Introduction

Today, I would like to talk on

I have been asked to talk on
I would like to begin by

Body

Let us consider
My first point is
The next issue is
Let me give you an example

Conclusion

Let me conclude by saying

I would like to conclude by
Finally

Sample

Good morning to the examiners and all my friends.

Firstly, I would like to suggest .
My main point is .. (explain/give example)
My next point is .. (explain/give example)
The next point I would like to make is ( )
However / But / Nevertheless . Etc
I have mentioned earlier that .
Therefore / Thus / Hence .. etc
In short
Thank you.

Function

Expression
Whats your
Do you have

opinion on
Asking for an opinion

What do you
think of
What are
your views
on
I believe that

I suppose
I must say

Giving opinion

Complete
Agreement

Agreement
I totally
agree with
you
Yes, I feel
the same
way. I agree
Absolutely/
Definitely

anything to
add?
Dont you
think that

It seems to
me that
I guess
In my
opinion

Disagreement
Im sorry, I
Direct
beg to differ
Disagreement
Im sorry
but I have
to disagree
I dont think
so

Suggestion
Maybe we should
Dont you think we should

If I were you, I would

I feel that we should

Persuassive expressions
Maybe you should consider
I feel you should
I encourage you to
I am very sure there is no harm

Recommendation
I strongly recommend that
I propose that
I would like to put forward a
proposal that
I strongly advise that

Candidate A
A very good morning to one and all. The issue at hand today is how to attain happiness. I believe that this
issue has been on the forefront for as long as man existed. In fact, I believe even animals and other beings
strive to achieve this wonderful state of happiness and contentment. It is therefore my honest opinion that
in order to achieve happiness we must have a concrete and measurable goal. Let us analyse a few reasons
to justify this point.
First and foremost, to aspire towards happiness is not enough. Just wanting is only half the battle won. To
attain it there must be some kind of action involved and this most certainly begins with setting goals. The
most important reason for setting aims or goals is to provide a way to measure if you have achieved it or
not. For example, my aim is to be happy. In order to be happy I must have enough money and job security
as well as a stable and happy family. Therefore the next logical step is to provide a timeframe to achieve
this goal. If we set a goal based on a timeframe, happiness will be more easily achievable. A young person
could aim to get his degree before he turns 25, get a stable high paying job by 30 and get married before
he/she is 35. Thus, having a goal or goals will help discern the level of our happiness.
Secondly, we can attain happiness when we have a goal because it gives us something to work towards or
aim for. However, please note that the beauty of having goals is that it can be modified to suit ourselves
and our situations. And once we have achieved it, we can create new goals. Conversely, if we cannot
attain it, we can modify them to be more realistic. For instance, Mahatma Ghandi's goal in life was to
achieve peace through peaceful means. Furthermore, he was happiest when there are no wars and people
can live in peace. Even when he was sent to jail, he still held on to his goal which was to solve things
through peaceful means, not war. And even in jail, he could attain happiness - Ghandi is a truly
inspirational man.
As time is running out, let me reinstate that a key method to attain happiness is to set reachable goals for
ourselves. It also brings to mind a quote, 'Aim for the sun so that if you fail, you will still be amongst the
stars'. Thank you for listening.

Candidates B
To the examiners and my fellow candidates, a wonderful morning I bid you. The topic given today is
rather interesting as it brings to mind a commonly asked question, "Is the glass half empty or it is half
full?" A person with a positive outlook would surely answer 'half full' and this colours his or her life with
positive energy therefore making happiness truly easily attainable. Allow me to elaborate what I mean
about a positive outlook.
Firstly, a positive outlook gives us a means of inventing options. What does this mean exactly? Well,
people who are positive do not give up easily, in fact, they make it a point to inspect every avenue and
come up with innovative ways to overcome any obstacle. For instance, after studying so hard a student
fails due to a death in the family during exam time and she could not concentrate. Rather than surrender
to her fate, she takes it as a challenge to get back up on the horse and find a job. After a few years of
working, she collects enough money to do her degree on a part time basis and after 3 or 4 years, she
finally graduates. This is because she has a positive outlook and looked hard for other options to change
her fate. At the end, she has managed to attain happiness when her goals are achieved.
In addition, a person with a positive outlook seem to draw positive energy into her radius and somehow
good things start to happen to her. Even when bad things happen, like an accident that messes up her car,
she would still find the silver lining in the sense that she is thankful to be alive and more grateful still for
not having harmed anyone else. Therefore, a positive outlook is crucial in attaining happiness because it is
a wonderful ability to find the good in any bad situation.
In short, people with a positive outlook with find happiness under every stone, at every corner because
they are better able to be happy and content with their lot in life. Thank you for lending me your ears.