the words in brackets.
- 1) People say that debating improves critical thinking. (It)
- 2) I have never heard such a convincing argument. (Never)
- 3) We need more evidence. (What)
- 4) Young people usually trust online sources too easily. (tend)
- 5) The government will almost certainly change the law. (bound)
- 6) After she had listened to both sides, she changed her mind. (Having)
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Exercise 4 · Translate into English.
- 1) أفهم وجهة نظرك، لكن اسمح لي أن أختلف معك.
- 2) لا بدّ من الاعتراف بأن هذا الحل مكلف.
- 3) مع أخذ كل شيء بعين الاعتبار، يجب أن تكون الواجبات المنزلية اختيارية.
- 4) تجدر الإشارة إلى أن معظم الطلاب يؤيّدون هذا القرار.
Show the answers
Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.
Write & Speak
Example: Should university education be completely free? It is often claimed that education is a right, not a privilege. Many people therefore believe that university should be completely free for every student. This essay will examine both sides before reaching a conclusion. First and foremost, free university education gives talented students from poor families the same opportunities as wealthy ones. A case in point is my cousin from a village near Minya, who became a doctor only because she did not have to pay tuition fees. Not only did free education change her life, but it also benefited her whole community, where she now works. Furthermore, a country with more graduates is likely to have a stronger economy. Educated workers tend to earn more, pay more tax and start more businesses. Opponents argue, however, that free education is extremely expensive for the state. Admittedly, the money has to come from somewhere, and overcrowded lecture halls with three hundred students can lower the quality of teaching. It could also be argued that students value their studies less when they pay nothing. Even so, these problems are not a reason to charge everyone. What is needed is better investment and smarter spending, such as linking free places to good grades and offering loans to those who can afford to repay them later. On balance, I believe that university education should remain free, provided that the government invests enough to keep standards high. After all, a nation's future is bound to depend on the quality of its graduates.