General English · Speaking · B2
Comparing different viewpoints
Represent two positions fairly and identify the priorities behind them.
Lesson 5 · About 22 minutes
Learn: your objectives
- Compare views using a shared question.
- Distinguish shared goals from different priorities.
Warm-up
Think about these questions. Say a short answer aloud.
- Why might residents and visitors view the same street differently?
- Can two opposing proposals share a goal?
Useful language
Fair comparison
From their perspective, …
Explain the reasoning within a view.
From their perspective, more parking makes shops easier to reach.
Where they differ is …
Locate the actual disagreement.
Where they differ is how the limited space should be used.
Both sides are concerned about …
Name a genuine shared interest.
Both sides are concerned about keeping the street useful.
Notice: model speaking
Read aloud. Notice how the speakers use the phrases and respond to each other.
Speaker: Some shop owners want more short-stay parking because customers need to collect heavy purchases. From their perspective, access means being able to stop near a shop.
Speaker: Other residents favour wider pavements because people with pushchairs or mobility aids struggle in narrow spaces. For them, access means moving along the street safely.
Speaker: Both sides want a street people can use. Where they differ is whose immediate difficulty should take priority. Before choosing, I'd look at delivery needs and pedestrian space rather than assuming either side is simply selfish.
Speaking strategy
Use the same comparison question for both sides. Explain each view in terms its supporters could recognise before giving your judgement.
Pronunciation & fluency focus
Use parallel phrasing to make comparison audible: ‘For shop owners … For pedestrians …’. Keep the emphasis neutral until you state your own position.
Teaching guidance, not an analysis of your voice.
Use: controlled practice
Choose a useful response for each situation. Check when all questions are answered. These are phrase exercises, not a speaking assessment.
Build your answer
Write a few keywords. Then look away and speak. Notes stay on this page only.
Speak: your challenge
Compare two views on using a shared public space for two minutes. Explain both fairly, identify a shared aim and suggest what should guide the decision.
Use imagined stakeholders and avoid assuming their private motives.
Speak aloud. This page does not record, listen to or assess your speech. There is no automatic speaking score.
Self-check
Open to everyone. Answers, notes and checklists are not saved to an account. These original lessons use level labels to organize learning; completion is not official CEFR certification or proof of a level.