Five-paragraph opinion essay (300 words)

1st paragraph – you start with a general remark and only afterwards you clearly
state your opinion
2nd paragraph – you come up with the first argument in favor of your opinion,
with justifications and examples
3rd paragraph – you provide the second argument in support of your opinion,
with justifications and examples
4th paragraph – you come up with a counter argument, supported by
justifications and examples
5th paragraph – conclusion in which you restate your opinion by using different
words, not the same words used in the introductory paragraph
Useful expressions for giving opinions
In my opinion,/To my mind,/As far as I am concerned, I believe that …/I am of
the opinion that …
Linking words for the first paragraph
To start with,/ Firstly,/ In the first place, …
Linking words for the second and third paragraphs (arguments in favor)
Secondly,/ In addition,/ Moreover,/Furthermore,/Besides, …
Linking words for the fourth paragraph (counter argument)
However,/Nevertheless./Nonetheless,/On the other hand, …
Linking words for the fifth paragraph (conclusion)
To sum up,/Taking everything into consideration,/In conclusion,/All in all, …

Scheme
1……. In my opinion/I strongly believe/I am of the opinion ….
2. Firstly,/To start with, …
3. In addition,/Secondly, …
4. On the other hand,/However, …
5. In conclusion, …..different words