This document provides guidance on writing an opinion essay, including outlining the key components and structure. It explains that an opinion essay aims to convince the reader of a viewpoint on a controversial issue by using both facts and opinions to support arguments. It discusses introducing a topic in the introduction, supporting the thesis statement across body paragraphs, and restating the opinion in the conclusion. It also notes the importance of including a counter-argument and refutation to address opposing views.

2. OPINION ESSAY ORGANIZATION
•IN THIS KIND OF WRITING, THE MAIN OBJECT
OF THE AUTHOR IS TO CONVINCE THE READER
OF A POINT OF VIEW ON A CONTROVERSIAL
ISSUE (SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WOULD
DISAGREE ABOUT).

3. •WRITERS USE BOTH FACTS AND OPINIONS TO
SUPPORT THEIR POSITIONS OR ARGUMENTS.
THEY START BY STATING THEIR OPINIONS AND
THEN BACK THEM UP WITH FACTS.

4. •THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACTS AND OPINIONS CAN
BE SUMMED UP IN THE FOLLOWING:
•A FACT IS A TRUTH THAT IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN OR
GENERALLY ACCEPTED, E.G. FAST FOOD IS FULL OF
CHOLESTEROL AND SATURATED FATS.
•AN OPINION IS ONE POINT OF VIEW AMONG MANY,
E.G. FAST FOOD SAVES TIME AND MONEY.

5. INTERPRETING FACTS TO SUPPORT AN OPINION
•AFTER THE WRITER GIVES FACTUAL EXAMPLES, HE/SHE THEN
INTERPRETS THE FACTS, EXPLAINING HOW THEY SUPPORT HIS/
HER OPINION:
•OPINION, E.G. FAST FOOD IS BEST DESCRIBED AS JUNK FOOD
TO SHOW ITS REAL UNHEALTHY VALUE.
•FACTUAL EXAMPLES, E.G. MANY FOODS SUCH AS
HAMBURGERS, PIZZA, AND TACOS ARE HIGH IN CALORIES
AND LOW IN NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
•INTERPRETATION, E.G. THE INGREDIENTS OR COMPONENTS OF
FAST FOOD IS WHAT CLASSIFIES ITS TYPE AND HEALTH VALUE.

6. THE MAIN BUILDING POINTS IN AN OPINION ESSAY
• THE INTRODUCTION: WITH ITS THREE PARTS SHOULD BE HANDLING:
• IN THE HOOK A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
• THE HOOK MAY BE AN ANECDOTE (A STORY OR A TALE OR A SKITCH), A QUESTION,
OR EVEN A SURPRISING STATEMENT OR FACT THAT MAKES THE READER WANT TO
KNOW MORE.
• THE MIDDLE SENTENCES SHOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE ISSUE IS IMPORTANT BY
GIVING BACKGROUND INFORMATION, WHICH EXPLAINS MORE THE ISSUE WITH
DETAILS ABOUT THE HISTORY OR PEOPLE INVOLVED, WHAT THEY WANT, OR HOW
IT AFFECTS THEM.
• THE THESIS STATEMENT AT THE END OF THIS INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH COMES
TO PRESENT THE WRITER’S POINT OF VIEW.

7. THE BODY PARAGRAPH/S
•IF IT COMES IN ONE PARAGRAPH IT SHOULD
BE HANDLED AS THIRDS, IF IT NEEDS TO BE
EXPLAINED IN MORE DETAILED PARAGRAPHS,
THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION SHOULD
BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION:

8. •THE TOPIC SENTENCES SUPPORT THE WRITER’S MAIN ARGUMENT
THAT CAME IN THE THESIS STATEMENT.
•THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES SHOULD SUPPORT THE TOPIC
SENTENCE WITH REASONS, FACTS, AND EXPLANATIONS TO HELP THE
READER UNDERSTAND THE WRITER’S POINT OF VIEW.
•THE FINIAL BODY PARAGRAPH OFTEN INCLUDES THE OPPOSING
(OPPOSITE OR CONTRADICTING) OPINION. THIS IS CALLED THE
COUNTER-ARGUMENT. THE WRITER THEN ARGUES AGAINST THE
COUNTER-ARGUMENT. THIS PROCESS IS CALLED A REFUTATION, IN
WHICH THE WRITER POINTS OUT WEAKNESSES IN THE COUNTER-
ARGUMENT AND SHOWS HOW HIS/HER OWN ARGUMENT IS
STRONGER.

9. THE CONCLUSION
•RESTATES THE WRITER’S OPINION BUT OFTEN
USING DIFFERENT, MORE PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE.
•IT MAY ALSO OFFER A WARNING, A PREDICTION,
OR OTHER TYPE OF COMMENT THAT REINFORCES
THE WRITER’S VIEWPOINT.

10. COUNTER-ARGUMENT AND REFUTATION
•TO MAKE AN OPINION ESSAY AS PERSUASIVE AS
POSSIBLE, THE AUTHOR NEEDS TO INCLUDE A
COUNTER-ARGUMENT AND A REFUTATION. IN THE
COUNTER-ARGUMENT HE INTRODUCES THE OPPOSING
OPINION TO HIS THOUGHTS OR IDEAS (POSITION).
DOING SUCH, SHOWS HIS/HER UNDERSTANDING OF
OTHERS’ POINTS OF VIEW.

11. •THE REFUTATION IS THE WRITER’S RESPONSE TO THE
COUNTER-ARGUMENT. IN THE REFUTATION, THE
WRITER SHOWS WHY THE COUNTER-ARGUMENT IS
WEAK AND THE WRITER’S OPINION IS STRONG. THE
REFUTATION MAY ALSO ADDRESS SOME OR ANY
DOUBTS THAT THE READER MAY HAVE ABOUT THE
WRITER’S POSITION.

12. •COUNTER-ARGUMENT, E.G. MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT A CHILD
IN UNHAPPY WITHOUT BROTHERS OR SISTERS, HOWEVER, MOST
ONLY CHILDREN WOULD DISAGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT.
•REFUTATION, E.G. AN ONLY CHILD RECEIVES MORE ATTENTION
FROM PARENTS, GETS INTO FEWER FIGHTS, AND HAS PLENTY OF
SOCIAL CONTACT WITH FRIENDS AND CLASSMATES.
•AS IT WAS SHOWN ABOVE, THE WRITER RAISES A COUNTER-
ARGUMENT (THAT PEOPLE THINK CHILDREN ARE UNHAPPY
WITHOUT SIBLINGS). THEN HE/ SHE GIVES A REFUTATION-TO
CLEAR OUT THAT ONLY CHILDREN ARE NOT UNHAPPY- AND
THEN GIVES REASONS TO SUPPORT THE ARGUMENT.