howtowriteanopinionessay-120226124238-phpapp01.pdf

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HOW TO WRITE AN OPINION ESSAY

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HOW TO WRITE AN OPINION ESSAYWhenever we state an opinion in writing, our purpose is to convince our reader that

our point of view is correct. In order to do this, we need to present clear andconvincing arguments and support them with facts and examples.

Your composition should include the following parts distributed in paragraphs:

AN OPENINGA paragraph which introduces the topic and states your opinion clearly.

A BODYA series of paragraphs that give reasoned arguments to support your opinion. Eachargument forms a separate paragraph. Add details, facts and examples to support

your arguments.

A CLOSINGIt should restate your opinion at the end of the composition. You may offer a solutionto the problem or include a warning, saying what will happen if your advice is nottaken.

When stating an opinion, we often use the following words and expressions to indicateour attitude.

REASON AND RESULT LINKERS: in order to, for this reason, because, so, consequently,therefore, as a result, so as to

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS: in my opinion, I think, I believe, I feel, I strongly agree, I wasinterested/surprised/shocked, It seems to me, As I see it, As far as I'm concerned, Tobe honest, personally, undoubtedly, obviously, in short, etc.

A good composition should have a strong opening which attracts the reader's attentionand makes them want to read more. A few good ways to open your essay include thefollowing:

1. A QUESTION: Have you ever found yourself in the company of a celebrity?2. A SURPRISING FACT: Reality shows are probably the most popular form of

television entertainment nowadays.

3. A PERSONAL ADDRESS TO THE READER: You may think that being wealthy andfamous can make you happy.
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4. A CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT: Cable TV should be censored, and the soonerthe better.

The conclusion of your essay is often a paraphrase of the main idea expressed in theopening. It should leave the reader with 'food for thought', that is to say, somethingimportant to think about after reading your essay.

Certain words or expressions are often used to indicate the conclusion of a piece ofwriting: in conclusion, lastly, last but not least, finally, to sum up, summarizing, inshort, clearly, therefore, thus, It is clear/obvious that

These other expressions can be used to order your ideas as you develop them:

firstly secondly finallyfirst of all thirdly lastly

BASIC WRITING SKILLS

When we write an essay, it is not enough to have ideas or persuasive arguments. It isimportant that we express them correctly, so you should always bear in mind somebasic rules of writing.

WORD ORDER: an English sentence has a fixed word order and must necessarily havea subject and a verb. There may, however, be other parts in the sentence. The basicorder is:

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + MANNER + PLACE + TIME

Time expressions can come at the beginning or end of a sentence. Don't separate the verb from its object. Frequency adverbs (often, sometimes, always, never, usually, etc.) often come

before the main verb or between the auxiliary and the verb. If a sentence has a direct and indiriect object, we often put the indirect object

first. She wrote me an email.


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EXAMPLESTOO MUCH IMPORTANCE IS GIVEN TO TAKING EXAMS AT SCHOOL. DOYOU AGREE?Traditionally, schools give more importance to exams than to evaluatestudents' general progress. In my opinion, this teaches children to memorise,not to think independently.

It is clear that the exam system can be unfair. Some students, due to goodluck or exam technique, get much better marks than other students withsimilar abilities. As a result, some students have fewer opportunities for

their future.

In addition, many exam questions are simply a memory test. A lot ofteachers concentrate exclusively on exams preparation. Consequently, lessonscan become boring and irrelevant to the real world.

To sum up, I feel that exams are not the best way to test ability. They canbe a memory test and they have a bad influence on teaching. Continuousassessment would be more effective.

PARAGRAPH 1: State topic and gives a clear opinion.PARAGRAPHS 2 & 3: Give examples and reasons to support the argument.PARAGRAPH 4: Conclude by summing up the arguments and suggest a solution.

MURDERERS DESERVE THE DEATH PENALTY

Recently, people have again begun to discuss the issue ofwhether murderers deserve the death penalty. However, in myopinion, the death penalty is ineffective, risky and barbaric.

In most countries, the death penalty was abolished long ago. Inmy view, there are very good reasons for this. Firstly, capitalpunishment is not a deterrent. In American states where thedeath penalty has recently been introduced, murder figures havenot decreased. Secondly, the death penalty is final. Mistakescannot be corrected after a man has been executed. Finally, Ibelieve that murder is wrong and this includes murder, orexecutions, by the state. As far as I'm concerned, the state hasno more right to take a life than an individual has.

In conclusion, I think that the death penalty should definitely notbe used in a humane, civilized society.

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