Is the phrase “in my opinion” separated by commas? Examples of using

The Russian language contains rules that are not always easy to understand. It can be difficult to formulate a clear outline that would help in every contentious issue.

It seems to be the case with the phrase “in my opinion”. There is a clear rule that introductory words need commas on both sides. But how to determine if a word is introductory? Misunderstanding in this and similar issues leads to many errors.

Difficulty in choosing a rule

When using introductory constructions in writing, the most common punctuation errors are:

1. Introductory word forget to highlight with commas.
2. Wrong definition of the phrase belongs to the introductory. In this case, the commas are redundant.
3. The misuse of punctuation marks that highlight the introductory part of a sentence when writing.

Most writers make mistakes due to their ignorance of the complete list of words that may appear as introductory sentences.

How to determine if a phrase is introductory

In order to understand whether it is necessary to highlight with commas “in my opinion”, it is necessary to figure out which words or parts of the sentence are called introductory.

Introductory ones are those that are not grammatically related to the basic structure. Such phrases will not appear as members of the proposal and a question cannot be addressed to them. Even the meaning of introductory constructions is different, because they are similar to notes or inserts in a sentence. If you remove such a phrase, the meaning of the text does not change.

All introductory words can be divided into main groups, by which they will be easy to identify:

1. Expressions showing a negative or positive attitude of the author: fortunately, for trouble, why not conceal, to shame.
2. The speaker appreciates the possible authenticity: it seems, obviously, maybe, in essence, in fact, right, I suppose.
3. Words that allow us to understand the sequence connecting a new thought with a previous one: firstly, by the way, so, moreover, on the other hand.
4. Additional words used for speech design: more precisely, in a word, so to speak, in other words.
5. Phrases explaining the source of the spoken: in my opinion, they say, according to the message, they say.
6. Direct appeal to the interlocutor: you see, believe, understand, listen, agree.
7. Words or phrases that help to understand the commonality of information or facts: it happens, as usual, it happened, it happened.
8. Parts of the sentence that help evaluate the extent of the information said: at least, at least, the least.
9. Phrases or words showing the expressiveness of the spoken: to be honest, in addition to jokes, I must say that between us.

At first, it is better to have before your eyes a description of all the opening words. With a clear outline, it becomes quite simple to determine whether to isolate the structure.

Is the introductory phrase “in my opinion”

If you turn to the list of introductory words, then in the fifth group you can see the desired phrase. The phrase “in my opinion” refers to introductory words that explain the source of the information received. In this case, there are two options for using this phrase:

• the author focuses on the fact that thought belongs to him;
• the speaker is not quite sure of the spoken words, he simply expresses his thoughts.

If you remove such an insert from the sentence, the meaning will not be different, there will be only clarification. Following the rule, the phrase "in my opinion" is highlighted with commas on both sides.

There are designs that are only outwardly similar to the introductory ones, not being such. Distinguishing them is quite simple. If, when you try to remove a fragment, the meaning of the sentence changes, the word or phrase is not introductory. But such cases are quite rare.

Examples of use

If the phrase is used in pure form, commas are placed on both sides:

1. This girl, in my opinion, is not as sick as she wants to seem. She is pretending.
2. The question, in my opinion, is pretty dumb. Even a primary school student knows the answer to it.
3. The situation, in my opinion, only worsens from such manipulations.

The version of the phrase may change slightly if the author does not express his opinion, but someone else. In such a situation, the author of the opinion is included in the introductory design, separated by commas:

• The film, according to critics, was too dramatic.
• The next week, according to meteorologists, will be cloudy and rainy.

A comma can be placed before a phrase if the words are the beginning of an introductory turn:

1. Porridge turned out to be thick, in my opinion even solid, and smelled burnt. I think you need to weld another.
2. He acted wisely, in my opinion prudent and cautious.

If the construction is part of the sentence and cannot be removed in any way, you do not need to separate it with commas. For instance:

1. Do not judge in my opinion, because I do not know the details of the case. I express a subjective assessment.
2. In my opinion, you can understand the point of view of this generation, since we have only thoughts on this issue.

Remembering the rules for using introductory words, you can avoid many mistakes during writing. Faced with a new phrase, you should try to remove it from the sentence. If this was possible without loss of meaning, you can safely write the fragment to the introductory, limiting it to commas.