HOW TO WRITE AN OPINION ESSAY

A.- PLAN

PARAGRAPH 1 == Introduce the topic and give your opinion. Say whether
you agree or disagree with the statement.

PARAGRAPH 2 == Give a reason to support your opinion.

PARAGRAPH 3 == Give a second reason to support your opinion.

PARAGRAPH 4 == Summarize your ideas and repeat your opinion using

different words.

BASIC DOS IN WRITING AN OPINION ESSAY

 Introduce each paragraph with a topic sentence, outlining the main

ideas.
 Do not write about advantages or disadvantages or points for or
against.
 Write in formal style.

BASIC DON’TS IN WRITING AN OPINION ESSAY

 Don’t use colloquial expressions.

 Don’t use short forms.
 Don’t use emotive vocabulary.
 Don’t give personal examples.

B.- VOCABULARY

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EXPRESSING OPINIONS

EXPRESSING OPINIONS
In my opinion, ….
Personally, I think/ I believe
(that)…
I strongly believe that….
It is clear (to me) that…
I feel very strongly that…
I (completely) agree/disagree
with …
It seems to me that…
As I see it, …
To my mind….
In my view,…
From my point of view, ….
As far I am concerned, …
I am sure/ convinced that …
I (dis)agree with the statement,
because …
En mi opinión…
Personalmente, creo que…
Creo firmemente que…
Me parece evidente que…
Siento firmemente que…
Estoy (totalmente) de acuerdo/ en
desacuerdo con….
Me parece que..
Como yo lo veo…
En mi opinión,…
Desde mi punto de vista,…
Desde mi punto de vista,…
En cuanto a lo que a mí respecta,…
Estoy seguro / convencido de que…
Estoy de acuerdo/ en desacuerdo con
la afirmación porque…

GIVING REASONS

GIVING REASONS
My main reason is…. Mi razón principal es..
Another reason is… Otra razón es…
One reason for… is …. Una razón para…. es….
Many people say/ believe that… Mucha gente dice/ piensa que..
Because… Porque…
Since… Puesto que/ ya que…
Because of/ due to… Debido a…

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EXPRESSING FACTS

EXPRESSING FACTS
It is widely known that… Es ampliamente conocido que..
It is a well-known fact that … Es un hecho bien conocido que…
Research has shown that… La investigación ha demostrado que…
There are definitely… Definitivamente hay…
It is a fact that… Es un hecho que…
It is clear/ true that… Está claro que/ es verdad que…
For example/ for instance,... Por ejemplo,…

ADDING IDEAS

ADDING IDEAS
What is more,… Y lo que es más,..
Moreover/ furthermore/ in Además,…
addition (to)
Apart from (that)… Aparte de…
Firstly,… En primer lugar,…
First of all,… En primer lugar,…
Secondly,.. En segundo lugar,..
Thirdly,… En tercer lugar,..
Lastly,… Por último,..
Finally,… Finalmente,…

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EXPRESSING CONTRAST (LINKERS OF CONTRAST)
EXPRESSING CONTRAST (LINKERS OF CONTRAST)
ALTHOUGH (aunque)
DESPITE (a pesar de)
IN SPITE OF (a pesar de)
EVEN IF (incluso si)
WHEREAS (mientras que)
HOWEVER (sin embargo)
IN CONTRAST
BUT (pero)
ON THE ONE HAND….. ON THE
OTHER HAND (por una parte….
por la otra)
Although I was feeling depressed, I
went to the party.
Despite the rain, I went to the party.
Despite feeling depressed, I went to
the party.
In spite of the rain, I went to the
party.
In spite of feeling depressed, I went to
the party.
I will go to the party, even if I feel
depressed.
Adults can make their own decisions,
whereas teenagers have to do what
other people tell them.
Mike is a very good singer. However,
he can’t play any instruments.
Their music is very good. But, their
lyrics are not very interesting.
On the one hand, they are extremely
rich. But on the other hand, they have
lots of debts.
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EXPRESSING PURPOSE (LINKERS OF PURPOSE)

EXPRESSING PURPOSE (LINKERS OF PURPOSE)

We use linkers of purpose to introduce reasons:

SO (THAT) (para) I have brought a microphone so that

the audience will be able to hear us.

IN ORDER TO ( para) We need to register with the council

in order to vote.

TO (para) I am phoning to ask information about

the event.

SO AS TO(para) We all need to vote so as to express

our opinions.

CONCLUDING THE ESSAY

CONCLUDING THE ESSAY

TO SUM UP,… Para resumir…

TO CONCLUDE,… Para concluir…

IN CONCLUSION,… En conclusion…

IT IS CLEAR THAT… Está claro que

IN SHORT En resumen…

ON THE WHOLE En general…

ALL IN ALL,… En conjunto, en términos generales,…

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Too much importance is given to taking exams at school. Do you agree?

To begin with I would like to say that this is a very interesting topic
to talk about. From my point of view, traditionally schools give more
importance to exams than to evaluating students´ 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
good luck or exam technique, get much better marks than other students
with similar abilities. As a result, some students have fewer opportunities
for their future.

In addition, many exam questions are simply a memory test. A lot of

teachers concentrate exclusively on ´exam preparation´. Consequently,
lessons may become boring and irrelevant to the real world.

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

The advantages and disadvantages of free public transport

To begin with I would like to say that this is a very interesting topic
to talk about. In some cities public transport is subsidised to make it
cheaper. However, some people think it should be completely free. Would
this be a positive or negative thing?

On the one hand, there are some arguments in favour of free public
transport. More people would use it, and consequently cities would be
cleaner and safer. Besides, another advantage is that people would have
more money for shopping and leisure, and so business would benefit.

On the other hand, if all fares were free, taxes would be higher. As a
result, some people might protest. What is more, councils would have to
improve services, which would be expensive.

In conclusion, free public transport has advantages and

disadvantages. In my opinion, it is better to pay if you want a good service.

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Cuando tenemos que opinar sobre un tema y tenemos opiniones a favor y
en contra podemos aplicar el siguiente esquema:

• Párrafo 1: Expresar interés por el tema y presentarlo.

In my opinion (el tema que sea) has

advantages and disadvantage.

It is clear that(el tema que sea) has

advantages and disadvantage.

This is a very interesting topic because ... It is obvious that(el tema que sea) has
advantages and disadvantage.

This topic is very important because … As I see it (el tema que sea) has
advantages and disadvantage.

I believe (el tema que sea) has

advantages and disadvantage.

I feel (el tema que sea) has advantages

and disadvantage.

• Párrafo 2:

On the one hand (argumentos a favor o en contra)

• Párrafo 3:
On the other hand

Sometimes, however,... (argumentos opuestos a los

Although ...is true, we should also consider consider ... expresados en el párrafo

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• Párrafo 4: volver a comentar que aunque hay ventajas e
inconveniente tu conclusión final es....

To conclude, I feel

In conclusion, I believe

To sum up, I think

In short, I would say

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 A FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY

Una redacción de pros y contras presenta los dos lados de una discusión, a
favor y en contra, apoyando al final uno de los dos lados.

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER GAMES

Introduction: States the issue (Expone el tema).

 If you ask teenagers about the negative effects of computer games,

most will deny there´s a problem. However, many psychologists say
that teenager bahaviour is influenced by the long hours they spend
playing computer games.

Body: Presents arguments for and against, giving examples. (Presenta los
argumentos a favor y en contra con ejemplos)

 Although not all computer games are violent, about 85% of all them
are. Many educators believe that teenagers who spend all their
time playing computer games find it difficult to distinguish between
fantasy and reality. In addition, they don´t know how to react in
social situations because they spend little time with friends.
 On the other hand, teenagers claim that computer games help them
relax after a long day at school. They say that these games are
exciting and are cheap and entertaining. It is a fact that some games
are educational and teach players to focus, concentrate and solve
problems.

Conclusion: Sums up the topic; states the writer´s opinion. (Resume el

tema y expone la opinión del que escribe)

 From my point of view, computer games are a problema. If I were a

parent, I would limit the amount of time my children played these
games.

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 Should Smoking Be banned in Public Places?

In the last twenty years many countries in Europe have banned smoking in
public places. This is an issue which most people have clear opinions
about.

On the one hand, smokers are furious. They feel the ban affects their
personal liberty. They say that they have the right to smoke wherever they
want. Furthermore, they claim that smoking is no more dangerous than
drinking.

On the other hand, most non-smokers are very pleased. They are happy
that they can eat in restaurants without breathing in smoke. Moreover,
doctors say this law will improve everyone´s health.

Personally, I think the law is a good thing. Smokers who want to smoke
can take their cigarettes outside!

The sun: the energy of the future?

It is well-known that the sun could be the perfect source of energy. It

generates 10,000 times more energy than we need and it will also be
available for another six billion years!

Solar-energy systems are now installed in many new buildings. They

provide electricity for both running electronic devices and heating water.
As a result, this alternative source of energy allows owners to save money.

However, this energy has some disadvantages. Solar energy is neither

completely clean, nor is it easy to store. The chemical process that is used
to make solar panels and batteries produces pollution. Furthermore, these
batteries don´t absorb and store the energy for very long.

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To sum up, although solar power is not perfect, in the long run, I think we
will all benefit from a natural resource that stops our dependence on
petrol and nuclear power.

Should university education be free? Discuss

It is clear that society needs people with university degrees. Nevertheless,

higher education is expensive and some people believe the government
should pay for it. There are arguments for and against this idea.

One of the arguments for free university education is that university

courses can be very expensive. For instance, becoming a doctor can cost
thousands of pounds. In addition, it is claimed that if local universities are
too expensive students might go abroad and not return. Consequently the
country will lose valuable work force and the economy will suffer.

However, there are also arguments against the idea. For example, some
people in society are quite wealthy and can afford fees. People also say
there are too many unemployed graduates and that the government
should encourage more young people to consider vocational careers.

On balance, I do not think university should be free for everyone because

that money is needed for other things. However, the government should
support poorer students who deserve the chance.

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EXPRESIONES ÚTILES

• Como introducir el tema:

Some / Many people think / believe / consider (that) … However, others…

It is thought / believed / claimed that…

• Como añadir ideas:

Furthermore,… /Moreover, …

In addition to this,…

(Estos tres conectores van siempre después de punto, y delante de coma).

• Hablar de razones y resultados: On result / effect if this is that…

Because of / As a result of this, … Consequently,…

… because

• Contrastar ideas:

On the one hand,… . On the other hand,…

One advantage of… is… One disadvantage of… is However,… /

Nevertheless,…

• Exponer ejemplos: For example, For instance, An example of this

is…

• Hacer recomendaciones o sugerencias:

…should (not)…

(Noun + -ing) would perhaps be a better solution / alternative.

• Expresar tu opinión:

Personally,…

In my opinion,… I believe that…

My own view is that…

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