Opinion Essay

Level: Intermediate
 What is it?
AN OPINION ESSAY IS A FORMAL PIECE

OF WRITING WHICH PRESENTS THE

WRITER’S POINT OF VIEW ON A

PARTICULAR SUBJECT SUPPORTED BY

REASONING AND EXAMPLES .

 Outline: four paragraphs

• 1.Introduction. Rephrase the topic using your own

words, describe the topic or provide a definition.
• 2. Include different ideas coming from other sources
(different beliefs and thoughts from the social
spectrum).
• 3. State your opinion. Provide reasons and examples
to support it.
• 4. Conclusion. Reinforce your opinion and add
suggestions or write what you’d change about it.
 USE OF ENGLISH
• Both the Present Simple and Present Perfect are always
good options since opinion essays deal with general ideas
and beliefs.
• -Use a Gerund when the verb (activity/action) is the
subject of the sentence: doing sport is…/ looking good
is….
• -Make comparisons using than: exercising is better than…
• -Use superlative adjectives to highlight your opinion:
from my point of view, exercising is the best way to get fit.
 Stating Opinions
• In my opinion,… -I agree/disagree that…
• -It seems to me that, … -I agree/disagree with…
• -As I see it,… -From my point of view…
• -It is clear that,… -As far as I’m concerned,…
• -I (do not) believe … -Personally, I think that…
• -I (do not) think… -To my mind…
 Stating other people’s opinions
• It is known/believed that …
• Others believe that…
• Other people think that…
• Obviously other people may think that…
• Generally speaking…
• It is commonly believed/thought that…
 Giving reasons
1.because/ since/ as / that is why + subject +
verb
• I really dislike exercising alone at home, that is
why I usually go to the gym.
• I usually go to the gym because/ since/ as I
dislike exercising alone.
2.because of /due to / thanks to + noun
He has such good results due to his daily effort.
 Expressing Consequences
1. So/ Therefore + subject + verb
• They studied a lot, so/therefore they passed their
exams.
2. As a result/ consequently/ as a consequence +
subject + verb
He finally got an A in English, as a result he was
given a big present.
He failed English, as a consequence he was
punished.
 Finishing an essay
In conclusion,…
In short,…
To sum up,…
To conclude,…
Summing up,…
 Practice 1: Liking and disliking
• Introduction: rephrase the topic using your own
words
• -On the one hand: include different ideas coming
from different sources
• -On the other hand: provide your different points of
view
• -Conclusion: reinforce your opinion and add
suggestions