LNG220 Opinion paragraph

Part I: The structure of an opinion paragraph

Similar to other forms of writing, a well-written opinion paragraph should be well-structured.
It should begin with a topic sentence, which is the main idea of the whole paragraph. It is
then followed by relevant supporting arguments and/or examples. The paragraph usually
ends with a concluding sentence that reinstates the given topic sentence. The length of an
opinion paragraph ranges between 120-200 words, depending on the topic.
An example paragraph
Topic: Smoking in public spaces should be banned.

There are three main reasons why smoking in public spaces should be banned. First of all,
cigarettes contain toxic chemicals that cause harm to both the smokers and other people
around them. As a result, these second-hand smokers can develop lung cancer and may have
other health problems. In addition, air in public spaces should be clean for everyone to enjoy.
Imagine you are standing in front of your office and someone next to you is smoking, it can
be very annoying. Finally, banning smoking can reduce trash. That is because there will be
fewer cigarette butts on the ground. As we have seen before, smokers dispose of their
cigarette butts carelessly on the street, on the ground or even on the beach right where they
finish their cigarette. To summarize, due to the negative effects I have mentioned above,
smoking in public spaces should not be permitted. (148 words)

Activity 1: Analyze the structure of the above paragraph and answer the following
questions.
1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
three main reasons why smoking in public spaces should be banned
2. How many reasons are used to support the author’s opinion? What are they?
3 reasons: cigarettes containing toxic chemicals, clean air public spaces and trash
reduction
3. What supporting techniques does the author use in this paragraph?
reason 1: explanation (cause-effect), reason 2: example and reason 3: personal
experience (as we have seen before)
4. Does this paragraph have a conclusion?
yes the last sentence – concluding sentence

Part II: Components of an opinion paragraph

I. Topic sentence
A topic sentence tells the reader what the main idea of the paragraph is.
- School uniforms should be worn for three reasons.
 - There are three reasons why I think students should learn Mandarin Chinese.
- I agree with the statement that smoking in public spaces should be banned. There are
three main reasons to support my opinion.
II. Supporting reasons and details
To convince your readers, you can use the following three methods to give supporting
reasons/details: using facts, providing explanations, and sharing experiences.

A. Facts

Factual information can be objectively proved and therefore is reliable and convincing. It
includes historical, geographical, or scientific information.

- Marijuana is legal in several countries in the world.

- School uniforms in England were first introduced during the reign of King Henry
VIII.

- Nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive.

B. Explanations

This method helps readers understand the reasons why a writer gives such opinions. It can be
used to clarify the facts in opinion writing.

- Marijuana should be banned. The reason for this is that it is addictive.

- Uniforms are a good idea because they can help save money.

- Second, smoking can cause breathing problems as it affects the respiratory system.

C. Experiences

This method comes from the writer’s direct experience. The method helps readers to
understand the background of how the writer views an issue regarding the writing topic.

- From my personal experience, I had a neighbor who lost all her money smoking
marijuana.

- When I was younger, I only had to use two school uniforms for the whole school
year.

- I personally know three smokers who develop lung cancer.

III. Concluding sentence

A concluding sentence is often a paraphrase of the topic sentence or a summary of the main
points discussed in the paragraph. Remember, do NOT introduce new ideas or topics that
were not discussed in the paragraph.
 - All in all, it is clear that marijuana should be banned.

- From the reasons discussed above, school uniforms should be required.

- To conclude, smoking does more harm than good.

Part III: Useful language patterns

A. Stating opinions
Agree Disagree
In my opinion, • I do not think that
• I am convinced that • I disagree with the statement that
• I believe that (+ Clause (subject + verb))
• I agree with the statement that
(+ Clause (subject + verb))

homework should be banned. homework should be banned.

• I support • I am against
• I am in favor of • I am opposed to

+ Noun/noun phrase/gerund + Noun/noun phrase/gerund

Noun: school uniforms. Noun: school uniforms.
Noun phrase: eating insects. Noun phrase: eating insects.
Gerund: gambling. Gerund: gambling.

B. Sequence markers

Firstly / In the first place / First of all/ To begin with, …

e.g. First of all, cigarettes contain toxic chemicals that harm both the smokers and other
people around them.

Secondly / Another reason is that / Furthermore, / Moreover, / Besides, / Additionally, / In

addition, ….

e.g. In addition, air in public spaces should be clean for everyone to enjoy.

Finally, / Last, / Lastly, / The final reason is …

e.g. Finally, banning smoking can reduce trash.

C. Giving examples

For example, / For instance, / To illustrate, …

e.g. For instance, it is often the case that smokers dispose of their cigarette butts carelessly on
the street, on the ground or even on the beach right where they finish their cigarette.

D. Concluding sentence
 - In summary, / In short, / In brief, / In conclusion, …
- To summarize, / To sum up, / To conclude, …

e.g. To summarize, due to the negative effects I have mentioned above, smoking in public
spaces should be banned.

Part IV: Outlining

It is always wise to spend a few minutes constructing an outline for your paragraph. This will
help you write a relevant and concise paragraph.

Below is an example outline of the paragraph you have seen in Activity 1.

Topic: Smoking in public spaces should be banned.

Components Details
Topic sentence There are three main reasons why smoking in public spaces should be
banned.
Reason 1 + support cigarettes contain toxic chemicals
 develop lung cancer other health problems
Reason 2 + support air in public spaces should be clean.
 someone next to you smoking  annoying.
Reason 3 + support reduce trash.
 fewer cigarette butts on the ground as dispose of their cigarette
butts carelessly
Concluding To summarize, due to the negative effects I have mentioned above,
sentence smoking in public spaces should not be permitted.

Note that for supporting details, you do NOT have to write full sentences. You only need to
get rough ideas about the content.

Activity 2: Fill in each of the blanks with an appropriate word or phrase provided.

A. To conclude
B. To illustrate
C. concentrate
D. Firstly
E. have a variety of negative health effects
F. This should not be neglected because
G. Another reason why

In my opinion, there are three reasons why playing computer games for too long can cause
children significant harm. 1) __Firstly_____________, games can be so addictive that they
distract children from other important things like getting enough sleep, doing homework or
exercising. 2) __To illustrate_____________, my sister, who is now addicted to Minecraft,
spends at least three hours playing the game every day. She often complains that she is sleep-
deprived and finds it hard to 3) __concentrate_____on her homework. 4) _Another reason
why_______ I think video games do more harm than good is that some of them contain
violent scenes. 5) _This should not be neglected because_______ research shows that due to
violence in computer games, some teens may become aggressive and callous. Finally, playing
computer games for extended periods of time can 6)_have a variety of negative
effects________. For example, it can lead to eye discomfort, fatigue, blurry vision and
headaches. 7) ______To conclude_____________, in my view, children should be instructed
not to play computer games for too long.

Questions:
1. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
three reasons why playing computer games for too long can cause children significant
harm
2. How many reasons are used to support the author’s opinion? What are they?
3 reasons – addictiveness of games, violence and a variety of negative effects
3. What supporting techniques does the author use in this paragraph?
reason 1 explanation (cause effect), reason 2 personal experience as example and reason
3 example

4. Does this paragraph have a conclusion?

yes -last sentence
Activity 3: Writing practice
Instructions: Work in pair. Choose ONE of the following topics to develop an outline and
write a 120-150-word opinion paragraph. Make sure your section teacher sees and approves
your outline before you start writing.

1. Money makes our life happier than other things in life. Do you agree or disagree?
2. Modern technology has destroyed our traditional way of life. Do you agree or disagree?
3. People in modern society are not as healthy as people in the past. Do you agree or
disagree?
4. True happiness does not exist. Do you agree or disagree?
 Topic: _________________________________________________________________
A. Outline
Components Details
Topic sentence

Reason 1 + support

Reason 2 + support

Reason 3 + support

Concluding
sentence

B. Paragraph