Opinion Essay: Student Guidelines for an A+ Paper

People write opinion essays to support and prove their main points. Basically, they need to convince an intended audience that their ideas are valid. Further on, a clear organization of thoughts and arguments improves an overall quality of any composition. However, adequate preparation allows students to develop practical views. In particular, brainstorming, writing, and proofreading are main steps that one must follow when developing an opinion essay. As a result, further guidelines provide necessary information on how to write an opinion essay, its definition, format, prompts, steps, structure, outline, template, examples, what to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

What Is an Opinion Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, an opinion essay is a type and form of academic writing where an author expresses his or her personal viewpoint on a particular topic, supported by reasoning and evidence. For example, the main purpose of writing an opinion essay is to present an argument or perspective clearly and persuasively while also acknowledging and addressing counterarguments (Warner, 2020). As such, an author’s goal is to convince a reader of his or her stance by providing logical reasoning, examples, and credible sources. Further on, unlike a research paper, which focuses on presenting factual information, an opinion essay centers on a person’s subjective perspective (Palmer, 2024). Moreover, it is crucial that writing an entire opinion is well-founded and not based on mere emotion. Finally, this type of paper follows a structured format, including an introduction with a clear stance, body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and a conclusion with a central message, where each part serves to build and reinforce a person’s argument (Greetham, 2023). In terms of pages and words, the length of an opinion essay depends on academic levels, course instructions, and complexities of stances, while general writing guidelines are:

Format

Note: Some writing sections of an opinion essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, depending on what a person wants to argue and assignment requirements. For example, a correct opinion essay format is a structured layout for organizing a paper that presents a writer’s personal viewpoint, including an introduction with a thesis statement, body paragraphs supporting a specific stance with evidence, and a conclusion that summarizes main points (Lauritzen, 2021). In writing, people can identify an opinion essay by its clear expression of an author’s personal viewpoint on a topic, supported by arguments and evidence, and often addressing counterarguments to reinforce a main stance. Further on, opinion writing is a unique process of expressing a personal viewpoint on a specific topic, which must be supported by reasoning, evidence, and examples to persuade a reader to consider or agree with a writer’s perspective (Gasman, 2014). Basically, an example of opinion writing is an essay arguing that school uniforms should be mandatory because they promote equality and reduce bullying among students. Finally, an opinion essay differs from other kinds of essays in that this paper focuses on expressing a writer’s personal viewpoint on a topic with arguments and evidence rather than solely presenting facts or analyzing information (Greetham, 2023). In turn, to start an opinion essay, people begin with a hook to grab a reader’s interest and attention, provide some background on a chosen topic, and clearly state their thesis or main belief.

Prompts

• Digital Privacy: A Fundamental Right or a Trade-Off for Security
• Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Modern Education
• Racial Profiling and Its Impact on Modern Society
• Climate Change Predictions: Alarmist Propaganda or Scientific Reality?
• Should Governments Implement Stricter Regulations on Fast Food Advertising?
• Is It Time to Abolish Standardized Testing in Schools?
• An Actual Influence of Corporate Sponsorship on Sports Integrity
• Are Online Degrees as Valuable as Traditional College Education?
• Is Remote Work a Future of Employment?
• Should College Education Be Free for All?
• Is an Influence of Celebrity Culture on Society Harmful?
• Should Voting Be Mandatory in National Elections?
• Benefits and Drawbacks of School Uniforms
• Are Electric Cars a Sustainable Solution to Climate Change?
• Effects of Censorship on Freedom of Speech in a Digital Age
• Should Animal Testing Be Banned in a Cosmetics Industry?

Steps on How to Write an Opinion Essay

To write an opinion essay, people clearly express their viewpoints in a thesis statement sentence, support them with logical arguments and evidence in structured body paragraphs, address counterarguments, and conclude by reinforcing their main points. Basically, examples of opinion writing include essays arguing for renewable energy adoption, editorials advocating for stricter gun control laws, or personal blog posts expressing a viewpoint on remote work benefits (Lauritzen, J. (2021). In turn, basic steps of writing include:

• Choose a Clear Topic: Select an opinion essay topic that you feel strongly about and can support with evidence.
• Research a Chosen Topic: Gather relevant information, facts, and examples to support your stance.
• Formulate a Strong Thesis Statement: Clearly state your belief on a chosen topic in one concise sentence.
• Outline Your Paper Structure: Plan an entire organization of your opinion essay, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Write an Introduction: Begin your composition with a hook to grab attention, provide background information, and end with your thesis statement.
• Develop Body Paragraphs: Write each paragraph focusing on one main point that supports your thesis, using evidence and examples.
• Acknowledge Counterarguments: Address opposing viewpoints, beliefs, or arguments and refute them with evidence to strengthen your position.
• Write a Strong Conclusion: Summarize your critical ideas, restate your central thesis in a new way, and offer a final thought or call to action.
• Revise and Edit: Review your opinion essay for clarity, coherence, and correctness, making necessary revisions.
• Proofread for Errors: Carefully check writing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes before finalizing your document.

Structure

As stated before, a first stage of writing an opinion essay is to gather adequate information to support a central stance and follow a basic structure. In practice, students must ensure they collect any piece of information that matches a stated point of view and organize a specific question (Reina, 2019). Basically, to start an opinion essay without using “I,” people begin with a strong statement or fact that introduces an assigned topic and implies their main stance, such as “School uniforms promote equality by reducing socioeconomic disparities among students.” Basically, they should brainstorm to look for ideas that answer a developed question directly in an opinion essay. Therefore, students must collect the information that an intended audience wants to hear and follow a next writing structure:

Outline and Template

To write an opinion essay template, people outline key sections for an introduction section with a thesis statement, body paragraphs with a single topic sentence and supporting evidence, a counterargument part with opposing views, and a conclusion that reinforces their statements and summarizes main points. For example, the three main parts of an opinion paragraph are a topic sentence, which states a specific belief; supporting sentences, which provide reasons and evidence; and a concluding sentence, which reinforces a central idea (Greetham, 2023). As such, a writing example of an opinion essay outline and template is:

Opinion Essay Examples

What to Include

Common Mistakes

• Weak Thesis Statement: Failing to clearly state your opinion in an essay’s thesis makes it difficult for readers to understand your main argument.
• Lack of Supporting Evidence: Presenting stances without sufficient evidence or examples weakens an overall credibility of your argument.
• Ignoring Counterarguments: Not addressing opposing viewpoints can make your composition seem one-sided and less persuasive.
• Overuse of Personal Pronouns: Excessive use of “I” or “my” can make your writing less formal and more subjective.
• Unclear Structure: Disorganized paragraphs and a lack of clear transitions can confuse readers and disrupt an overall flow of ideas.
• Repetition of Ideas: Repeating same points without adding new insights or evidence makes an entire composition redundant and unengaging.
• Overgeneralization: Making broad statements without including specific examples or evidence can lead to inaccurate or unsupported claims.
• Lack of Focus: Straying off-topic or including irrelevant writing information dilutes an overall strength of your argument.
• Poor Grammar and Spelling: Errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation aspects can distract readers and undermine an overall professionalism of your writing.
• Weak Conclusion: Ending an opinion essay without a strong closing statement or a clear summary of your main points leaves readers unsatisfied and unconvinced.

Summing Up

Opinion essays and their writing help people to express their thoughts concerning a subject matter. Basically, a first stage in writing these types of essays is brainstorming to generate ideas that support one’s point of view. Further on, other necessary aspects of organizing an opinion essay include writing its three main sections. In principle, an introduction paragraph contains background information and a thesis statement. Then, each body paragraph should expound on a single idea that supports a central viewpoint. In turn, a conclusion paragraph summarizes main points without introducing new ideas. Moreover, a last stage is to proofread a final composition to ensure this paper meets all required format, structure, referencing, and other standards.

References

Gasman, M. (2014). How to write an opinion essay and why you should do it now. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(1), 28–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721714547858

Greetham, B. (2023). How to write better essays. Bloomsbury Academic.

Lauritzen, J. (2021). Read, write, and cite. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Palmer, J. (2024). How sharing your science in an opinion piece can boost your career. Nature, 625(7993), 205–206. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-04091-2

Reina, L. (2019). Teaching students to write opinion pieces using a dialogic approach. International Literacy Association, 73(73), 357–361. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26839958

Warner, J. (2020). Why they can’t write: Killing the five-paragraph essay and other necessities. Johns Hopkins University Press.