👉Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
- Social Media Regulation: Should there be stricter laws to govern social media platforms?
- Climate Change: Should governments implement stricter regulations to combat climate change, even if it means sacrificing economic growth?
- Gun Control: Should there be stricter regulations on gun ownership to reduce gun-related violence?
- Universal Basic Income: Is universal basic income a feasible solution to combat poverty and inequality?
- Animal Testing: Is it ethical to use animals for scientific and medical research?
- Death Penalty: Is capital punishment an effective deterrent for crime, or is it morally wrong?
- Immigration Policies: Should countries have stricter or more lenient immigration policies?
- Censorship in Media: Should governments censor certain types of content in the media to protect public morality?
- Euthanasia: Should individuals have the right to choose euthanasia if they are suffering from terminal illnesses?
- The Ethics of Genetic Engineering: Is altering human DNA morally acceptable?
- Bullying Among Adults: Is enough attention given to bullying in the workplace? How should companies address workplace bullying, and what legal protections should be in place for employees?
Opinion essay: in an opinion essay the writer states his opinion and supports it with facts, evidence and examples but he doesn’t try to convince the reader.
Persuasive essay: in a persuasive essay the writer tries to convince the reader to agree with his opinion. The author uses logic and facts, definitions and examples in order to persuade the reader to share his point of view.
💥An opinion writing is not the same as a discursive essay. They are related, but they have different purposes and structures.*
⭐ Opinion Essay
- Purpose: To express your personal opinion on a topic.
- Focus: You argue mainly for one side.
- Structure:
- Introduction (state your opinion)
- Body paragraphs (reasons + examples supporting your opinion)
- Conclusion (restate your view)
👉 It is persuasive: you want the reader to agree with you.
⭐ Discursive Essay
- Purpose: To explore a topic from different angles.
- Focus: You present both sides (advantages/disadvantages, for/against, different viewpoints).
- Structure:
- Introduction (introduce the issue)
- Body paragraphs (side A, side B, possibly your opinion at the end)
- Conclusion (summarise arguments, sometimes give a balanced opinion)
👉 It is balanced and objective: you discuss the topic, not just defend your view.
🔍 Key Difference in One Sentence
- Opinion essay: you take a clear position and support it.
- Discursive essay: you discuss several perspectives before possibly giving your own view.
🔶 Opinion Essay vs. Discursive Essay (C1 Comparison Table)
Feature | Opinion Essay | Discursive Essay |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | To express and defend your personal opinion. | To explore different viewpoints on a topic. |
Tone | More persuasive, subjective. | More balanced, objective. |
Content | Mostly one side of the argument. | Both sides (for/against, pros/cons) + evaluation. |
Structure | Intro → Your opinion → Reasons → Conclusion | Intro → Viewpoint 1 → Viewpoint 2 → Evaluation/Conclusion |
Reader effect | Make the reader agree with you. | Help the reader understand the issue from all angles. |
Position | Stated strongly at the beginning. | Stated at the end or kept neutral. |
🔶 Useful Connectors for Each Type
⭐ For Opinion Essays
To introduce your opinion
- I strongly believe that…
- In my view,…
- From my perspective,…
To give reasons
- This is because…
- The main reason is that…
- Another argument is…
To conclude
- For these reasons, I believe…
- In conclusion,…
⭐ For Discursive Essays
To present one side
- On the one hand,…
- Supporters of this idea claim that…
- A strong argument in favour is…
To present the opposite side
- On the other hand,…
- However, opponents argue that…
- In contrast,…
To conclude neutrally
- To sum up,…
- Overall, it seems that…
- In conclusion, both sides offer valid points.
TO EXPRESS FACTS
- · It is widely known that…
- · It is a well-known fact that …
- · Research has shown that…
- · There are definitely…
- · It is a fact that…
- · It is clear/ true that…
- · For example/ for instance,...
DEADLINE:
You should spend about 50 minutes on this task.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge. Make sure that you use advanced vocabulary and grammar. Also, use connectors to give cohesion and coherence to your writing.
You should write 175-200 words. Remember that extension is part of the task
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