Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about feelings, opinions, and preferences.
Example: I feel very _____ when I watch scary movies. (nervous / bored / happy)
Answer: I feel very nervous when I watch scary movies.
Feelings, Opinions and Preferences
How do you feel today? Do you like coffee or tea? What do you think about your English class? Talking about our feelings, opinions and preferences is something we do every single day. Whether you are chatting with a friend, answering a question at work, or meeting someone new, you need this vocabulary to express yourself clearly and naturally in English.
In this lesson, you will learn the most useful words and phrases for describing how you feel, what you think, and what you like or dislike. Let's start with a short situation to see these words in action.
A Short Situation: Saturday Morning
Anna and her friend Leo are having coffee at a café on Saturday morning.
Anna: "How are you feeling today, Leo?"
Leo: "I'm a bit tired, but I'm happy to see you! Do you like this café?"
Anna: "Yes, I love it! I prefer it to the one near my office. What do you think of the music?"
Leo: "Honestly, I don't really like it. I find it a bit annoying. I prefer quiet places."
Anna: "Really? I think it's great! Well, in my opinion, good music makes a café feel wonderful."
In this short conversation, Anna and Leo use many words to talk about feelings, opinions and preferences. Now let's learn them in detail.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Feelings & Emotions
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| happy | adjective – feeling pleased and positive | I am happy because it is the weekend. | feel happy, very happy, quite happy |
| sad | adjective – feeling unhappy or upset | She felt sad when her friend moved away. | feel sad, a bit sad, very sad |
| tired | adjective – feeling that you need to rest or sleep | I am so tired after work today. | feel tired, very tired, a bit tired |
| excited | adjective – feeling very happy and enthusiastic about something | She is excited about her holiday next week. | feel excited, really excited, get excited |
| worried | adjective – feeling nervous or anxious about something | He is worried about his exam tomorrow. | feel worried, a bit worried, very worried |
| bored | adjective – feeling uninterested or not entertained | I was bored during the long meeting. | feel bored, get bored, very bored |
| angry | adjective – feeling strong displeasure or frustration | He was angry when the train was late again. | feel angry, get angry, very angry |
| surprised | adjective – feeling that something unexpected has happened | I was surprised to see my old teacher at the shop. | feel surprised, really surprised, look surprised |
| nervous | adjective – feeling anxious or uncomfortable before something important | She always feels nervous before a job interview. | feel nervous, get nervous, a bit nervous |
| comfortable | adjective – feeling relaxed and at ease | I feel very comfortable in this chair. | feel comfortable, make someone comfortable |
2. Opinions & Thoughts
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| think | verb – to have an opinion or belief about something | I think this film is very interesting. | I think (that)…, think about, think of |
| opinion | noun – what a person thinks or believes about something | In my opinion, this restaurant is too expensive. | in my opinion, give an opinion, ask for an opinion |
| agree | verb – to have the same opinion as someone else | I completely agree with you about the new plan. | agree with, totally agree, strongly agree |
| disagree | verb – to have a different opinion from someone | I disagree – I think the old café was better. | disagree with, strongly disagree |
| find | verb – to feel or think that something is a certain way (after experiencing it) | I find grammar quite difficult sometimes. | find something + adjective (e.g. find it easy, find it boring) |
| feel | verb – to have an emotion or opinion about something | I feel that this is the right decision. | feel that…, feel + adjective (e.g. feel happy, feel sure) |
| right | adjective – correct, or describing a view you believe is true | I think you are right about the meeting time. | be right, that's right, absolutely right |
| wrong | adjective – not correct, or not what someone believes is true | Sorry, I think that answer is wrong. | be wrong, that's wrong, completely wrong |
| honestly | adverb – used to introduce an honest or direct opinion | Honestly, I don't think this plan will work. | Honestly, …; often used at the start of a sentence |
| really | adverb – used to make a feeling or opinion stronger | I really think we need more time for this project. | really like, really think, not really (= not very much) |
3. Preferences & Likes / Dislikes
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| like | verb – to enjoy or find something pleasant | I like Italian food very much. | like + noun / like + -ing (e.g. I like swimming) |
| love | verb – to like something very much (stronger than "like") | She loves going to the cinema on Fridays. | love + noun / love + -ing |
| hate | verb – to dislike something very strongly | He hates getting up early in the morning. | hate + noun / hate + -ing |
| don't like | verb phrase – to not enjoy something | I don't like cold weather at all. | A softer way to express dislike than "hate" |
| prefer | verb – to like one thing more than another | I prefer tea to coffee in the morning. | prefer + noun + to + noun; prefer + -ing |
| favourite | adjective / noun – the thing you like most of all | My favourite season is spring. | my favourite + noun (e.g. favourite film, favourite food) |
| enjoy | verb – to get pleasure from something | I really enjoy walking in the park on Sundays. | enjoy + -ing (NOT enjoy + to + verb) |
| keen on | adjective phrase – to be enthusiastic about something or find it interesting | She is very keen on photography. | keen on + noun / keen on + -ing |
| interested in | adjective phrase – to find something attractive or want to know more about it | Are you interested in learning Spanish? | interested in + noun / interested in + -ing |
| mind | verb – to feel bothered or unhappy about something (often in negative sentences) | I don't mind waiting – take your time. | don't mind + -ing; do you mind + -ing? |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
These common word combinations will help you sound more natural when you talk about feelings, opinions and preferences in English.
Expressing Feelings
feel + adjective
I feel tired today. / She feels nervous before the exam.
get + adjective
He gets angry when people are late. / I get bored very quickly.
a bit + adjective (to make the feeling weaker)
I'm a bit worried about the weather. / She's a bit sad today.
really / very + adjective (to make the feeling stronger)
I'm really excited about the trip! / He was very surprised to see her.
Giving Opinions
In my opinion, …
In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in the city.
I think (that) …
I think that learning English is very useful.
I feel (that) …
I feel that we need more time to finish the project.
I find it + adjective
I find it very interesting. / I find it a bit confusing.
What do you think of / about …?
What do you think of this new café? / What do you think about the idea?
Honestly, …
Honestly, I didn't enjoy the film very much.
Expressing Preferences
prefer … to …
I prefer the countryside to the city.
would rather + verb
I would rather stay at home tonight than go out.
like … better than …
I like summer better than winter.
my favourite … is …
My favourite type of music is jazz.
not really + verb (a polite way to say you don't like something)
I don't really like spicy food.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Like vs Love vs Enjoy
These three verbs all express positive feelings, but they are different in strength and grammar.
| Word | Strength | Grammar after the verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| like | Positive feeling (neutral) | like + noun OR like + -ing OR like + to + verb | I like coffee. / I like reading. |
| enjoy | Positive feeling (active) | enjoy + noun OR enjoy + -ing (NOT enjoy + to + verb) | I enjoy coffee. / I enjoy reading. |
| love | Very strong positive feeling | love + noun OR love + -ing OR love + to + verb | I love coffee! / I love reading! |
Key point: Enjoy must be followed by a noun or an -ing verb. You cannot say "I enjoy to read." You must say "I enjoy reading."
Think vs Feel
Think is used for opinions based on your reasoning or knowledge.
I think this is the right answer.
Feel is used for opinions based on emotions or personal impressions.
I feel that something is wrong, but I'm not sure why.
In everyday conversation, both words are often used in a similar way when giving opinions:
I think this is a good idea. / I feel this is a good idea. — Both are correct and natural.
Bored vs Boring
Bored is an adjective that describes how a person feels.
I am bored. (= I feel bored. The feeling is inside me.)
Boring is an adjective that describes a thing or situation that causes the feeling.
This film is boring. (= The film causes the feeling of boredom.)
This rule also applies to other feeling adjectives:
- I am excited. ↔ The news is exciting.
- I am surprised. ↔ The result is surprising.
- I am tired. ↔ The journey is tiring.
Prefer vs Would Rather
Prefer is used to talk about general preferences.
I prefer coffee to tea. (= In general, I like coffee more than tea.)
Would rather is used to talk about a preference right now, in a specific situation.
I would rather have tea, please. (= Right now, I want tea.)
Common Mistakes
❌ I enjoy to swim in the sea.
✅ I enjoy swimming in the sea. — "Enjoy" must be followed by a noun or verb + -ing, not "to + verb".
❌ I am very bored of this boring lesson. I find it boring me.
✅ I find it boring. — Use "find it + adjective" to give your opinion about something. Do not add "me" at the end.
❌ In my opinion, I think this is wrong.
✅ In my opinion, this is wrong. OR I think this is wrong. — Do not use both "in my opinion" and "I think" together. Choose one.
❌ I prefer tea than coffee.
✅ I prefer tea to coffee. — After "prefer," use to, not than.
❌ She is very interesting in art.
✅ She is very interested in art. — Use interested in (not "interesting in") to describe a person's feeling or preference.
❌ What is your opinion for this film?
✅ What is your opinion of / about this film? — Use opinion of or opinion about, not opinion for.
❌ I don't mind to wait.
✅ I don't mind waiting. — "Mind" must be followed by a noun or verb + -ing, not "to + verb".
Feelings, Opinions and Preferences: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learnt the key vocabulary for talking about feelings, opinions and preferences in English. Here is a quick summary of the most important points:
- Use adjectives like happy, sad, tired, excited, worried and nervous to describe how you feel. Add a bit (weaker) or really / very (stronger) to make your meaning clearer.
- Use phrases like in my opinion, I think (that), I feel (that) and I find it + adjective to give your opinion politely and naturally.
- Use like, love, hate, enjoy, prefer and keen on to express what you like, what you dislike, and which things you prefer.
- Remember: enjoy, mind and keen on must be followed by a noun or verb + -ing.
- Remember the difference between -ed adjectives (how a person feels) and -ing adjectives (how something is): bored / boring, excited / exciting, tired / tiring.
- Use prefer … to … for general preferences and would rather for preferences right now.
Now practise feelings, opinions and preferences vocabulary in the exercises below.
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