Opinion-based essays

Academic English > Opinion-based essays

There are a number of different writing styles. For academic purposes, we can define two broad categories descriptive reports and opinion-based essays. With regard to opinion-based or argumentive essays, there are several forms:

Agree/Disagree
Advantage/Disadvantage
Cause/Effect
Problem/Solution

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Agree/Disagree

Agree or disagree style essays, can include the following:

  • The advantages and disadvantages (of something)
  • The costs and benefits (of something)
  • Two different opinions (about something)
  • Two choices (about something)
Some people argue that nowadays women in the United Arab Emirates should be allowed to do any job they want.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give two specific reasons with examples to support your opinion.

SUBJECT = Employment/Society/Culture
STATEMENT REWORDED = “Should all careers be open to women”
OPINION SENTENCE = “I agree with the idea that women should pursue any career that they like.”

Introductions

Good introductions need three things. This means they must have three or more sentences:

1. General background information (on the subject)

2. An opinion sentence (where you state your opinion on the specific subject of the prompt)

3. Thesis statement (where you tell the reader what you are going to write about)

These days, boys and girls have all sorts of dreams and job ambitions and more and more women are now doing jobs that were once mostly done by men. Therefore, I completely agree with the point of view that women should pursue any career that they like. There are many reasons for my opinion, however, in this essay I will give two. The first reason is because this helps the economy develop and improve, and secondly there is no difference between men and women in terms of abilities and skills.

Body paragraphs

In agree/disagree style opinion-based essays, you will need to provide several reasons to support your opinion. For each reason you provide, you will need a separate paragraph. Each body paragraph must have at least three parts (and therefore have three or more sentences):

1. Topic sentence (in a few words, summarise the reason you will write about in this paragraph)

2. Explanation; explain the reasons and give more details about it

3. Example; provide one or more examples to illustrate your reason

The first reason I will focus on is to do with the economy, the UAE needs to employ men and women in many different industries. I will explain, the country is developing and there are now many different businesses that need lots of different skills, the government needs to employ nationals who have those skills, it is not important if they are male or female. For instance, last year I saw in the newspaper that Etihad Airline now has two female Emirati pilots as well as several Emirati male pilots, both men and women can fly planes if they want to.

Conclusions

The conclusion paragraph needs to summarise the subject of the essay, your opinion and, the reasons you gave to support your opinion. It also needs to provide some recommendations/suggestions. Therefore, it must have three (or more) sentences:

1. Summarise what the essay was about

2. Re-state your opinion and then summarise the reasons you gave (Past Tense)

3. Provide some suggestions that are related to the subject/your opinion

To sum up. this essay focused on the subject of women and work in the UAE. I think that women should be allowed to do any job they want so long as they have the right skills. I gave two reasons to support my viewpoint, the first one was it benefits the economy and secondly, there is no difference between men and women in terms of ability. Therefore, I suggest that society and families support women in achieving their work-related ambitions and dreams.

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Agree/Disagree | Advantage/Disadvantage | Cause/Effect | Problem/Solution

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Advantage/Disadvantage

In advantage/disadvantage (مزايا وعيوب) style essays, you will need to consider:

The pros and cons (of something)
The costs and benefits (of something)
The negative and/or positive effects (of something)

The following exam prompt, suggested structure and sample answer is targeted to those whose level of English is pre-intermediate:

Foreign travel is becoming increasingly easy for more and more people globally. While there are benefits arising from international tourism, there are also negative effects.
In your opinion, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of international tourism?


Subject area = Environment/Transportation/Culture
Statement reworded = “The number of people traveling overseas for their holidays is increasing”
Opinion sentence = “Overall, I think international tourism has more advantages than disadvantages.”

The Introduction

Good introductions need to have three parts. This means they must have three or more sentences:

1. General background information (on the subject)

2. An opinion sentence (where you state your opinion on the specific subject of the prompt)

3. Thesis statement (where you tell the reader what you are going to write about)

e.g.,:
These days, because of modern technology such as the internet and airlines more and more people are traveling overseas for their holidays. On balance, I think that international tourism has more benefits compared to costs. In this essay I will focus on a key advantage, it is positive for the economy, and a major disadvantage, it is negative for the economy.

Body paragraphs

In advantage/disadvantage style opinion-based essays, you will need to focus on the advantages and/or disadvantages that result from the subject. For each advantage/disadvantage you write about, you will need a separate paragraph. Each body paragraph must have at least three parts (and therefore have three or more sentences):

1. Topic sentence (summarise the advantage/disadvantage you will write about in this paragraph)

2. Explanation; explain the advantage/disadvantage and give more details about it

3. Example; provide one or more examples to illustrate the advantage/disadvantage

e.g.,:
Firstly I will discuss the main advantage of international tourism, it benefits the economy of the countries where tourists visit. I will explain, when tourists visit a foreign country, they stay in hotels and eat in restaurants and buy lots of things. This gives the country money and also creates jobs. For instance, many Egyptian people work in hotels and sell things to tourists, they would not have these jobs if tourists did not travel to Egypt.

Now I will look at the main negative effect of international tourism. The disadvantage of this is for the environment. When people visit other countries they often go on airplanes and this leads to pollution and global warming. For example, these days millions of people travel by plane to another country. In the past people traveled by bus or train.

The Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph needs to summarise the subject of the essay, your opinion and, the the advantages/disadvantages you chose to write about. It also needs to provide some recommendations/suggestions. Therefore, it must have three (or more) sentences:

1. Summarise what the essay was about

2. Re-state your opinion and summarise the advantages/disadvantages you discussed (past tense)

3. Provide some suggestions that are related to the subject/your opinion

e.g.:
To sum up. this essay focused on the subject of wthe growing numbers of tourists travelling around the world. I think that overall there are more advantages of this compared to the disadvantages. I wrote about two effect of this, one advantage it benefits the economy and one disadvantage, it can be harmful for the environment. Therefore, I suggest that families continue to travel overseas, but not too many times each year, this will reduce the amount of pollution from airplanes.

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Agree/Disagree | Advantage/Disadvantage | Cause/Effect | Problem/Solution

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Cause/Effect

Cause and effect essays look at the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects). The language of cause and effect (أسباب و نتائج) is important in academic writing because it helps answer the question: Why?

The 2008 Financial Crisis
Outsourcing
Unemployment
Urbanisation
Oil spills
Deforestation (rainforest destruction)
Desertification (loss of soil fertility)
Coral Reef destruction

The language of cause and effect is important in academic writing because it helps answer the question: Why?

In this style of opinion-based essay, you will need to consider:

The advantages and disadvantages (of something)
The pros and cons (of something)
The costs and benefits (of something)
If the effects (of something) are positive (“good”) or negative (“bad”)

cause-efect-image---air-polution

In reality, causes are reasons (they come first) and effects are results (they come next). However, when we desribe them we can begin with either the cause or the effect. For instance:

Using lots of electricity results in air pollution (such as CO2).
Air pollution (such as CO2) results from using too much electricity.

The volcanic eruption led to the plane being delayed
The plane was delayed as a result of the volcano erupting.

The following exam prompt, suggested structure and sample answer is targeted to those whose level of English is pre-intermediate:

These days people in the UAE can watch TV programs and movies from all over the world.
What are two major effects of having access to a lot of foreign programs?


Subject area = Technology/Society/Culture
Statement reworded = “Nowadays many people in the UAE watch foreign films and TV shows.”
Opinion sentence = “Overall, I think that they are more positive effects than there are negative effects.”

Introductions

Good introductions need to have three parts. This means they must have three or more sentences:

1. General background information (on the subject)

2. The key causes

3. Thesis statement (where you tell the reader what you are going to write about)

Unlike the past, nowadays more and more people in the UAE spend their time watching foreign TV programs not local Emirati TV programs. There are a number of causes for this, including modern technology in the old days people could only see programs from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but now with satellite dishes and YouTube we can see TV from any country all day and night. Another reason is because these days Etisalat buys lots of foreign TV programs like BBC News and the National Geographic channel. However, in this essay I will discuss two key effects, one is positive, we can learn more information and foreign languages. The second one is negative, some young people might copy foreign lifestyles and forget about their own traditions.

Body paragraphs

In cause/effect style opinion-based essays, you will need to focus on several key effects. For each effect you provide, you will need a separate paragraph. Each body paragraph must have at least three parts (and therefore have three or more sentences):

1. Topic sentence (in a few words, summarise the effect you will write about in this paragraph)

2. Explanation; explain the effect and give more details about it

3. Example; provide one or more examples to illustrate the effect

The first effect I will focus on is positive, learning more information. I will explain, all people can watch programs from other countries to learn about other cultures and traditions also, to learn how to speak different languages. For instance, my little brother watches animal programs on National Geographic because he is doing a project on animals at school. My older sister always watches BBC News because it will help her with the listening part of the IELTS exam.

The second effect I will look at is harmful, copying bad habits from other countries. I will explain, some teenagers watch foreign movies and dramas that show many dangerous things. For example, I read in the newspaper that many boys drive their father’s car too fast because they want to be like the people in the movie “Fast and Furious”.

Conclusions

The conclusion paragraph needs to summarise the subject of the essay, your opinion and, the reasons you gave to support your opinion. It also needs to provide some recommendations/suggestions. Therefore, it must have three (or more) sentences:

1. Summarise what the essay was about

2. Re-state your opinion and then summarise the reasons you gave (Past Tense)

3. Provide some suggestions that are related to the subject/your opinion

To sum up, this essay focused on the effects of people in the UAE watching lots of foreign TV. I discussed two key effects, the first one was learning new things and, the second one was copying bad ideas and habits. Therefore, I suggest parents monitor their children and only let them watch programs that are beneficial and to stay away from programs that use bad words or show violent or dangerous things.

Worksheets &c.

The impact of tourism in the UAE
The causes for, and consequences of high divorce rates in the UAE
The reasons for, and results of, smoking cigarettes
The (positive) effects of female education
Identifying the cause and the effect in sentences
Identifying “key” (“main”, “major”) causes and effects
Introductions to Cause/Effect essays that “focus” on the effects
Cause/Effect, model essay

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Agree/Disagree | Advantage/Disadvantage | Cause/Effect | Problem/Solution

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Problem/Solution

Problem and solution style essays (المشكلة والحل) often come in two forms: one where the focus will be on the problem and one where the focus will be on the solutions. As a rule, you will need to critically evaluate the solutions you put forward.

Global warming
Mass tourism
Meat consumption
Overfishing
Rhino poaching
Water resources

Entry level problem/solution essays often come in two forms. One style has one body paragraph focusing on the problem and the other body paragraph focusing on the solution. The other style focuses on the solutions, the problem is summarised in the introduction paragraph.

These days, in some families, children do not spend much time with their parents because both the mother and the father have to go to work.
What solutions can you suggest for this problem?


Subject area = Employment and money/Gender, Family & Parenting
Statement reworded = “Because of globalisation parents spend less time with their children”
Opinion sentence = “Overall, I think there are several possible solutions to this problem.”

Introductions

Good introductions need to have three parts. This means they must have three or more sentences:

1. General background information (on the subject)

2. An opinion sentence (where you state your opinion on the specific subject of the prompt)

3. Thesis statement (where you tell the reader what you are going to write about)

At this moment in time, many fathers and mothers have to work and this means they have less time to spend with their children. This is a problem because children need to learn from their parents and also, the children might do dangerous things while they are at home alone. However, I do think there are some possible solutions to this modern day problem and in this essay, I will focus on two.

Body paragraphs

In problem/solution style opinion-based essays, you will need to focus on possible solutions that may address the problem. For each solution you write about, you will need a separate paragraph. Each body paragraph must have at least three parts (and therefore have three or more sentences):

1. Topic sentence (summarise the solution you will write about in this paragraph)

2. Explanation; explain the solution and give more details about it

3. Example; provide one or more examples to illustrate how the solution might work

One possible solution is for the grandparents to spend more time with the children. While grandparents are not the same as parents, they are similar. They are from the same family and also, they have lots of experience and wisdom. For instance, … .

Another solution is for families to make special plans for their free time. I will explain, having quality time together is important … . For example, if the parents and children do interesting things together every weekend and during the holidays, this will make a balance with the time when the parents have to work.

Conclusions

The conclusion paragraph needs to summarise the subject of the essay, your opinion and, the advantages and/or disadvantages you chose to write about. It also needs to provide some recommendations (“suggestions”). Therefore, it must have three (or more) sentences:

1. Summarise what the essay was about

2. Re-state your opinion and summarise the solutions that you provided (past tense)

3. Provide some recommendations that are related to the solutions that you gave

To sum up. this essay focused on the subject of both parents having to work. I think that this can be a problem, but there are some solutions. I discussed two solutions the first one was for the grandparents to spend time with the children and the second one was to do things together on the weekends. Therefore, I suggest that families try and make the most of their free time together and secondly, governments encourage more part time work.

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Agree/Disagree | Advantage/Disadvantage | Cause/Effect | Problem/Solution

Languages under threat

As a result of globalisation, more and more people are choosing to (or having to) learn English. This represents a threat to many of the world’s less widely spoken languages.
Explain this problem and provide some solutions.

STYLE: Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect
SUBJECT: Language and Culture, Globalisation
Background information on languages under threat

Globalisation & Food

More and more of the food we consume today travels thousands of miles before it reaches our local supermarkets and finally, our dinner plates.
In your opinion, to what extent is this a positive or a negative development?

STYLE: Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect
SUBJECT: Language and Culture, Globalisation, Environmental issues

Prompt 03:

Nowadays, all over the world people share the same fashions, advertising, brands, eating habits and TV channels. Differences between countries and cultures become less evident each year.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of this?

STYLE: Advantage/Disadvantage, Cause/Effect   SUBJECT AREA: Language and Culture, Science and Technology, Globalisation

 

Prompt 04:

In the future, we will have more and more leisure time as machines replace many of the tasks we do at home and work.
Discuss the benefits this will bring and also the problems.

STYLE: Cause/Effect, Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Language and Culture, Science and Technology

 

Prompt 05:

Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies.
To what extent has television positively or negatively affected cultural development in your country?

STYLE: Cause/Effect, Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Language and Culture, Science and Technology

 

Prompt 06:

Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today.
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?

STYLE: Advantage/Disadvantage, Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Employment and money, Globalisation

 

Prompt 07:

In many countries there is a shortage of housing due to a growing population. Some people argue that new towns should be built in the countryside, others argue for the regeneration of cities.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the building new towns in the countryside?

STYLE: Advantage/Disadvantage, Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Environmental issues, Governmental issues

 

Prompt 08:

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the costs.
To what extent do you agree?

STYLE: Agree/Disagree, Advantage/Disadvantage   SUBJECT AREA: Governmental issues, Environmental issues

 

Prompt 09:

Some people believe in the traditional idea that the woman’s place is in the home, while others say that idea is outdated and that women should play an increasingly important role in the workplace of the future.
What is your opinion?

STYLE: Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Gender, Family & Parenting, Globalisation

 

Prompt 10:

People are now living longer than ever before and many old people are unable to look after themselves. Some people believe that it is the responsibility of families to look after the elderly, while others say governments should provide retirement homes for them where they can be looked after properly.
Discuss.

STYLE: Agree/Disagree, Problem/Solution   SUBJECT AREA: Health issues, Governmental issues, Gender, Family & Parenting

 

Prompt 11:

In some countries people pay different rates of tax depending on their salary, in other countries everyone pays the same rate.
Which do you believe is the best system?

STYLE: Agree/Disagree, Advantage/Disadvantage   SUBJECT AREA: Employment and money, Globalisation, Governmental issues

 

Prompt 12:

More and more qualified people are moving from poor to rich countries to fill vacancies in specialist areas like engineering, computing and medicine. Some people believe that by encouraging the movement of such people, rich countries are stealing from poor countries. Others feel that this is only part of the natural movement of workers around the world.
Give your opinion.

STYLE: Agree/Disagree, Cause/Effect   SUBJECT AREA: Employment and money, Globalisation, Language and culture

 

Prompt 13:

In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibilities.
Discuss.

STYLE: Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Employment and money, Globalisation, Governmental issues

 

Prompt 14:

Some people believe that the media, such as the press, TV and Internet should be more strictly controlled. Others feel that controls should be loosened to give people freer access to information.
Which opinion do you agree with?

STYLE: Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Science and technology, Media and advertising, Law and order

 

Prompt 15:

Some people argue that universities should provide students with more practical training for their future career.
Discuss the likely costs and benefits of making university education more vocationally orientated.

STYLE: Advantage/Disadvantage, Cause/Effect   SUBJECT AREA: Education, Governmental issues, Employment and money

 

Prompt 16:

Should museums and art galleries be free of charge for the general public, or should a charge, even a voluntary one, be required for admittance?
Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of such a move.

STYLE: Advantage/Disadvantage, Cause/Effect   SUBJECT AREA: Education, Governmental issues, Sport and pastimes

 

Prompt 17:

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

STYLE: Advantage/Disadvantage   SUBJECT AREA: Education, Language and Culture, Governmental issues

 

Prompt 18:

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes (for example working for a charity or teaching sports to younger children).
To what extent do you agree?

STYLE: Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Education, Employment and money, Governmental issues

 

Prompt 19:

Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

STYLE: Agree/Disagree   SUBJECT AREA: Health issues, Governmental issues

Globalisation & Culture:

Every year several languages die out. Some people think that this is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Transportation & Environmental issues:

More and more people are relying on the private car as their major means of transportation.

Describe some of the problems over reliance on can can have and suggest at least one possible solution.

Globalisation & Environmental issues:

ven though many people argue globalisation affects the world’s economy in a positive way. Its negative effects on the environment should not be forgotten.

In your opinion, what are two of the key impacts globalisation has on the natural environment?

Globalisation & Culture:

It has been said that the world is becoming a global village in which there are no boundaries to trade and communication.

Do the benefits of globalisation outweigh the costs?

Globalisation & Culture:

As mass communication and transport continue to grow, societies are becoming more and more alike leading to a phenomenon known as globalisation. Some people fear that globalisation will inevitably lead to the loss of national and local cultural identities.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this point of view?

Context

Background knowledge
Images & Infographics

Education
Employment and money
Environmental issues
Gender, Family & Parenting
Globalisation
Governmental issues
Health issues
Language and culture
Law and order
Media and advertising
Science and technology
Sport and pastimes
Travel and transport