Opinion, Agreeing, Disagreeing and Agreeing Partially — English Bac STM

Dans le programme du Bac STM

English carries a coefficient of 2 in the Bac Sciences et Technologies Mécaniques (STM) stream. The core subjects are Mathematics and Engineering Sciences (coefficient 7 each), then Physics-Chemistry (coefficient 5). English and Philosophy (coefficient 2) form the margin where candidate rankings and honours are settled. Mastering the structure of a piece of writing matters more here than memorising it.

À l'épreuve

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (about 180 words). Reading technical drawings and function diagrams builds the same skill an essay needs: breaking an argument into parts and rebuilding it as a coherent plan.

Objectifs d'apprentissage

Produce this function at the right register in a dialogue-completion task on the Bac STM English paper (coefficient 2)
Give an opinion with varied phrases: in my opinion, I believe / think that, as far as I'm concerned, personally
Express full agreement: I completely / totally agree, I couldn't agree more
Express polite disagreement: I'm afraid I disagree, I don't quite see it that way, I beg to differ
Express partial agreement and qualify: I partly agree, that's true but…, I see your point, however…

Notions clés

Giving your opinion

in my opinion, I believe / think (that), as far as I'm concerned, personally, from my point of view — opening phrases to introduce a personal view in an essay or a dialogue.

Full agreement and disagreement

Agreement: I completely / totally agree, I couldn't agree more, that's exactly what I think. Polite disagreement: I'm afraid I disagree, I don't quite see it that way, I beg to differ, I'm not so sure about that.

Partial agreement and qualification

I partly agree, that's true but…, I see your point, however…, on the one hand… on the other hand… — essential for a nuanced rather than one-sided essay, as expected on most programme prompts.

Expressing certainty and uncertainty

To express certainty: I'm sure / I'm certain / I'm positive that…, There's no doubt that…, It must be… (logical certainty), Definitely. To express uncertainty: I'm not sure / I'm not certain whether…, I doubt that…, Perhaps / Maybe…, It might / may / could be…, I'm not convinced that…. The modal verbs show the degree of probability: must (almost certain) > may / might / could (possible) > can't (almost impossible: « He can't be at school, it's Sunday »). These expressions are useful when you give or discuss an opinion, together with agreeing and disagreeing.

Erreurs fréquentes

Starting an essay only with “I think that” over and over: varying with in my opinion, as far as I'm concerned, personally avoids monotony and improves the style mark.

Confusing I beg to differ (polite, formal disagreement) with a blunt phrase like “You're wrong”: the formal register expected in writing calls for nuanced disagreement phrases.

Expressing agreement or disagreement without justifying it afterwards: these phrases must always be followed by a reason or an example, never left on their own.

Exemple corrigé

Énoncé

Write a sentence expressing partial agreement with the statement: “Technology has only positive effects on young people.”

Correction

Choose a partial-agreement phrase. The statement is too absolute (“only positive”) for full agreement; partial agreement is fairer and more nuanced.

Qualify with a contrast connector. but / however introduces the reservation after the part you agree with.

Result. “I partly agree that technology has many benefits for young people, but I don't think it is fair to say its effects are only positive, since excessive use can also harm their concentration and mental health.”

Le cours, puis l'entraînement.

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3 exercices pour t'entraîner

Exercice 1

Easy

Choose the full-agreement phrase: (I partly agree / I couldn't agree more / I beg to differ)

Voir la correction

I couldn't agree more — it expresses full, enthusiastic agreement.

Exercice 2

Medium

Turn into polite disagreement: “You're wrong, social media is not dangerous.”

Voir la correction

“I'm afraid I disagree; I don't think social media is necessarily dangerous.” — a polite, qualified register replaces the blunt “You're wrong”.

Exercice 3

Hard

Write a full sentence that uses both a partial-agreement phrase and a concrete example to justify it, on the topic of social media.

Voir la correction

“I partly agree that social media helps young people stay connected, but I also believe it can lead to isolation, as many teenagers now prefer online interactions to face-to-face conversations with their family.” — it combines a partial-agreement phrase (I partly agree), a qualification (but) and a concrete example to justify it.

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Questions fréquentes

Do I always have to qualify my opinion in a Bac essay?

Not in every sentence, but a fully one-sided essay (total agreement or disagreement, with no nuance) usually scores lower than a development that recognises the complexity of the topic — partial agreement is often the safest choice.

Which phrase is the most versatile for introducing an opinion in writing?

“In my opinion” and “I believe that” work in almost every formal Bac context; “personally” is a little lighter and fits well at the start of a paragraph to vary the style.

How do I move from partial agreement to a counter-argument without it being clumsy?

Use the structure “I agree that X, but Y” or “On the one hand… on the other hand…”: it signals clearly to the examiner that you recognise a valid point before adding a qualification or a counter-argument.

English is far from my mechanical specialism — how do I approach it?

Treat it as a system with inputs and outputs: the input is a prompt, the processing is analysis then discussion, the output is a conclusion that settles the question. Learn that flow, apply it to the 31 chapters with two examples each, and one weekly session is enough to raise the mark.

Why learn a spoken function for a written Bac STM exam?

Because it is tested in writing: dialogue-completion tasks ask for exactly these phrases at the right level of politeness. Keeping two or three set expressions per function, sorted by register, covers the task reliably.