Opinion Essay: Agree/Disagree

● Introduction:
○ There is a view that…
○ In my opinion,...
● Body Pargraphs:
○ To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that = Firstly,... = To start with, …
○ On the one hand,... >< On the other hand,...
○ In contrast,... = On the contrary,...
○ Meanwhile,... = In the mean time,...
○ As a result,... = As a consequence,... = Consequently,...
○ After all,... : to give a reason to explain what you have just said
■ I’m not really ambitious. After all, money isn’t everything.
○ This is because… = A reason for this is that... = This is due to the fact that…
○ For instance,... = For example,... = As an example,...
○ However,... = Nevertheless,...
○ That said,... : used for adding an opinion that seems to be on the opposite of what you
just said, although you think both are true.
■ The economy is struggling. That said, house prices rose slightly last month.

Discussion Essay: Advantage/Disadvantage

● Introduction:
○ In recent years, the approach of … has risen in popularity over the alternative of …
○ It is increasingly common...
○ This essay will highlight both the benefits and the drawbacks that result from such an
approach.
● Body paragraph:
○ To begin with the positives, a crucial advantage is that …
○ Looking firstly at the positives, a significant advantage is that…
○ However, … also present some disadvantage, the most obvious of which is...
○ This means that… = In other words,...
○ Besides + V-ing = In addition to something OR Besides,... = In addition,...
○ Considering that …, it is no wonder that …
○ To make matters worse, it has been shown that...
○ Therefore,... = Thus,...
■ => …, thus + V-ing…
■ The merchants began to import corn, thus forcing farmers to cut their prices.
■ => …, and thus + phrase
■ No decision had been made, and thus the situation remained unclear.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? => has opinion

a. Intro:
i. Thesis: Present your opinion, which one outweighs the other.
b. Body 1: present the weaker side first
i. “Admittedly, there are some basic benefits of …”
 ii. Use words to lessen the points (probably, in some rare cases)
c. Body 2: present the stronger side
i. “Nevertheless, despite the advantages above, I believe…”
ii. Use stronger words to emphasize/stress the points (serious consequence,
extremely)
● Conclusion:
○ In conclusion, although formal examinations are beneficial in terms of cutting out
cheating and improving efficiency, it is important to consider that they also …

Problem and Solution Essay:

● Intro:
○ It is clear that … (present the topic)
○ This essay will explore two of the problems which have resulted from these changes
and propose measures which might address them.
● Body paragraph:
○ Follow Thesis - Support - Support/Ex - Solution - Result
○ One concern in terms of … is that…
○ Regarding …, one pressing problem is that...
○ This is because…
○ Consequently,...
○ To tackle this issue,...
○ This problem could be mitigated by …
● Conclusion:
○ In conclusion, two of the main concerns are…
○ However, these problems can be managed via…

Situational Essay:

● Intro:
○ Recently,...
○ This essay will explore a number of possible reason behind this rise in popularity and
detail some of the benefits of …
● Body paragraph:
○ Follow 1 main point - Support - S/Ex - 2 main point - Support - Result

Discussion and Opinion Essay: Discuss both views and give your opinion:

● Intro:
○ While some believe that … (present the side you disagree), I would agree with those
who argue that … (present the side you agree)
● Body Paragraph: T - S - E - A - R
● BP1: the side you disagree
○ The argument goes that… : to explain the logic of another person’s reason, but means
that you don’t accept the person’s reason or opinion
 ■ The argument goes that if students are allowed to choose what they want to
study, then there will be a shortage of these important workers.
● BP2: the side you agree
○ I believe…
○ With regards to the former,...
○ As for the latter,...
● Conclusion:
○ In conclusion, while people may vary in their opinions, I think that…
○ In conclusion, despite people having different views, I believe it…