OPINION PARAGRAPHS

Opinion Development
From the beginning, children have a natural
and intuitive understanding of the importance
of expressing their opinion.
 Unfortunately…
Adults often ignore
relevant information
that disagrees with
their own perspective,
are insensitive to
criticisms of their
opinion, and fail to
see alternative
perspectives.
These qualities are also evident in written opinions and
arguments. We should respect other people’s ideas.
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
 An opinion paragraph
• An opinion paragraph is a type of short
argumentative text that writers use to state their
beliefs. The best opinion paragraphs make the
author’s beliefs clear and back them up with solid
reasoning. 
 How to Write an Opinion Paragraph

• 1. Determine the Subject of Your Opinion Paragraph

• In many instances when you are asked to write an
opinion essay or paragraph, your teacher will give you
a prompt. If he or she does not, brainstorm topics that
you have an opinion on. These topics must be concepts
that can be argued, not facts that everyone agrees on.
2. Pick Your Side

Choose the side you are on. Decide

if you are ‘for’ or ‘against’ the idea.
3. Brainstorm and Plan Your Paragraph with an Outline
List what comes to your mind related to the
subject.Then, group them and turn these into a well-
organized outline.
4. Use the Oreo Writing Strategy
OREO stands for
Opinion, Reasons, Examples, Opinion.
• State your opinion first; express your opinion at the
beginning of the paragraph; in the topic sentence.
Next, give reasons why your opinion is true. Then,
make sentences to explain your reasoning by giving
examples. Finally, complete your paragraph by
restating your opinion.
5. Revise Your Work
• As with any writing, be sure to look over your work
and correct any errors in spelling and grammar that
you see. Sometimes it’s hard to see your own
mistakes. So ask a friend to read your paragraph for
you.
 Some sample opinion paragraph prompts:
• Should smoking be allowed in public places?
• Are today’s famous people good role models for young people?
• Should students be allowed to use their cell phones in class?
• It is better to live in a large city than in a small town. Do you
agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
REMEMBER!!!
If you follow these steps carefully, you can write a perfect opinion paragraph!