online unit 4 opinion essays slides

Writing 2Unit 4: Opinion Essays Unit 5: Comparison and Contrast Essays Unit 6: Cause and Effect Essays... WRITING 2UNIT 4: OPINION ESSAYS... introduces the issue = telling short story/as

Writing 2

Unit 4: Opinion Essays

Unit 5: Comparison and Contrast Essays Unit 6: Cause and Effect Essays

WRITING 2

UNIT 4: OPINION ESSAYS

OPINION ESSAYS: Purpose

• Introduction

1 paragraph

• Body

1 paragraph

• Conclusion

1 paragraph

OPINION ESSAYS: Three-paragraph Format

introduces the issue = telling short story/asking

question/giving surprising fact to attract reader’s

interest

HOOK

gives more details : why the issue is important

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

presents writer’s point of view

THESIS STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION: Structure

INTRODUCTION: Example (Savage & Mayer, 2006)

Last week, I noticed that my son had a bad cold I took him to the pediatrician, and she told me he had

an infection Then she gave me a prescription for antibiotics After two days, my son was happy and healthy

antibiotics).

Refutation

points out weaknesses in counter-argument & shows strengths of writer’s argument

Cou nte

r a rgu men t

describes opposing opinion

Fol low ing se nte nce s

support topic sentence = reasons; facts; examples; explanations

Top

ic sen tenc e

conveys main idea that supports 1 point of view in thesis statement

BODY PARAGRAPH: Structure

BODY PARAGRAPH: Example (Savage & Mayer, 2006)

frequent Almost everyone has experienced an ear infection or a sinus infection These common illnesses cause pain and discomfort to millions of people around the world every year In addition, infections can be life-threatening For example, sepsis, a dangerous infection of the blood, is responsible for one out of every one hundred hospitalizations The victims are usually very young, old, or weak Another

reason why antibiotics are important is that they stop an infection from spreading to others Infectious diseases can quickly travel from person to person if they are not treated right away Antibiotics are the most effective way to control the spread of these serious illnesses Recently, many people have argued that doctors prescribe antibiotics too often and that the bacteria that cause infections are becoming

CONCLUSION: Structure

CONCLUSION: Example (Savage & Mayer, 2006)

Infections can attack anyone at any time They can also attack entire populations While many infections

OPINION ESSAYS: Writing task

Write a three-paragraph essay to show your opinions on the following comment:

“Attendance at college classes should be optional.”

STEP 1: Brainstorming ideas

“Attendance at college classes should

be optional.”

STEP 2: Outlining

Hook:

_

_

Background information:

_

_

Thesis statement:

_

_

Topic sentence: _

Examples/reasons:

_

_

Counter-argument:

_

_

Refutation:

_

_

Summary and comment:

_

STEP 3: Writing the first draft

STEP 4: Editing your writing

Editor’s Checklist Put a check () in the box as appropriate.

 1 Does your essay have three paragraphs?

 2 Does your introduction include a hook and a thesis statement?

 3 Does your body paragraph have a topic sentence?

 4 Does your body paragraph give reasons that support the topic sentence?

 5 Does your body paragraph give a counter-argument and refutation?

 6 Did you use quantity expressions to avoid overgeneralizations?

 7 Did you use connectors to show support or opposition between ideas?

STEP 4: Editing your writing

Peer Editor’s Checklist Put a check () in the box as appropriate.

 1 Does the essay have three paragraphs?

 2 Does the introduction include a hook to attract the reader’s interest along with background information?

 3 Does the introduction include a thesis statement that clearly states the writer’s opinion?

 4 Does the body paragraph have a topic sentence?

 5 Does the body paragraph give reasons that support the topic sentence?

 6 Does the body paragraph give a counter-argument and refutation?

 7 Did the writer use quantity expressions to avoid overgeneralizations?

 8 Did the writer use connectors to show support or opposition between ideas?

THE END

Reference

Savage, A., & Mayer, P (2006) Effective academic writing 2: The short essay New York, NY: Oxford University Press.