Writing Strong Opinion Essay Body Paragraph Sentences This document includes: 1. Example topic / prompt 2. Example body paragraph detailing a reason 3. Step by step explanation of each type of sentence in the body paragraph. Example Prompt for this Practice Topic: Some people believe writing is the most important skill to learn at university. People have to write throughout their studies and throughout their careers after university. Do you agree or disagree that writing is the most important skill to learn at university? Think about the question carefully: Do you agree or disagree with this topic the way it is written in the prompt? Prompt says: Writing is the most important skill to learn at university. Choose 1 side and then you can start planning and forming your writing. Agree or Disagree? Let s say we agree, here are some options for reasons: 1) Writing is more official. 2) Writing is more useful at university and jobs. 3) Writing is harder to learn. (Let s choose this one) (Note: if we disagree, the ideas will be different but style of writing the same.) Example paragraph using that reason: One reason that I agree that writing is the most important skill to learn at university is because it is harder to find a chance to learn writing. It is more difficult to learn than many skills such as speaking and understanding spoken communication in a language. For example, these two skills are easier to learn because you use them often and in many situations in life including spending time with friends, lectures, and meetings. However, there are only a few places that we practice good writing skills, and one of those is at university. That is why the best opportunity to learn writing is at university, and it is the most important skill to learn there. Here are 4 types of sentences found in this example (the following pages and charts will explain each): 1) Topic Sentences 2) Explanation Sentences 3) Detailed Sentences (Including: Further Explanation / Comparisons / Examples) 4) Concluding Sentences
Parts to Topic Sentences Topic sentences are first and introduce your main idea for that paragraph. 1) One reason 2) that I agree 3) that writing is the most important skill to learn 4) is because 5) it is harder to find a chance to learn writing. As a result, our topic sentence is: One reason that I agree that writing is the most important skill to learn at university is because it is harder to find a chance to learn writing. OR a simpler one One reason I agree writing is the most important skill to learn at university is it is harder to find a chance to learn writing. Note 1: You can remove the two relative clauses and because completely: One reason is it is harder to find a chance to learn writing. (This can also be the topic sentence.) Note 2: This topic sentence is worded differently than our idea from brainstorming in the box on the previous page, but that is fine because sometimes we change wording and ideas as we write. 1) Start with One reason or something similar. -Your second body paragraph could start Another reason 2) that I agree is a relative clause. -It gives more information about the reason. -(that is optional here.) 3) that writing is the most important skill to learn at university -This gives the prompt/essay question again so it is clear to the reader. -(that is optional here.) 4) is because leads us to the next part of the sentence where we give our reason. -You must have the verb is here because of the subject of the sentence One reason. -See Note 1 on the left for more. -because is also optional here in 4) 5) Give your reason as another clause with a subject/verb/object. -That will usually make it clearer. -Here we have an infinitive phrase with a subject/verb/object: it is harder to find a chance to learn writing.
Parts to Explanation Sentences Explanation sentences usually come second and they make your topic clearer. That is, they say your topic again in other words to make it clearer. 1) It 2) is more difficult to learn 3) than many skills 4) such as speaking and understanding spoken communication in a language. As a result, our explanation sentence is: Writing is more difficult to learn than many skills such as speaking and understanding spoken communication in a language. 1) It refers to writing. -You can start with the subject of the previous sentence or your topic in general again as a pronoun if possible (It ). -This gives you the chance to explain in other words what your topic is. 2) is more difficult to learn has the same meaning as the topic sentence (harder to learn). -It shows more of our vocabulary, and it lets us know we are still talking about how it is difficult/hard to learn. 3) than many skills is part of our comparative phrase. -It tells us what we are comparing writing to. 4) such as is one way to give examples. -Then we gave speaking and understanding spoken communication in a language. as examples. -This makes it a bit clearer where our reason in this paragraph is going. In the next sentence we will probably give more explanation about speaking and understanding languages.
Parts to Examples / Comparisons / Further Explanation Detailed Sentences 1 Once you have given the topic and explained it in other words, you can use a few types of sentences to give more detailed information: 1. examples (can be found anywhere, or you can make a full sentence giving an example) 2. comparisons (are good in opinion writing to show the other side of your argument) 3. further explanation (is common because you simply continue explaining what you were explaining in the previous sentence) Note: Do not think of them as one or the other. You may use any of them together in any number of sentences. 1) For example, these two skills 2) are easier to learn 4) because you use them often and in many situations in life 5) including spending time with friends, lectures, and meetings. As a result, our further explanation, comparison, and examples detailed sentence is: For example, these two skills are easier to learn because you use them often and in many situations in life including spending time with friends, lectures, and meetings. Note: We have just one sentence here, but this part can also be more sentences. See below for part 2. 1) For example, is a good way to start to give an example of how one skill is easier or harder to learn than another. -Write (speaking and listening) in other words ( these two skills ) -Try to change the way you talk about certain ideas, things, or actions especially when you use them repeatedly. 2) are easier to learn is another comparison. -It makes your comparisons between writing and spoken language clearer. 3) because you use them often and in many situations in life is giving us the reason why speaking and listening are easier to learn. - Notice we use the pronoun them to refer to the two skills speaking and listening again. 4) including spending time with friends, shopping, lectures, and meetings. is another way to give examples. -These examples show us how common using spoken language is. Grammar point: Notice after including, all of the verbs end in -ing. These are called gerunds. They are the noun form of the verbs. We use them in certain places where we can not use a regular verb.
Parts to Examples / Comparisons / Further Explanation Detailed Sentences 2 This part is continued from above. It shows another example of a detailed sentence continued from our previous one. 1) However, there are only a few places 2) that we practice good writing skills 3), and one of those is at university. As a result, our second further explanation, comparison, and examples detailed sentence is: However, there are only a few places that we practice good writing skills, and one of those is at university. Note: This sentence connects with the other detailed sentence. It starts with however to show a contrast. Then it gives an example more directly related to our main idea/topic. 1) However,. is acceptable here because it is showing a contrast (difference) from the previous sentence which is talking about speaking and listening. -We also see there are only a few places which is going to make a comparison with the previous sentence where we saw: in many situations in life. 2) that we practice good writing skills is a relative clause giving more information about the few places. -Now we are sure we are talking about writing skills again (our main idea/topic). 3), and one of those is at university. -With this final part of the sentence, we are saying that we think university is one of the only good places to practice good writing. Grammar point: Do not forget your comma (,) before and/ or/but/so when combining two sentences.
Parts to Concluding Sentences Concluding sentences come at the end of the paragraph. Sometimes you do not need them if you have already fully explained yourself, but they can also be a good way to finish up any paragraph. They usually show us a result or bring our idea back to the beginning to show how the information that we gave supports our main idea. 1) That is why 2) the best opportunity to learn writing is at university 3), and it is the most important skill to learn there. As a result, concluding sentence is: That is why the best opportunity to learn writing is at university, and it is the most important skill to learn there. 1) That is why is one way to start a concluding sentence. -You could also use therefore, as a result, so, or as we can see. -You may need to check with your teacher exactly how these are all used. -This makes it clear we will now conclude with the final part of our reason by connecting all our previous ideas together. 2) the best opportunity to learn writing is at university comes right after why. -Then we have our verb is (do not forget it). -Opportunity is a strong word that means chance. -This sentence is explaining how university is the best place to learn writing which supports and repeats our main idea. 3), and it is the most important skill to learn there. repeats the prompt of the essay and, again, helps us bring the paragraph full circle back to the main idea. Grammar point: This sentence is another infinitive phrase (it + is + object/adjective + infinitive phrase [to + verb]) sentence. These are very useful to change the style of your sentences and show your use of many types of grammar. Sometimes they help make your point clearer, too.