Essay Writing The Opinion Essay Introduction Basic Structure

Essay Writing – The Opinion Essay

Introduction Basic Structure of a 5 paragraph opinion essay Body Paragraph A Body Paragraph B Body Paragraph C Conclusion

Linking Topic Sentence links to first argument of thesis; evidence supports argument. Topic Sentence links to second argument of thesis; evidence supports argument. Topic Sentence links to third argument of thesis; evidence supports argument.

The Thesis Statement Ø Contains position/argument/idea to be explored in essay Ø Lists the topics to be discussed in essay Ø Order of topics discussed in the essay corresponds to order they are listed in thesis statement. Ø Should be one concise sentence responding directly to essay question Ø Comes at the end of the Introduction

Examples “In order for young people to thrive in our city to thrive, the government needs to expand the transit system, substantially raise minimum wage and provide free education. ” “Cigarettes cause damage to your health, your social life and your wallet. ”

Supporting (Body) paragraphs Ø Ø Ø Start with topic sentence that links to thesis and clearly states topic of paragraph Each body paragraph focuses on one topic Should contain 3 supporting examples Supporting examples can be observations, research points, statistics or common knowledge Research points and statistics need to have cited sources

Body Paragraph 1 Ø Explores the first topic from thesis. Ø Contains points that link to the topic Ø Contains evidence to support the points Ø Contains some commentary (explanation) of the points and evidence

Example Young people need quick and easy access to work and for most, having a car is much too expensive. The city has exploded in size, yet the subway system has hardly grown at all. There are huge areas of the city, like East York and Parkdale, that are not accessible by subway. Streetcars and buses are slow and unreliable. Finding a job in Toronto is very hard these days; young people need to be able to take jobs anywhere in the city and be sure they can get there easily and on time every day.

Body Paragraph 2 Ø Explores the second topic from thesis. Ø Contains points that link to the topic Ø Contains evidence to support the points Ø Contains some commentary (explanation) of the points and evidence Ø At least one quotation will be used as support in each paragraph

Example Having a job is one thing; being able to live off your salary is another. Next to Vancouver, Toronto has the highest cost of living of any city in Canada (source). It is well documented that it is virtually impossible for a person to live on minimum wage. (source) Even with a raise to $11 per hour, a person would only make $20, 000 a year. If you want to live on your own, in a simple bachelor apartment that is not in a basement, it will cost you in the region of $12, 000 per year. (source) Add to that a metro pass, phone, internet, hydro, clothes (just the necessities!) and food (nothing special!), you’re barely breaking even. There is nothing left over to put into savings and therefore no way of getting ahead – getting a car or buying a house.

How to create your thesis statement… Brainstorm your ideas on the topic Select those you wish to fully explore in the essay For each topic, brainstorm supporting ideas Select and write down any quotations (phrases, sentences) from the text that could be used to support points.

Planning continued… Decide the order in which you want to make the points in each paragraph. Begin writing!