Writing Part 3:
The Opinion Writing Task
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Writing About an Opinion
• When you write to persuade, you are
expected to state your opinion about a topic.
• This is called an opinion statement.
• Your opinion statement is the main idea of
your paper.
• After you write your opinion statement, you
try to convince your readers to agree with
your opinion.
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Beginning or Introduction
• Get the reader’s attention
• State your opinion:
– I think we should go to the zoo for our field trip.
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Middle
• Give reasons that support your opinion:
– First, we’ll learn about lots of interesting animals at the
zoo.
– Another reason is that the zoo has a really fun gift shop.
– Finally, we’ll get lots of fresh air and sunshine at the zoo.
• Use transition words (linking words and phrases)
like first, because, therefore, since, most importantly,
and for example.
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TRANSITIONS (Linking Words or Phrases)
Above all
Again
Also
As a result
As an illustration
At other times
Besides this
Certainly
Consequently
Equally important
Finally
First
For example
For instance
For this reason
Furthermore
Generally
However
In addition
In conclusion
In contrast
In fact
In other words
In particular
In spite of this
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Last
Most importantly
Nevertheless
Next
Now
of course
On one hand
On the other hand
Or
Otherwise
Second
Similarly
Specifically
Still
Surely
Then
Therefore
Third
To explain
To illustrate
To wrap it up
While this may be
True
With this in mind
Yet
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Choosing the Best Reasons
To pick the best reasons, think about what
your reader is concerned about. Which
reason would persuade your parents to buy
you a new bike?
• It’s not fair that I have an old bike and my
sister has a new bike.
• If I had a new bike, I’d spend more time
outside getting exercise and less time
watching TV.
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Using Emotions
Sometimes writers try to convince the reader
by making them feel sad, happy, angry, or
guilty. Emotional appeals can be useful but
should not take the place of good reasons.
All my friends have brand new bikes, but all I
have is an old rusty one.
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Ending or Conclusion
• Restate your opinion statement
• End with a strong thought:
This is why I think the zoo would be a great
place to go on our class field trip. We’ll all
come back happy and healthy—and we’ll
know more about animals.
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Student Opinion Essay Model #1
4th Grade Prompt: Some districts have year-round
school. The students in these districts don’t get a
three-month summer break. Instead they get several
shorter breaks throughout the year. Other districts
hold school for nine months and give students the
summer off. Which schedule would you prefer?
Write a persuasive paper that will convince readers
to agree that a year-round schedule or nine-month
schedule is best.
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Give Year-Round School a Try
I think a year-round school schedule with lots of
short breaks is best. I have several reasons for this.
One reason is that a big problem with having a
summer break is that kids forget everything they
learned. When I get back to school, I always have a
hard time remembering the things I learned the year
before. If the breaks were shorter, I would not have
this problem.
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Another reason is that sometimes school can seem
like it drags on for a really long time in February and
March. It would be nice to have a short break when
it’s cold outside. Kids need time to have some fun
when the weather is bad. That would help everyone
learn better.
One more reason is that families could take vacations
at different times. In the summer, museums and
parks are really crowded. One summer my family
went to Disney World, and there were millions of
people there. If we had vacation other times, my
family could go places when not so many people were
there. That would be more fun.
For all those reasons, I think a year-round schedule
for school would be best. I hope our school tries it.
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Student Opinion Essay Model #2
Is it better to live in the country or the city?
Is it better to live in the country or in the city? In my
opinion it's much better to live in the city, especially
if you have a family.
Firstly, most people like quiet areas like farms and
the countryside but you always find the best
facilities in the city. People who have children need
to live near hospitals and schools and places like
daycares and shopping centres so they can be there
in a short time. Although these places make cities
busier, they also make life much easier for most
people.
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Secondly, most factories and offices are in the city
and people who work in them need to travel. It's
much easier for people if they live near where they
work so they don't have to travel a long way. However,
there are many people, especially in Charlotte, North
Carolina, who love the peace and quiet of the country
and prefer to travel a long way to get to work.
Thirdly, I live in a very multicultural area where there
are lots of people from many different countries.
There are shops, restaurants and bars to visit as well
as movies and malls. Life in the city is much more
active and vibrant than life in the country.
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In conclusion, it's much better to live in the
city because there are more facilities, more job
opportunities, and more entertainment.
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