Writing Skill – Organizing an Opinion Essay from Q: Skills for Success 4 – Reading and Writing – Oxford University

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The purpose of writing an opinion essay is to give a personal response to a topic. The essay expresses how you feel
about an issue. It may try to convince your readers that your view of a topic is the correct one, or one that they should
take seriously.

An effective opinion essay should follow these guidelines:

 In your introduction, express your opinion clearly in a thesis statement.

 In your body paragraphs, provide specific reasons for your opinion – one main reason in each body paragraph.
Support your reasons with facts, examples, and logical arguments.
 In your conclusion, summarize your opinion.

A. Read the opinion essay. Underline the thesis statement and circle three main reasons for the author’s
opinion.

Is Deep-Sea Exploration Worth the Money?

In difficult economic times, the amount of money spent on exploration and discovery is always reduced.
This has happened several times over the last 50 years with both space and deep-sea exploration. People are
generally more enthusiastic about space, but I feel the oceans hold the solutions to some of the biggest
problems of the twenty-first century. We must continue to invest in exploration of the deep sea so that we can
take advantage of its benefits.
The deep seas contain resources that could bring improvements in the field of medicine. Antibiotics are
becoming less effective in the treatment of illnesses, and scientists think that the plant life in the deep oceans
may provide a solution. They hope to develop new medicines that will make it possible to fight disease for years
to come. Some substances produced from deep-sea plants are already being used in improved medical testing
procedures. Recognizing the importance of this research, the 2008 Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Prize
for Chemistry to scientists in this area.
At a time when existing forms of fuel are limited, the deep ocean could provide new sources of fuel. For
more than 50 years, oil companies have been drilling in areas like the North Sea. Realizing that these offshore
resources will not last forever, oil companies are now considering other sources, including the huge amounts of
oil beneath the ocean bed. However, extracting it safely will require major advancements in technology.
Another possible deep-sea fuel source is methane. Having discovered that methane exists on the ocean floor in
the form of ice crystals, scientists believe this could be a fuel source for the future.
Finally, using the deep sea for the disposal of nuclear waste is a controversial issue that needs to be
explored further. Some organizations have proposed dropping nuclear waste into the deepest parts of the ocean
and sealing it into the ocean floor. Many scientists claim that this process would involve less danger to the
environment than current storage methods. While I find this idea disturbing, I accept that most people do not
want to live near nuclear waste, so I think the proposal needs to be investigated.
These are just three of the many ways in which learning about the deep ocean may change our lives for
the better. In my view, such advances in our knowledge justify the expense of carrying out deep-sea research.
The demand for land is only continuing to grow. The time has come when the 70% of our planet covered by
water is just too big to ignore.
 B. Complete the outline of the essay by briefly summarizing the information you have read.
I. Thesis statement:
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

II. Reason 1: The deep seas could bring improvements in medicine.

A. Support 1:_____________________________________________________________________
B. Support 2: Scientists who research this area won a Nobel Prize.
III. Reason 2: _________________________________________________________________________
A. Support 1:_____________________________________________________________________
B. Support 2: _____________________________________________________________________
IV. Reason 3: _________________________________________________________________________
A. Support 1:_____________________________________________________________________
C. Support 2: Ocean disposal could be safer than current methods.
V. Concluding ideas:
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Example Assignment: Write an opinion essay

Write a five-paragraph essay to give your opinion about a specific discovery or type of exploration.