Tips to write an opinion essay

1. Know what an opinion essay is. An opinion essay states an opinion, but it isn’t simply an editorial in which you say only what you think. This type of essay requires you to present facts and evidence to support your point of view. You are explaining why your viewpoint is right but defending it like the conclusion to a research paper.

2. Develop your view on the subject before writing. Since an opinion essay requires you to have an opinion, it’s important to develop that opinion before you start writing. Why do you believe in your point of view? Be sure you can explain why you are right and can formulate your point of view clearly and effectively.

3. Do your research. It may seem obvious, but it’s important to research your topic before you write. You may find that reading other people’s opinions will change, shade, or shape your own point of view. The worst thing you can do is to write the entire essay only to discover at the end of that there are facts that completely change your opinion.

4. Don’t save your opinion for the end. The reader isn’t going to wait around for the end of your five-paragraph or five-page opinion essay to find out what you think. You need to be sure that your opinion is clearly stated at the beginning of the essay, in the thesis statement, so that the reader understands your perspective from the start. This will also help to ensure that every part of the essay works to support the thesis.

5. Begin with an attention-grabbing opening. Your essay should grab the reader’s attention from the first line. Be sure to start with a strong hook, such as a dramatic fact or statistic, or an anecdote, to draw the reader in and interest them in learning more. After all, if readers aren’t interested, they won’t listen to your opinion.

6. Never title your essay with a question. A wit once said that if you title your opinion essay with a question, the reader will always answer “no.” More accurately, readers will answer the question for themselves in terms of their own experience, and that will make them less open to your perspective and point of view.

7. Start with your strongest argument first. Your opinion essay should begin with the strongest and most convincing reason you are right and then work down to less important points. Readers want to know right away what the best argument is because, if they don’t believe it, the rest won’t convince them. Nobody likes to wait for the good stuff.

8. Try to use the active voice. Academic writing often causes writers to slip into passive-voice constructions. For a research paper, this isn’t as much of a problem as it is for an opinion essay. This is your opinion, so take ownership of it with the active voice.

9. Don’t be afraid of a little emotion. A research paper focuses entirely on facts, evidence, and reasoning, but an opinion essay has room for emotion. Tug at the reader’s heartstrings a little to show why your perspective is emotionally correct, not just logically correct.

Explanation:

do your own work !