Prewriting to Select a Topic

For your own opinion essay, you need to select a topic that is debatable and that you feel strongly about. A debatable topic is one that people have differing opinions about. There is no debate that young people need to exercise, but there is debate about extending the school year.

School Classes

Warm-Up for Opinion Essays

An opinion essay makes a case for a personal feeling you have about an important topic. This lesson will help you think about your opinions on different topics and your reasons for feeling the way you do.

What Is an Opinion?

(c) Thoughtful Learning 2016

An opinion essay explains a writer’s view about an important topic. Stating an opinion is easy: “I love that movie!” you might say, even though your friend might feel differently, or “I can’t wait for gym,” even though a classmate dreads it. Giving reasons for your opinion is not as easy. It requires you to think about why you feel the way you do.

Writing an opinion essay is all about careful thinking. Your opinion statement must be well thought out, and it must be supported by reliable reasons. As a result, opinion essays usually require some research. Once you have gathered your reasons, you can arrange them from most important to least important, or the other way around. In the end, your goal is to produce an essay that convinces your reader to agree with you.

Thinking About Opinions

For an opinion to be strong, it must be believable and worthy of arguing for. It must also be based on a foundation of solid thinking. Here is a strong opinion statement.

• Lincoln School should consider starting a chess club.

  (A phrase like should consider signals that an opinion is probably reasonable.)

Revising to Elaborate Details

To explain something, you need to elaborate. When you elaborate, you use different types of details to explain an idea.

Step 2: Get a cage

Next, you need to get a cage for your hamster.

Detail 1: Metal cages

Metal cages let the air flow through.

Detail 2: Plastic cages

Plastic cages can have all kinds of tubes for exercise.

Detail 3: Cage features

You need a water bottle, food dish, and wheel for running.

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

Lead Sentence

Detail Sentences

Focus Statement

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

1. List three things that you know how to do really well.
2. Which of these three processes would you like to explain in an essay?
3. What tools and materials do you need for this process?
4. What steps would you list for doing this process?
5. What special thought or feeling do you have about this process?

Revising for Time Order

1. Action 1
2. Action 2
3. Action 3
4. Action 4
5. Action 5

Writing the Topic Sentence

Your narrative paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. It names the topic and shares a specific thought or feeling about it.

Sample Topic Sentence 1:

Whitewater rafting with my family was a crazy adventure.

• Topic: Whitewater rafting with my family
• Special Thought: A crazy adventure

Sample Topic Sentence 2:

I’ll never forget the time I saw the playful polar bear.

• Topic: The playful polar bear
• Special Feeling: Never forget seeing it

1. Name your topic.
2. Share a specific thought or feeling about it.
3. Write your topic sentence.

Prewriting to Choose Your Topic

Your narrative paragraph will share a special memory from your life. Here’s how you can get started.

1. One of my favorite times with my best friend was . . .
2. I’ll never forget the holiday when . . .
3. I’ll never forget my family vacation to . . .
4. One crazy thing my family did was . . .
5. I’ll always remember the first time I . . .
6. An exciting time in my neighborhood was when . . .

Sample Paragraph