Government & Law — Part 5
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
What you'll learn: natural spoken fluency chunks for giving and comparing opinions on government and law topics — the connective phrases that make a Speaking Task 7 response sound conversational instead of scripted.
Why fluency chunks matter in speaking
Speaking Task 7 asks for a spontaneous opinion within a short response time, and raters are listening for natural delivery as much as correct content. Fluency chunks — short, ready-made phrases like "if you ask me" or "at the end of the day" — let you buy thinking time, soften an opinion, or transition between points without breaking rhythm. Government and law topics are often debate-style, so this lesson focuses on chunks for stating, comparing, and softening opinions on civic issues.
Three jobs these chunks do
The chunks below serve three functions in a spoken opinion: stating a view (if you ask me, from where I stand), comparing views (having said that, on the other hand), and buying time or softening (I guess, to be fair). Mixing all three naturally, rather than repeating just one, is what separates a fluent-sounding response from a memorized one.
Word bank: spoken fluency chunks for opinions
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| if you ask me | signals a personal opinion, slightly casual | If you ask me, the new bylaw is a step in the right direction. |
| from where I stand | frames an opinion as based on personal perspective | From where I stand, stricter penalties don't always solve the problem. |
| having said that | introduces a qualifying or opposing point | The law makes sense in theory. Having said that, enforcement is weak. |
| on the other hand | signals a contrasting viewpoint in speech | Some support the policy; on the other hand, many feel it goes too far. |
| to be fair | softens a criticism by acknowledging a valid point | To be fair, the government did try to consult the public first. |
| I guess | softens a claim, sounds less absolute | I guess stricter laws could help, but I'm not entirely convinced. |
| at the end of the day | signals a final, bottom-line judgment | At the end of the day, people just want fair treatment under the law. |
| don't get me wrong | clarifies that a following statement isn't a full criticism | Don't get me wrong, I support the law — I just think it needs revising. |
| when it comes to | introduces the specific topic being discussed | When it comes to voting rights, I think access should come first. |
| the way I see it | another natural way to introduce a personal opinion | The way I see it, transparency matters more than speed. |
| that said | a shorter alternative to "having said that" | The policy is well-intentioned. That said, it's poorly enforced. |
| more often than not | signals something is generally, though not always, true | More often than not, minor offences get punished too harshly. |
Worked example — Speaking Task 7
Prompt: Do you agree or disagree that all citizens should be required to serve on a jury if called?
"If you ask me, mandatory jury duty makes sense in principle, because courts need a fair cross-section of the public to reach just decisions. From where I stand, most people avoid it simply out of inconvenience, not because they disagree with the idea. Having said that, I understand the practical challenges — missing work for weeks isn't easy for everyone. To be fair, most jurisdictions do offer some compensation, though more often than not it doesn't cover lost income fully. On the other hand, if jury duty were optional, courts might struggle to find enough participants. When it comes to justice, I think a small personal sacrifice is reasonable. At the end of the day, the way I see it, a functioning legal system depends on citizens being willing to show up."
This response strings together eight fluency chunks to sound like natural spoken reasoning rather than a rehearsed essay — exactly the delivery CELPIP Speaking Task 7 is designed to reward.
Common mistakes
- Overusing "I think" as the only opinion marker — relying on a single phrase throughout a response sounds repetitive; alternate with if you ask me or the way I see it.
- Using "having said that" without a genuine contrast — the phrase should introduce a real qualifying point, not just filler.
- Confusing "at the end of the day" with a literal time reference — it's a fixed idiom meaning "ultimately," not "in the evening."
- Dropping fluency chunks entirely under time pressure — silence or hesitation sounds worse than a short chunk like I guess or to be fair while you think.
Recap
Spoken fluency chunks give a government or law opinion the natural rhythm CELPIP Speaking raters listen for, letting you state, compare, and soften views without sounding scripted. Practice by recording a 60-second answer to a civic opinion question and counting how many chunks from the table you use naturally.