B2 Writing

OPINION ESSAY

Agree/disagree essays are discursive essays in which you present your personal opinion on a
particular topic. In an agree/disagree essay, you try to convince the reader to your point of view on a
controversial issue (something that people disagree about). An Agree/Disagree essay usually consists
of three developmental paragraphs; each of them presents an idea to support your thesis statement
including minor supports such as examples. The viewpoint presented in each paragraph of the body
is called “pro”. You should explain your pros in a clear way. Since Agree/Disagree essay is based on a
logical flow of argumentation through the discussion of pros, it requires a well-planned introductory
paragraph including a thesis statement to present your ideas. It also requires a well-planned
conclusion paragraph.

Introductory Paragraphs: An introductory paragraph introduces a controversial issue. It may include

a short story, an anecdote, a question, or a surprising statement or fact that makes the reader know
more. The middle sentences explain the importance of the issue by providing some sufficient
background information. This information explains the issue in details. The thesis statement at the
end of the paragraph presents your point of view.

The definition of thesis statement: Thesis statement should demonstrate what your essay would be
about. In your thesis statement, you should write whether you agree or disagree with the topic. You
should also add why you are for or against the situation in the form of controlling ideas. The thesis
statement is usually placed towards the end of the introduction paragraph.

The useful phrases below may be helpful for giving opinion:

● It seems to me that….
● In my opinion…..
● My personal view is that…..
● As far as I understand/ can see….
● From my point of view…..
● I might be wrong but….
● I believe one can (safely) say….
● I must admit that…..
● I cannot deny that…..
● I (strongly) believe….
● Personally, I (don’t) think/ (dis)agree….
● That is why I think….
● I am sure /certain/ convinced that….
● I am not sure/certain that….

Sample thesis statements:

1) Many people believe that one can lose weight by eating everything; however, I strongly believe
that without a balanced nutrition, sports, and positive mood of psychology, it is impossible to lose
weight.

2) Some people think that it is more important for students to study history and literature than
science and mathematics.I do not agree with this idea because in the modern world, science and
mathematics are more relevant to find employment, more necessary for citizens to understand life,
their surroundings, and less controversial to teach.
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I personally disagree that it is more important for students to study history and literature than
science and mathematics because 1,2 and 3 ///// for three reasons: 1, 2, and 3.

3) Some people believe that teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. I
personally disagree with this idea since it will de-motivate the students with the academic tasks,
the teachers will force the students to learn more because of the money, and assessing how much
students learn is very difficult.

4) Some people believe that it is wiser to live in an extended family, while others think it is better to
live in a nuclear family. In my opinion,the extended family is better because of three main reasons.

Body Paragraphs: Body paragraphs may consist of two or more paragraphs. (In academic writing, it is
usually three.) Each of the paragraphs should present a separate viewpoint supported by
reasons/examples. In other words, each of them should have a topic sentence with a controlling idea
that supports the main point of view.

Conclusion Paragraph: In a conclusion paragraph, re-tell the subject and state your opinion clearly.
You can restate your opinion, offer a warning, a suggestion, a prediction, or other type of comment
that reinforces your viewpoint by using the phrases below:

● In conclusion / To conclude,
● To sum up, / To summarize we can say
● All in all,
● In short / In brief / Briefly,
● In summary,

● In a nutshell,

Example:

● To sum up / to summarize we can say, universities should support the

learning process with qualified teachers ,technologically adequate
buildings and many social facilities.
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SAMPLE ESSAY:

Read the following agree/disagree topic and the sample essay. Underline the thesis statement,
topic sentences and major supporting sentences.

● Some of the methods used in advertising are unethical and unacceptable in today’s society.

Do you agree/ disagree with this view?

The Ways Things Are Advertised

The world that we live in today is dominated by advertising. Adverts are on television, on the
World Wide Web, in the street and even on our mobile phones. Even when we are on our way home
or to work, we cannot avoid advertisements since they are on the billboards on the roads. Some
people claim without advertisements, we would be unaware of the market. However, I think that
advertisements are unethical and unacceptable since they irritate us, encourage consumerism and
motivate unhealthy eating.

To begin with, advertiseöents make us uncomfortable. The fact that we cannot escape from
advertising is a significant cause for complaint. On the internet, while you are searching for a topic,
constant images and signs can disturb us at times. To go on working, you should first push the close
button. Besides internet advertisements, there are television advertisements. While we are watching
an exciting program, suddenly there appear several virtual advertisements. They distract us from the
program we are watching.

A further aspect of advertising that I would consider unethical is the way that it encourages
people to buy products they may not need or cannot afford. Children and young people in particular
are influenced by adverts showing the latest toys, clothing or music and this can put enormous
pressure on the parents to buy these products. Moreover, grown-ups themselves also tend to buy a
product they see in the advertisement. As a result, people buy the goods that they really do not need
and consumerism increases.

Finally,I think the advertising of food products such as fast food and candies is unacceptable
since they threaten our health. These two food groups are promoting unhealthy nutrition, which is
very important especially in children’s physical development. Furthermore, adults who consume the
advertised products gain weight and it results in obesity. The result is the days or months spending
lots of money for special diets and limitless effort to lose the kilos.

To sum up, it is certainly true to say that advertising is an everyday feature of our lives.
Through advertising, people are constantly being encouraged to buy extra products or services,
unnecessary or even unhealthy. Therefore, many aspects of advertising appear to be morally wrong
and are not acceptable in today's society. As consumers, we should always be conscious.

(378 words)
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PRACTICE 1: Write an essay by using this sample outline below.

Topic: Young people enjoy life more than older people. Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
INTRODUCTION: ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement: While different people hold different opinions toward the meaning of real life, I
am strongly for the idea that young people enjoy life more than older people in terms of having more
time and energy; being creative and courageous; and having no burdens of life over their shoulders.
BODY PARAGRAPH 1:

Topic Sentence: Young people are advantageous in terms of time and energy.

Support 1: Young people have a new long life.

Details: ____________________________________________________________________________

Support 2: Young people have energy.

Details: ____________________________________________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:

Topic Sentence: Young people are always creative, and courageous.

Support 1: Young people are more creative than the old thanks to technology.

Details: ____________________________________________________________________________

Support 2: Young people are more courageous than the old because of the tendency of adventure.

Details: ____________________________________________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPH 3:
Topic Sentence: Young people do not have the burdens of life over their shoulders unlike older
people.
Support 1: Young people are carefree.

Details: ____________________________________________________________________________

Support 2: Young people have little responsibility.

Details: ____________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION: All in all, I am of the opinion that young people enjoy life more than older people. Not
because they are physically more suitable, but also because they are mentally tending.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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PRACTICE 2: Write an essay by using the sample outline below.

Topic: Television is a threat to all humanity.

INTRODUCTION :

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Thesis Statement: I agree with the topic because …

BODY PARAGRAPH 1:

Topic Sentence: To start with, watching television prevents us from communicating with each other.

Support 1 & Details:

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Support 2 & Details:

__________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:

Topic Sentence: Furthermore, it threatens our physical health.

Support 1 & details: ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Support 2 & details: ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

BODY PARAGRAPH 3:

Topic Sentence: Finally, It triggers violence.

Support 1 & details: _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Support 2 & details: ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION: To sum up,____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
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