How to write an opinion essay- Steps, structure, and examples

Writing an effective opinion essay is an arduous task for most students. Some learners lack the basic writing and planning skills, which are essential in crafting an academic essay. Besides, you are required to conduct extensive research and provide an error-free paper. Well, this can sound like a nightmare, especially when you have a cumbersome job, friends to mingle with, and some games to play.

For a good opinion essay, you must expose your insecure and vulnerable self. You have to take mental focus to ensure you are emotionally susceptible. But if you have challenging moments with opinionated writing, this guide offers simple yet helpful tips to make you a competent and brilliant essay writer.

What is an opinion essay?

The standard definition of an opinion essay is a form of writing that reflects the author’s point of view. An opinionated essay is a fun and furious paper because it allows you to convey your opinion compellingly. However, you need to express your views in a coherent and reasoned manner. Besides, you have to support your arguments.

Opinion essays help you explore the validity and strength of your opinions. Your critical thinking capacity is put to task to ensure you can explicitly express your ideas in writing. Importantly, focus on the topic to help you craft a flawless paper.

What are the requirements of an opinion essay?

There are many prompts and questions geared towards personal opinions, and each thought needs a tailored response. Opinions are everywhere, from infomercials to soccer and political commentary to hotel reviews. Despite the diversity, there are some general requirements to help you navigate the challenge of writing an opinionated paper.

• Speak clearly: The purpose of writing an opinion essay is to be read. Therefore, make your thoughts are expressed articulately. Do not assume that the audience knows things that are not put into writing.
• Have a stand: State your position boldly from the word go and throughout the entire paper. The aim is to ensure your opinion is reinforced constantly and unwaveringly.
• Back it up: Opinions need to be substantiated. A shred of pertinent evidence should support every statement of an opinion paper. The evidence makes writing more convincing and authentic.
• Use formal language: Undoubtedly, they are your thoughts but remember the ultimate goal is to be read by audiences. So, consider professionalism when writing an opinion paper. The internet slang words like “SNM,” “TBH,” “LOL,” among others, should be avoided at all costs.
• Be unpredictable: Nobody wants to read what they already know. So argue the rarer points, rage, and elucidates as uniquely as you can. More so, explore your creativity with vocabulary to make your paper interesting to read.

Opinion essay topics

Writing an opinionated paper can be much easier and more fun once you pick the right topic. The topic gives your paper direction and helps you communicate articulately. You can select any of the following topics:

• Family time is crucial.
• Do you need to learn a second language?
• We should not eat animals.
• Can global warming be curbed?
• Are electric cars being eco-friendly a big lie?
• People should be cloned.
• The death penalty is unnecessary.
• The US should make college education free.
• Drinking wine daily is healthy.
• The client is not always right.
• Politics behind gun control.
• The media lost its freedom of speech.
• Should people vaccinate their children?
• Causes of Autism.
• Benefits of homeschooling.
• Gender schools should be extinct.

Opinion essay structure

Like other academic essays, an opinion essay follows the same structure: planning your work, writing, and finally proofreading.

Planning

Plan your work before writing your first sentence. Brainstorm, father information, and gather appropriate evidence. Organize your list of ideas and choose which ideas should fit in the intro, body, and conclusion.

Writing

Now that you have ideas and resources at hand, you should compellingly craft your opinion essay. Writing the paper has three sections:

• Introductory paragraph
• Main body
• Conclusion

Proofreading

Evaluate your work to ensure it is the perfect piece any reader would enjoy reading. Check grammar mistakes and ensure you have used linking words. More so, make sure all words are spelt correctly and punctuated properly. When done right, the opinion essay will be a brilliant piece of writing!

Opinion essay format

Introduction

This part introduces the topic coherently and states the writer’s opinion clearly. Be intentional and address readers directly. Express your opinion, “In my opinion,” “It is my belief that,” “In my view,” “I’m inclined to believe that,”

Body paragraphs

Essentially, the body has three or more paragraphs, with each part representing an idea. You can also introduce a contrasting viewpoint, “Contrary to a popular belief,” “It is argued that.” Ensure each statement is precise and back it up with evidence.

Conclusion

Wrap up or summarize your ideas precisely. Do not introduce new opinions in this segment; instead, recap your thesis statement. To conclude, use phrases like “All things considered,” “To sum up,” or “Taking everything into consideration.”

Opinion essay examples

Example: My Opinion on Technology’s Impact on Mental Health

Introduction

Today, technology is nearly used in every aspect of life, from education to banking, business, and healthcare. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that technology impacts how people behave and feel about themselves. In my opinion, technology is changing the mental narrative in both children and adults.

Body

The Medical News Today reports that social media has negatively influenced the well-being of adults and teens by creating feelings of unhappiness and isolation. Teens and adults who spend more time on screen tend to feel anxious, depressed, and lonely.

Conclusion

In conclusion, technology clearly affects mental health negatively. Although technology advances are vital in modern life, take some time offline to rewind, rethink, and re-energize.

You can check more examples from our website to hone your writing skills.

Tips for writing an opinion essay

• Understand the task: Take your time to understand and brainstorm arguments that you will use to answer that task questions.
• Organize your essay: Before you write the opinion essay introduction, decide what will be your opinion on the given topic.
• Have relevant ideas: Include at least two paragraphs that express your main views. As a good writer, you should begin paragraphs with a topic sentence to provide a general opinion without giving examples.
• Proofread and edit your work: Read your opinionated essay to ensure every sentence make sense. Correct grammatical errors- if there are any- and ensure your paper is authentic.

Difference between persuasive essay and opinion essay

It is pretty understandable when people get confused between persuasive and opinion essays. Expressing your opinion is about you while persuasive is about them. In opinion writing, you take a stand and support your ideas with details, definitions and facts.

On the other hand, persuasive writing is all about convincing the audience to agree with the author. As a writer, you use facts and logic to coax the reader. When it comes to opinion writing, you tend to use transitional words like, in addition, because, finally, also, etc. Persuasive use phrases such as, additionally, in other words, fist, for one thing, among others.

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