How to Write an Opinion Essay

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The basic fiveparagraph
essay structure, which you have probably used many times by this point, works extremely well for an opinion
essay. It’s a starting point, and when you get to university your profs will expect a more complex approach to essay writing. If you feel
confident about your essaywriting
skills, you can certainly branch out into longer and more complex essays. But this basic fiveparagraph
outline is a good starting point, especially if you feel uncertain of your ability.
An opinion essay exists to prove your main point – your thesis. This should be clearly stated in your opening paragraph. Don’t leave
the reader to guess what your position is on the issue – make a clear stand!
Next, develop your argument in the body of your essay. Each paragraph should contain a single, clear idea that support your point of
view. You can use examples and illustration, causeandeffect
reasoning, comparison/contrast or other methods of development to
support your argument.
Research: Any statements you make that would cause a reader to say, “Wait, how do you know that’s true?” need to be backed up with
documentation from outside sources (“I saw something on TV about it one time” would not be considered adequate documentation).
Refer to the handout “What is Research?” for further details.
Remember that a paragraph is three to five sentences that develop a single, clear idea. A good paragraph often begins with a topic
sentence that sums up your main idea.
· Paragraph One The
introduction. Here you state the main idea of your entire essay the
point you are trying to make or prove. This
paragraph should include your thesis statement plus three reasons why you believe this statement to be true.
· Paragraphs Two, Three and Four. These are the body of your essay. Remember back in Paragraph One, you gave three reasons for your
opinion? Three reasons, three body paragraphs. Each of the body paragraphs should take one of your reasons and explain it in more detail,
citing sources where necessary.
· Paragraph Five The
conclusion. Former Newfoundland premier Joey Smallwood once said about giving speeches: "First I tell them what
I'm going to tell them, then I tell them, then I tell them what I told them." That's how you write an essay. In the conclusion, tell them what you
told them. Sum up your argument by restating your thesis statement and reminding the reader what your three reasons were. In an
argumentative essay, you can finish with a "call to action" tell
the reader what you would like them to do as a result.
Sample FiveParagraph
Essay
Subject: Should parents have their children vaccinated?









Title
Author’s Name
Paragraph One:
Introduction
Three reasons for my
opinion
Thesis statement
Paragraph Two:
Develops the first
reason by giving
examples
Topic Sentence
Paragraph Three:
Topic Sentence
Develops the second
reason, giving facts
and statistics to
support the statement.
Paragraph Four:
Topic sentence
Develops third reason,
giving an example
Paragraph Five:
Conclusion
Restatement of thesis
Summary of reasons
Why You Should Vaccinate Your Kids
sample essay for student use by Trudy MorganCole
Since Edward Jenner introduced the first successful smallpox
vaccine by injecting an eightyearold
boy with cowpox pus in 1796,
vaccines have been an important part of public health care around the
world (“Edward Jenner”). Yet today, many parents choose not to
vaccinate their children. Because vaccines are widely supported by
research, have few side effects, and have proven successful in halting
the spread of disease, I believe it is important that all parents continue
to vaccinate their children.
All major health organizations, including the Centres for
Disease Control and the World Health Organization, recommend
vaccination. The value of vaccination is supported by research from
around the world, and researchers are constantly working to improve
the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Epidemiologists, the scientists
whose job is to study the outbreak of disease, all recommend
vaccination.
Many parents worry about the safety of vaccines. While side
effects do occur, they are usually minor, like redness or swelling around
the site of an injection. In Canada, only about one in a million doses of
vaccine leads to serious side effects (“Fact and Fiction”). The most
famous study linking vaccines to autism, one which got many parents
worried about vaccination, has been proven false and the doctor who
conducted the study has had his medical license taken away (Triggle).
Around the world, increased vaccination leads to better public
health. Diseases like smallpox and polio which once killed and disabled
millions of people are virtually unknown today thanks to immunization
programs. Yet in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan where the
Taliban discourage immunization, rates of polio are on the rise again
(Nordland).
If and when you have children, please get them vaccinated. The
risks are minimal and you’ll not only be following the best advice of
medical science and protecting your own child from disease; you’ll be
helping in the fight to eradicate infectious diseases in your community
and around the world.