Opinion Paragraphs

Área Lectura y Escritura

Resultados de aprendizaje
- Distinguir entre hecho y opinión.
- Organizar y escribir párrafos expresando opiniones y argumentos.
- Usar palabras de transición.
- Usar expresiones modales para hacer recomendaciones.

Contenidos

1. Linking words
2. Facts and opinions
3. Opinion paragraph

Debo saber

- Simple present
- Present continuous
- Past simple
- Past continuous
- Future
- Present perfect
- Past perfect
- Modal verbs
Opinion Paragraphs
 Facts and opinions

A fact is a piece of information that is true and it is supported by evidence: that film was
three hours long.
An opinion is an idea or belief about a particular subject: that film was boring.
Writers use facts to support their opinions and to show why they hold their beliefs.

An opinion paragraph
1. Read this letter to the editor of a newspaper. Answer the questions.

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 Dear Editor,

More people should ride bicycles into town. Last year, seventy – three percent of all
workers drove their own car to work. Car traffic in town is terrible, parking places are hard
to find, and pollution from cars is a real problem. Citizens who want a cleaner, nicer place to
live ought to try this non – polluting form of transport. Cycling is good exercise, too! The city
must not allow this problem to get worse. Instead, people should ride bicycles to work and
school – and enjoy the health benefits of daily exercise.

Bill Adams
Bellingham

a. What is the main idea of this paragraph? Circle the sentence.

b. What is the writer’s purpose? Why did he write this letter?
c. Underline the sentences or parts of sentences that show an opinion.
d. Why do you think the writer included a fact in this paragraph?

2. Do these types of writing use mostly facts, mostly opinions, or an even mixture of both?
Write F for fact, O for opinion, or B for both.
a. __________ film review
b. __________ advice column
c. __________ police report of a crime
d. __________ travel brochure
e. __________ news report
f. __________ book report for a university literature class
g. __________ magazine advertisement
h. __________ personal e-mail to a friend

3. Can you think of other types of writing that use opinions? Make a list. Then make a list of
types of writing that use facts.
Use opinions: ______________________________________________________________
Use facts: _________________________________________________________________

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 4. Read these sentences. Write F if the sentence is a fact, and O if the sentence is an opinion.

a. _________ Airfares have become too expensive.

b. _________ English is an easier language to learn than Arabic.
c. _________ Owls are birds that hunt at night.
d. _________ I was born in New York City.
e. _________ Exercise is the best way to stay healthy.
f. _________ Internet use has increased every year since its beginning.
g. _________ Engineering is the best career choice.
h. _________ Big cities are dangerous at night.

5. Write three fact sentences and three opinion sentences.

a. ______________________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________________________________
e. ______________________________________________________________________
f. ______________________________________________________________________

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 Key
1. Read this letter to the editor of a newspaper. Answer the questions.

a. What is the main idea of this paragraph? Circle the sentence.

The main idea is to encourage people to ride bicycle. This is stated in the first
sentence ‘more people should ride bicycles into town’.
b. What is the writer’s purpose? Why did he write this letter?
The writer’s purpose is to depict the benefits of riding a bicycle. He wrote the letter
to encourage people to use bicycles by presenting facts and opinions.
c. Underline the sentences or parts of sentences that show an opinion.
Cycling is good exercise too!
d. Why do you think the writer included a fact in this paragraph?
Whenever you introduce an opinion you must have something to support it. It is not
as easy to say yes, no, or just because. The writer states that the car traffic is terrible
so as a result they can use bicycles to reduce this situation and at the same time, to
enjoy a cleaner and healthier quality of live.

2. Do these types of writing use mostly facts, mostly opinions, or an even mixture of both?
Write F for fact, O for opinion, or B for both.

A. O
B. B
C. F
D. B
E. F
F. O
G. B
H. O

3. Can you think of other types of writing that use opinions? Make a list. Then make a list
of types of writing that use facts.

Use opinions: songs review, essays, poetry debates

Use facts: sports review, scientific papers

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 4. Read these sentences. Write F if the sentence is a fact, and O if the sentence is an
opinion.

A. O
B. O
C. F
D. F
E. O
F. F
G. O
H. O

5. Write three fact sentences and three opinions sentences

1. Manchester United is the best English team as it has won more English and European
competitions.
2. Usain Bolt is the best runner in the world as he has the world and Olympic record.
3. Brazil is the biggest country in South America with a surface of 8,514,877 km2.
4. My brother is the best brother in the world.
5. Communism is not the best economic system.
6. USACH is the best Chilean university.

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Primera Edición – 2016
En caso de encontrar algún error, contáctate con PAIEP-USACH al correo: lecturayescritura.paiep@usach.cl
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