1. TIPS ON WRITING
A GOOD ESSAY
For and Against and opinion essays
Ana Mena
C1
2. What’s an essay?
An essay is a piece of writing that analyses and evaluates a
topic or issue.
Fundamentally, an essay is designed to get your opinion on a
particular matter.
It usually has five or more paragraphs.
An essay is written about one topic that has several main
points.
The main points are introduced in an introductory paragraph
and supported in body paragraphs.
The conclusion is the last paragraph.
3. Types of essays
There are many, but in this PowerPoint will concentrate on :
For and Against Essays
Opinion Essays
4. For and Against Essays
They present both sides of an issue, discussing
points in favour and against of a particular topic, or
the advantages and disadvantages of a particular
question.
The writer’s personal opinion might be stated in the
conclusion (last paragraph).
5. Opinion Essays
They present the writer’s personal opinion
concerning a particular topic, clearly stated and
supported by reasons or/ and examples.
The writer’s opinion must be included in the
introduction, and summarised or restated in the
conclusion.
6.
7. A good essay must include
An introductory paragraph, in which you clearly
state the topic to be discussed.
A main body, in which different aspects of the
topic are stated in separate paragraphs, and are
exemplified or justified.
A concluding paragraph, it summarises the main
points in the essay, and your opinion is stated, or
restated. You may also include here a balanced
consideration of the topic.
8.
9. Tips for a good introduction
(to get the reader interested in your essay)
The introduction serves a number of purposes:
•It hooks the reader.
•It orientates your reader to the central premise of the piece.
•It briefly outlines the points the body paragraphs will address.
The “hook” or “grabber” is important in securing your reader’s
attention from the outset. Some examples of successful grabbers
include:
• Opening with a relevant quotation or definition from a relevant
source.
• Stating an interesting and surprising fact can intrigue readers
into wishing to find out more.
• An anecdote or cultural reference
10. Most people want to get married and have children. Perhaps
they want to leave a trace of offspring after them, so that
they become somehow “immortal”. And it is commonly said
that children are the ultimate bliss in our lives. Although
many people agree with this statement, to my mind, it is not
true.
Animal experimentation has been a commonly debated subject
for many years, is it cruelty or science? About 1.4 million
animals die each year from animal testing.
11. The main body
This is the most important part of your piece of writing.
You should divide it into different paragraphs, each dealing with one single idea and
introduced by a topic sentence which summarises the topic of the paragraph.
To make your ideas easy to understand:
1. go from general to specific, that is, first give a general idea and then expand it.
2. Avoid unnecessary repetition by using pronouns to refer back to nouns already mentioned.
3. Use connectors to join sentences and show the connection between ideas (contrast, purpose,
addition, ...)
If you are asked to write an opinion essay, in the body you should support your opinions giving
different arguments. Use each paragraph to present your arguments for or against.
If it’s a “for and against” essay, in the body you should present both the arguments for (or
advantages) and the arguments against (disadvantages). Again, use paragraphs to introduce each
argument.
12. Tips for a good conclusion
It is the paragraph that summarizes the main idea or presents a
conclusion.
The reader expects the conclusion to do some or all of the following:
rephrase the question, summarize the main ideas,
give your opinion, if you haven’t given it already.
Look to the future (say what will happen if the situation continues or
changes)
The reader DOES NOT expect new information in the conclusion.
Never add a new idea just because you have thought of it at the end!
It shouldn’t be very long, and it can be similar to the introduction,
but presented in different words.
Your conclusion ‘wraps’ up the essay. We don’t put something valuable,
like money or gold, hidden in the wrapping paper, so don’t put new
information or important ideas in the conclusion.
13. To sum up, for most people it might be the biggest happiness
to have children. However, I firmly believe that to have
children is not everything in life. People can also live full
and accomplished lives without children.
In conclusion, I am of the opinion, on balance, that the
benefits do not outweigh the disadvantages, and testing
on animals should not continue. Although it may improve
the lives of humans, it is not fair that animals should
suffer in order to achieve this.
14. Present your ideas clearly. Use connectors to link your ideas
Make sure you know how to use connectors appropriately (register, punctuation...). If you
have any doubts, you should use a good dictionary to check.
• Opening phrases: People (sometimes) claim that … but I feel that .../
It is often said/argued that .../ However, it seems to me that .../ It is a fact that .../
Over the past few months/years, it seems that …/ Recently, we have all become concerned
that …/Nowadays, we are all realising that .../ In the past, people used to …, but now .../
These days, it seems that ….
•To express personal opinions: In my opinion, I believe (that) / I feel (that) / it seems to
me / in my view /as I see it / I think / personally
•To show purpose: to / in order to / so as to / so that
•To list ideas: Firstly / secondly / finally / In the first place / Lastly
•To contrast ideas: However / although / in contrast / whereas / but / nevertheless / in
spite of / despite
•To describe a cause: Because / since / as / due to
•To show a sequence: First of all / then / after that / eventually / in the end / finally
•To add information: In addition / moreover / what is more / besides / too / furthermore /
and
•To describe a consequence: Consequently / as a result / therefore / so / thus / for this
reason / that is why
•To conclude the topic: In conclusion / to sum up / in short / all in all
• To present arguments:One justification often given for ........... is that.................,
Advocates/Proponents would claim that .................., Those who object to ................. often argue
that ..................., Another objection is that ......
However, it should not be forgotten that .............., ........... are opposed to ................ on the
grounds that .................From the point of view of ................., According to ....................
15. Plan your writing and write a first draft.
A paragraph for each section. The paragraph starts with a topic
sentence.
Use a variety of vocabulary and grammar structures. Use synonyms
or paraphrase.
Avoid contractions and don’t get emotional.
Keep to the topic. Don’t write about things that have nothing to do
with the task.
Use, but don’t overuse, linking words to join ideas. They are also an
important part in stringing together sentences and paragraphs.
Pay attention to punctuation. Your text may be confusing if you
don’t use commas and periods adequately.
Stick to a maximum of two/ three arguments.
Back up your arguments with examples and details.
16. YOUR TURN
CHOOSE ONE TOPIC TO WRITE AN ESSAY (300 words).
- I
Some people believe that teaching children at home is best for a child’s
development while others think that it is important for children to go to
school.
Discuss the advantages of both methods and give your own opinion.
Too much emphasis is placed on going to univefrsity for academic study.
However, people should be encouranged to do vocational training since there
is a lack of qualified tradespeople such as electricians and plumbers.
Do you agree?
