4º ESO writing an opinion essay

In an opinion essay, you present your personal opinion on a particular topic. Your opinion must be stated clearly and supported by justifications. Also, you can present an opposing viewpoint in a separate paragraph.

An opinion essay should consist of:

1. An introduction, in which you introduce the subject and state your opinion clearly.
2. A main body consisting of two or more paragraphs, in which you present your viewpoints supported by reasons or examples. You can also pressent opposing viewpoints in a different paragraph.
3. A conclusion, in which you restate your opinion.

To state your opinion, you can use one of these expressions:

I believe / think / feel (that) ...
In my opinion ...
I (strongly) disagree that / with ...
I (completely) agree that / with ...

Some other useful expressions

to list points	in the first place, to begin with
to add more points	moreover, also, in addition
to introduce opposing viewpoints	however
to introduce examples	for example, for instance, such as
to conclude	in conclusion, all things considered

An example:

Should Dangerous Sports Be Banned?

Today, many sports are being regulated to improve safety standards and to reduce injuries. But for some people this is not enough, and they would like to see some dangerous sports banned completely. In my opinion, they should not be banned.

To start with, a challenging sport provides a healthy, largely safe, physical outlet for aggression. There is no evidence to show that people who take part in dangerous sports become violent as a result. In fact, dangerous sports may act as a safety valve for a society by reducing stress.

Moreover, almost all sports involve some risk. There is almost no sport without danger, and, for example, even golf or jogging can lead to pain or injury. Without some elements of risk or challenge, sport becomes meaningless.

However, for some people dangerous sports such as boxing are nothing but an excuse for violence, and they think that the last thing an increasingly violent world needs is more violence on our television.

All things considered, I think our society would be healthier if more people took part in sports of all kinds, as long as they are challenging, exciting, and, above all, fun. So there is no need to ban any sport.