Writing Opinion Paragraphs                    

What are opinion paragraphs? They are paragraphs in which you have to present your personal opinion on a particular topic. You must state your opinion clearly and support it with appropriate reasons and examples. Your idea is expressed through three sections: Introduction (or beginning) in which you explain your idea Main body, or supportive ideas, in which you make your point through examples Conclusion, an ending, in which you give a transition to your arguments.

The Introduction This is the topic sentence of your opinion in which you state your idea clearly. To state your opinion, these are the language structures you may use: I believe/feel/think that… From my point of view… As far as I am concerned… In my opinion/view… I am totally against… I completely disagree with… I don’t agree with.. It seems/appears to me that… I agree with/that... As I see it / It seems to me It is clear that… that…

The Main Body In the following paragraph(s) you have to support your opinion or provide explanations or examples for your opinion with more than one argument. These supporting sentences provide the evidence for your topic sentence. In this part, you should present examples. For arranging your ideas and arguments, you may use the following language structures: First of all/Firstly,… Second of all/Secondly,… Third of all/Thirdly,… Fourth of all/Fourthly,… And last but not least/… Finally,...

Addition Cause-Effect Giving a reason For connecting ideas and paragraphs, use linking words (also called connectors) which are used to show relationships between them. They enable us to establish clear connections between ideas. Contrast In contrast, however, on the contrary, on the other hand, nevertheless… Addition Also, furthermore, in addition, moreover… Cause-Effect Consequently, therefore, thus, in that case Giving a reason Since, because of, due to …

The Ending or Closing This is the last sentence of your opinion work and this is where you should restate and reinforce your opinion. The concluding sentence repeats the main idea of your opinion in different words. To do this, you may use the following language structures: In conclusion,… To conclude with,… Briefly,… On the whole,... Clearly,

When you start writing remember to: Look at the topic. Study the paragraph structure. Write a draft. Look for new words, organize your ideas and use the needed connectors. Include related vocabulary and appropriate expressions and verb tenses.

Now write your own opinion paragraphs… In the first paragraph write your opinion about what success is / what is necessary to be successful from the perception you get from different sources. In the second paragraph(s), remember to explain your arguments and to give an example to support them. Paragraphs should be between 120 and 150 words each)