"according to my opinion" is Wrong: Natural Ways to Say "I think" and "In my opinion"
When writing an English essay and wanting to say "I think this is too expensive," do you naturally write down According to my opinion, it's too expensive.? English learners write this very smoothly because it is translated almost word-for-word from the Chinese phrase "根據我的看法" (according to my opinion). Unfortunately, to a native speaker's ears, this is a broken sentence.
Don't worry, this mistake is so common that it's practically a shared memory among English learners. Today we'll clear it up once and for all. Once you learn this, your English will immediately sound much more natural.
The Problem Lies in the Phrase "According to My Opinion"
In Chinese, the word for "according to" (根據) is very versatile. We say "according to the news," "according to the data," and we also say "according to my opinion" or "according to my personal thoughts." The same word works no matter who or what it's applied to.
But the English phrase according to is not so accommodating. It can only be used to mean "according to someone else" or "according to an external source," such as news, reports, research, or what someone else said. Its subtext is: "This is information coming from somewhere else, not my own thoughts."
So when you say according to my opinion, it's like saying "according to my own thoughts," which is logically contradictory. Native speakers will find it awkward. To express your own opinion, there is a whole set of more natural English expressions waiting for you.
Core Comparison: Expressing Your Own Opinion, Don't Use according to
First, look at the main character of today's lesson, and carve it into your mind:
According to my opinion, it's too expensive.✗- In my opinion, it's too expensive. ✓ (In my opinion, it's too expensive.)
Simply by changing according to my opinion to in my opinion, the whole sentence instantly becomes correct and natural. Remember this substitution, and you've already solved half the problem.
Below are a few more high-frequency mistake sentences that English learners often make:
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According to me, we should wait.✗ -
I think we should wait. ✓ (I think we should wait.)
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Personally, I'd wait. ✓ (Personally, I'd wait.)
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According to my think, this plan is risky.✗ -
The way I see it, this plan is risky. ✓ (The way I see it, this plan is risky.)
my think is another common mistake—think cannot be used as a noun here. If you want to say "my thoughts," just use I think or the way I see it. It's clean and straightforward.
Correct Usage of according to: According to Others or Data
So when exactly should you use according to? The answer is: when the information comes from a source other than yourself. In these cases, it is very useful and natural.
- According to the report, sales went up 10%. ✓ (According to the report, sales went up 10%.)
- According to my teacher, the exam will be easy. ✓ (According to my teacher, the exam will be easy.)
- According to the weather forecast, it'll rain tomorrow. ✓ (According to the weather forecast, it'll rain tomorrow.)
Do you see the pattern? What follows according to is always "someone else / some source": a report, a teacher, a weather forecast. The information was not generated in your own mind; it was cited.
Here is another redundant mistake that learners often make:
According to the news said, prices will rise.✗- According to the news, prices will rise. ✓ (According to the news, prices will rise.)
according to already carries the meaning of "based on what was said," so do not add said after it. Adding it makes it redundant, like saying "according to what the news said said." Remember: place the source directly after according to, follow it with a comma, and then state the content.
A Simple Tip: Ask Yourself, "Whose Idea Is It?"
The next time before you write or speak, ask yourself: "Is what I'm about to say my own opinion, or is it information from someone else?"
- If it is your own opinion → use in my opinion / I think / personally / the way I see it.
- If it is from someone else or a source → use according to.
To summarize in one sentence (it's best to memorize this): according to goes with others, in my opinion goes with yourself. The division of labor between the two is clear, so you will never mix them up again.
Natural Ways to Express Your Own Opinion
Add these to your toolkit and rotate them so you don't repeat yourself in essays and can speak more naturally:
- I think... —— The most versatile and casual, usable even at A1. I think it's a good idea. (I think it's a good idea.)
- In my opinion... —— A bit more formal, very popular in essay writing. In my opinion, English is fun. (In my opinion, English is fun.)
- Personally, ... —— Emphasizes "as for me personally." Personally, I prefer tea. (Personally, I prefer tea.)
- The way I see it, ... —— Carries a nuance of "the way I look at it," very natural in spoken English. The way I see it, we still have time. (The way I see it, we still have time.)
- If you ask me, ... —— Casual and friendly, great for chatting. If you ask me, that movie was boring. (If you ask me, that movie was boring.)
How to Practice on Loopy
Knowing that according to my opinion is wrong is only the first step. To truly break this habit, you need to repeatedly encounter these expressions in "correct sentences" so that the right phrasing becomes your intuitive reaction.
Loopy places phrases like in my opinion, I think, and according to into real conversations and listening contexts. You will encounter them naturally time and again through listening, speaking, and shadowing, slowly learning to distinguish which goes with which. Listening, speaking, and shadowing will guide you to speak the entire sentence out loud, which is much more effective than memorizing it by rote a hundred times. The dictionary function lets you look up correct example sentences for according to at any time to see how native speakers use them. Finally, the forgetting curve review will push this set of expressions back to you just as you are about to forget them, helping you practice again and remember them more firmly.
First, take a placement test to see your current level. Loopy will help you start with the right sentences and practice these easily confused expressions step-by-step until they roll off your tongue. You can do it—just take it one step at a time.