The Simple Guide for How to Write an Opinion Essay That Really Makes Your Reader Think

Requirements for an Opinion Essay

The requirements you’re given for an opinion essay may look very different from one teacher or grade level to the next. Things like word count, pieces of evidence you need, and essay planning worksheets can all vary by assignment.

However, there are certain requirements for all opinion essays that you should keep in mind. By checking your rough draft against this list, you can create a final draft that is sure to receive a good grade.

• Have you looked at examples of good opinion essays?
• Did you plan your essay out before you began writing it?
• Is your essay organized in the basic opinion essay structure?
• Does your entire essay stay on topic?
• Do you have enough concrete evidence scattered throughout the essay to show the reason you formed your opinion?
• Did you only provide evidence that supports your reasoning?
• Have you used formal language throughout the essay?
• Did you avoid using slang?
• Did you fix all spelling and grammar mistakes?
• Have you had another person read over your essay and give you suggestions to make it better?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, it’s pretty likely that you’re on the right track to turning in a great opinion essay.

Topics for an Opinion Essay

There’s no limit to the many questions or topics out there that would make a great essay prompt. Basically, any question or topic that really makes you think can be turned into an interesting opinion essay for your reader, and you may even get to pick from a list of topic choices provided by your teacher or create your own.

Here is a list of some popular opinion essay topics:

• Should students be allowed to have cell phones in school?
• Is global warming real or just a hoax?
• Should the minimum wage be raised?
• The President of the United States is doing a terrible job. Agree or disagree.
• Religion should be banned in schools. Agree or disagree.
• Would we be safer if more gun control laws were put into place?
• Are teens lazier than they used to be?
• CEOs make too much money. Agree or disagree.
• The death penalty should be banned. Agree or disagree.
• Controversial books should be removed from libraries. Agree or disagree.

In essence, you can form an opinion on just about anything. And if you can form an opinion on it, you can easily turn it into an opinion essay just by following a basic opinion essay structure.

Opinion Essay Structure

While opinion essays can certainly vary based on the essay requirements you have in class, all opinion essays have a basic structure to them. This includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. An example of how you can structure your opinion essay is as follows:

1. An introduction with a well-defined thesis statement
2. The first reason you agree or disagree (with evidence)
3. The second reason you agree or disagree (with evidence)
4. The third reason you agree or disagree (with evidence)
5. A conclusion that summarizes the essay and gives the reader closure

As you can see, the basic opinion essay structure keeps you organized and helps you present your thoughts in a way that makes sense to the reader.

How to Write an Opinion Essay

Learning how to write an opinion essay doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. There are plenty of strategies you can use to make the process a whole lot easier, and you’ll end up with a great essay that your teacher is sure to like.

First, you want to read the essay prompt several times to make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking you or the topic you’re being asked to discuss. It’s also a good idea to talk to your teacher about it too, so you can make sure that you’re ready to get started on the assignment and that all of your questions are answered.

The most important thing you can do when learning how to write an opinion essay for the very first time though is to plan it out long before you start writing. Using a graphic organizer is a great way to organize your thoughts and keep all of your evidence organized in one place.

Then, you want to create an outline for your essay. While it may be tempting to skip this step, you definitely don’t want to do that. Creating an outline helps you organize your essay in a thoughtful way and decide the best place to include each piece of evidence you’ve collected. Plus, it stops you from writing an essay that is too short or so long that you sound like you’re rambling on.

Once your outline is created, it’s time to start writing that first draft. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself at this stage. Just follow your outline and keep writing. There will be time to come back to polish the essay later.

After your first draft is done, you’ll want to reread it, make improvements along the way, and fix any grammar mistakes you notice.

Next, it’s always a good idea to have someone else take a look at your writing. This could be one of your classmates, your teacher, or a family member at home. Just ask them to make honest suggestions so that you can improve your writing.

The last step is to complete your final draft. This is the stage where you fix all of the mistakes others have pointed out to you and make sure that your writing is the best it can be.
 

By following these exact steps in this order, you’ll learn how to write an opinion essay right the first time. And it will make every other opinion essay you write in the future that much easier.