Used to introduce an opinion with strong personal conviction, showing that the speaker is fully confident in their view.
“I firmly believe that working from home improves employees' quality of life.”
“I firmly believe that schools should teach financial literacy starting in high school.”
In CELPIP Speaking Task 7, this phrase is a strong way to open your response and immediately show confidence in your stance. Use it in the first few seconds to signal you understood the question and have a clear position. Avoid repeating it more than once in the same response, since overusing it can sound mechanical to raters.
Synonyms: I strongly believe that, I am convinced that, it is my firm belief that