How to Write an Opinion Essay
Every college student knows that the process of essay creation is one of the most exacting and demanding ones. However, with some basic knowledge, skills, and effort, the struggle becomes real, and the goal turns out to be achievable.
During the college years, the learners have to deal with the most different types of academic papers, and opinion essay seems to be the most challenging one. What makes it special? In fact, irrespective of its academic background, the paper requires the maximum level of eloquence and creativity, as the learners have to express their personal perspectives on certain issues.
Additionally, it is necessary to support each idea with evidence, reasoning, and example. In fact, that is the exact point that makes the task complicated, as you do not have to follow a well-defined structure. Instead, you should mind the opinion essay format, presenting your creative and extraordinary ideas.
Although the task may be complicated for some learners, others know how to succeed with any assignment. With the development of the online market, learners have numerous beneficial options they can use to succeed with every essay. Busy or lazy students can take advantage of the professional essay writing platforms, while determined and goal-oriented learners can take some time to investigate the basics of paper writing and succeed with the independent accomplishment of the task.
If you choose the second option, you need to start with the opinion essay definition, as it will help you acknowledge the key objectives of the essay type and guide you through the process of its creation. So, what is an opinion essay, and how does it differ from a persuasive paper?
Generally, the goal of the essay is to emphasize the writer’s point of view on a specific issue or phenomenon. Plenty of evidence and facts should be used to support the key ideas. Nonetheless, contrary to persuasive papers, the author should not use writing techniques that help to convince the audience. In fact, an opinion essay seems to be a middle ground between informative and persuasive texts.
Top 3 Steps on How to Write an Opinion Essay Structure
Irrespective of the freedom and flexibility the college student gets writing the opinionated paper, it is critical to remember its scholarly nature. A standard structure and format should be preserved. Make sure you include all the fundamental parts an opinion essay structure that should be there in the text, including:
- introduction;
- main body;
- conclusion.
Aiming to achieve the desired result, the learner should take some time to go through numerous stages of work. Irrespective of your experience and qualification, the below-mentioned steps may speed the process and advance the quality of your writing.
Opinion Essay Pre-Writing
Are you ready to immerse yourself in essay writing right when you get the topic assigned? Relax and take your time. When it comes to academic writing, there is no need to rush. Instead, it is critical to be reserved and determined so that you avoid critical mistakes. If the instructor lets you decide the topic of your text independently, that is the point you should start with. Once you succeed with this step, you need to proceed to other activities:
- Investigate the field to find as much useful information on the topic as possible. Deal with relevant and valid sources only so that every single fact you mention in the paper is backed by up-to-date data.
- Brainstorm the theme to single out numerous ideas that seem fundamental. It will help you craft a well-structured outline that will further be developed into the paper paragraphs.
- Proceed to the outline creation stage, and you will be halfway to the excellent composition with great structure for an opinion essay worth the highest grade.
- Find some good opinion essay examples
Opinionated Writing
Once you are done with the preparatory stage, you are ready to proceed to the opinion writing structure. At this point, you should be aware of how to start an opinion essay, develop its ideas and come up with an impressive opinion conclusion or hook. Make sure you use your knowledge and skills to craft an influential and coherent paper that is not only relevant but also scholarly and interesting to read.
Start with the catchy opinion introduction using "how-to's guides" that contains an opinion thesis statement to summarize your viewpoint. Then, use transition sentences and phrases that keep the paper logical and consistent. Next, move to the body passage, dividing it into meaningful parts. Mind the most important rule: one idea – one paragraph. Finally, the conclusion should reiterate the introduction, highlighting your position once again.
Opinion Essay Post-Writing
Are you done with the writing process? You are not done with the assignment, though. Even a well-structured, coherent, and finely created composition will not be appreciated by the audience if it is filled with mistakes, typos, and errors. Thus, it is critical to edit and proofread the text a couple of times to eliminate any risks.
Personal Opinion Essay Creation: Tips to Follow
Although writing an opinion essay seems to be a trivial task for most students, it is inevitable to be attentive to details that may predetermine the success of the experience. No matter if you are still planning your work or you have already created the text, you need to check some of its features that can contribute to its relevance:
- start every paragraph with a topic sentence;
- do not estimate the pros and cons of certain perspectives;
- follow the formal style of writing;
- make it obvious for the audience whether you agree or disagree with the title;
- use clear paragraphs;
- follow the standard writing rules;
- take advantage of useful linkers;
- read examples of similar opinion papers;
- avoid typos and minor mistakes.
How to Write an Opinion Essay: Key Do’s and Don’ts
The process of composition of opinion essay creation may be easy and flawless if you follow some tips and guidelines.
Do’s:
- adhere to the formal style;
- outline the key ideas;
- use generalizations;
- write in the present tense;
- stay concise and logical.
Don’ts:
- use slang;
- implement colloquial phrases;
- include short forms of the words;
- overgeneralize;
- repeat the same argument several times;
- take advantage of imperative voice;
- be emotional and biased.