2. Structure and Organization
Introductions: The best
way to make your
introduction captivating is
by adding description
and detail. You also want
to make sure that it leads
in to your opinion
statement and isn’t too
abrupt.
Good Example:
“How would a class of shy
students react to a rule bending,
page ripping, passion filled new
teacher? In the Dead Poet’s
Society, they would find
inspiration. When Mr. John
Keating arrives at Welton
Academy, he teaches more than
just English, he teaches his
students to enjoy poetry and
pursue their dreams, thus
making him an excellent teacher.
3. Structure and Organization
Introductions: The best
way to make your
introduction captivating is
by adding description
and detail. You also want
to make sure that it leads
in to your opinion
statement and isn’t too
abrupt.
Bad Example:
“In the movie Dead Poet’s
Society, Mr. John Keating
arrives as the new English
teacher at Welton Academy.
However, before the end of the
school year, the principal fires
him. Mr. Keating is a good
teacher considering his
approach to his students’
shyness, anxiety and
disinterestedness.”
4. Structure and Organization
Opinion statement:
Your opinion statement
is the foundation of
your opinion piece. It
must be explicit and
concise to adequately
prepare the reader for
what is to come.
Bad Example:
“Mr. John Keating
stands out for his
unique way of
teaching by bringing
his students out of
their comfort zone and
helping two students
find confidence.”
5. Structure and Organization
Transition words:
Using appropriate
transition words
increases the
readability of your
opinion piece, thus
seamlessly conveying
the position you are
defending.
Transition words to
avoid:
first, second, third,
on the other hand, in
the first place, firstly,
secondly etc.
6. Structure and Organization
Transition words:
Using appropriate
transition words
increases the
readability of your
opinion piece, thus
seamlessly conveying
the position you are
defending.
Better transition
words to use:
moreover,
furthermore, in
addition, finally, at
last, besides, also,
meanwhile, later etc.
*refer to list provided
7. Stylistic conventions
Broad generalizations:
General sentences that
have little meaning take
away the value from your
writing and bore the
reader.
Avoid at all costs:
“It is a teacher‟s goal
to help their students
learn and have fun at
the same time.”
8. Stylistic conventions
Broad generalizations:
General sentences that
have little meaning take
away the value from your
writing and bore the
reader.
Avoid at all costs:
“It is a teacher‟s goal
to help their students
learn and have fun at
the same time.”
9. Stylistic conventions
Slang:
Informal words that are
more common in
speech than in writing
can also devalue what
you are trying to say.
Frequent examples
of slang:
got
kid
11. Stylistic conventions
Quotation marks
They “devalue”
everything you are saying
and are “confusing” for
the reader.
Avoid at all costs:
“Todd began to „see
himself‟ in a „different
light‟”
-Direct quote from
your essays!
12. Stylistic conventions
Slashes
Choose one word or the
other or use a conjunction
to include both words in
your sentence.
Avoid at all costs:
“Mr. Keating used
unorthodox/bizarre
teaching methods.”
Mr. Keating used
unorthodox and
bizarre teaching
methods.
13. Stylistic conventions
Pronoun use:
Pay attention to pronoun
use. Sometimes the noun
you are trying to replace
is misconstrued.
“This being
proven when
he stood up
for his
teacher as he
was leaving”
14. Stylistic conventions
Pronoun use:
Use the term “the
latter” (ce dernier in
French) to avoid any
confusion.
“This being
proven when
he stood up for
his teacher as
the latter was
leaving”
15. Spelling and Grammar
Transitive verbs:
They are verbs that must
be followed by an object.
Ditransitive verbs take
two objects.
http://www.eslwriting.org/
wp-content/esl-transitive-
verbs.pdf
Examples:
Transitive: to buy
to buy something
Ditransitive: to give
To give something to
someone
16. Spelling and Grammar
Possessive form:
Indicates possession
and it is not
considered a
contraction.
Examples:
Mr. Keating’s
lessons the
lessons belong to
Mr. Keating
17. Spelling and Grammar
Possessive form:
Indicates possession
and it is not
considered a
contraction.
Not possessive form!
“Neil‟s parent‟s.”
“Todd stand‟s up for
himself.”
