MET Speaking Task 3, express a personal opinion: reasons, examples and the other side

Task 3 closes Part One, and its main risk is thin content. Sixty seconds sounds long until you have said "I think X because it is good" and nothing else. This guide shows how to turn a position into a short, supported argument that also covers the other side, which Michigan's own advice asks for.

What does MET Speaking Task 3 ask you to do?

You see and hear a question about a topic related to Tasks 1 and 2. Michigan says the question will usually give you two opposing sides and then invite you to give your own opinion. You have 60 seconds. Michigan's sample in the Speaking Resource Pack is a choice between eating at home and eating at restaurants, with the instruction to give your opinion and reasons to support it.

Michigan calls this task "Express a personal opinion" in the Test Taker Handbook and "Express and support a personal opinion" in the Speaking Resource Pack. The word "support" is the clue to what is rated. For the section at a glance, see MET Speaking, task by task.

Checked 15 and 16 October 2026 against Michigan's Speaking Resource Pack, March 2026 and Test Taker Handbook. ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with Michigan Language Assessment.

Does your opinion affect your score?

No. Michigan's Speaking Resource Pack says your MET Speaking score does not depend on the opinion you provide. It depends on how well you express yourself, how detailed your response is and how directly relevant it is to the task.

That has a practical consequence. Do not spend your reading-aloud seconds searching for the opinion you most believe. Michigan describes no separate planning period: the prompt is read aloud, you hear "Begin speaking now", and recording starts automatically. So use the read-aloud to pick the side you can support fastest. A side with two easy examples beats a side you feel strongly about but cannot illustrate. This is our reading of the pack, not a Michigan statement.

What are raters looking for in an opinion answer?

Trained raters score MET Speaking on three criteria, each rated 0 to 4. The mapping to this task is our reading of the published scale.

• Task Completion. Relevance, how much you say, and your ability to elaborate with relevant supporting detail. The top rating describes "extensive supporting detail", and the rating below it describes general detail that is not original or extensive. In an opinion task, supporting detail means reasons plus examples.
• Language Resources. Range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar, including complex sentences when they are controlled. Opinion language invites "although", "because", "if" and "which means that".
• Intelligibility / Delivery. Fluency, hesitation, rhythm and pronunciation. A structure in your head helps keep hesitation low when you reach the second reason.

Michigan's tips for this task are: state your opinion and give several reasons, talk about both sides as much as possible, and use a relevant personal experience to support your view. For how the ratings become a section score, see how MET is scored.

How do you structure a 60-second opinion?

Here is a route that covers Michigan's three tips in 60 seconds. The order and the timings are ScoreFluent's technique, not an exam rule.

1. Position, about 6 seconds. One sentence, with no reading the prompt back. "I would rather spend holidays abroad."
2. Reason one with an example, about 20 seconds. The reason, then a specific example. Michigan suggests a personal experience.
3. Reason two with an example, about 15 seconds. A different reason, not the first one reworded.
4. The other side, about 15 seconds. Acknowledge it fairly, then answer it. "Some people say it costs too much, and that is true, but..."
5. Close, about 4 seconds. Restate your position in new words.

The other-side step is how you follow "talk about both sides" without sitting on the fence. You still have a clear position, and your answer to the other side is more supporting detail.

Keep a small kit of language:

• Position: "I would rather", "In my view", "I am in favour of".
• Reasons: "The main reason is", "Another reason is", "This matters because".
• Examples: "For example", "When I was", "A friend of mine".
• The other side: "Some people argue", "That is a fair point, but", "On the other hand".

Worked example

Prompt from the ScoreFluent bank: Some people think it is better for children to play outside with friends than to stay inside and watch TV. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your opinion.

The answer below was written by ScoreFluent to show the route. It is not a Michigan sample and has not been rated.

I agree that children are better off playing outside with friends. The main reason is health. When I was young, my friends and I played football every afternoon, and we were fitter and slept better than my cousins, who spent their evenings in front of the television. Another reason is social skills. Outside, children have to share, take turns and solve small arguments without an adult, and they learn to do that much faster than they do alone on a sofa. Some people say television can be educational, and that is true, because a good documentary can teach a child a lot. However, I think that works best in small amounts after the children have been active. So overall, I would encourage outdoor play first.

What each part does: the position comes first, the two reasons are labelled and different, the first has a personal example, the other side is acknowledged and answered, and the last sentence closes without adding a new idea.

What mistakes cost marks in Task 3?

• Sitting on the fence. "Both are good" gives your reasons nothing to support. Michigan's tip is to state your opinion.
• Two reasons that are one reason. "It is healthy" and "it is good for the body" are the same point. Choose reasons from different areas, such as health, money, time, relationships or safety.
• Reasons without examples. "Travel is educational" is a claim. A short example turns it into supporting detail.
• Reading the prompt back. Repeating the question uses up seconds on content the rater already has.
• Over-long concession. If the other side takes half your time, your own case is thin. Keep it to a clause or two.
• Memorised opinions. A prepared speech on travel does not help if the prompt is about television. Prepare ideas and examples, then adapt.

What is the difference between Task 3 and Task 5?

Michigan's pack says both tasks ask you to express opinions, with different focuses. In Task 3 you express and support your view, for 60 seconds, with no named listener. In Task 5 you decide what you think and then convince a named person, usually someone in authority, for 90 seconds. If the prompt tells you who you are speaking to, it is the Task 5 pattern: see Task 5.

What practice prompts can you try for Task 3?

Practice items from the ScoreFluent bank (not real exam questions).

1. Some people prefer to take holidays at home, and others prefer to travel abroad. Which do you think is better, and why?
2. Some people think it is better for children to play outside with friends than to stay inside and watch TV. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your opinion.
3. Should cities ban cars from the center to reduce pollution, even if it makes travel less convenient? Explain your opinion.
4. Some people believe that famous athletes earn far too much money. How far do you agree with this statement, and why?
5. Some argue that governments should spend more on public parks and sports centers than on new roads, even when traffic is getting worse. To what extent do you agree, and what matters most in your decision?

The bank has no model answers for these prompts, so the worked example above is ours. Prompts 3 to 5 sit higher in the bank's difficulty ratings. Our blog set MET Speaking practice questions has a different Task 3 prompt, about markets and supermarkets.

How do you practise Task 3 on your own?

Michigan suggests making a list of topics, picking one at random and talking for 60 seconds, then recording and assessing yourself. With a partner, it suggests an informal debate: prepare topics with more than one viewpoint, roll a die to decide who speaks for and who speaks against, take turns for 60 seconds each, ask each other questions to extend your answers, then compare reasons and feedback.

Add these ScoreFluent practice activities:

• Argue the side you disagree with. Take the opposite position on a topic and give two reasons. It builds the other-side step.
• Reason sorting. Write six reasons for a topic and group them by area (health, money, time, people). Use one from two different groups.
• One example, three topics. Prepare a personal story and practise bending it to support three different opinions.

Reading a model shows the shape. A recording shows whether your second reason arrived on time. Start practising MET free and you get 40 free credits. Credits never expire and there is no subscription. A Speaking examiner report costs 8 credits. Results are practice estimates, not official MET scores. See pricing.

Next: Part Two begins with Task 4, advantages and disadvantages. Back to the Michigan English Test overview or the full list of MET task guides.