6/10/2016

How to Write a Basic Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay

English3201
Handout:HowtoWriteanOpinionEssay

Thebasicfiveparagraphessaystructure,whichyouhaveprobablyusedmanytimesbythispoint,
worksextremelywellforanopinionessay.Itsastartingpoint,andwhenyougettouniversityyour
profswillexpectamorecomplexapproachtoessaywriting.Ifyoufeelconfidentaboutyouressay
writingskills,youcancertainlybranchoutintolongerandmorecomplexessays.Butthisbasicfive
paragraphoutlineisagoodstartingpoint,especiallyifyoufeeluncertainofyourability.

Anopinionessayexiststoproveyourmainpointyourthesis.Thisshouldbeclearlystatedinyour
openingparagraph.Dontleavethereadertoguesswhatyourpositionisontheissuemakeaclear
stand!

Next,developyourargumentinthebodyofyouressay.Eachparagraphshouldcontainasingle,clear
ideathatsupportyourpointofview.Youcanuseexamplesandillustration,causeandeffect
reasoning,comparison/contrastorothermethodsofdevelopmenttosupportyourargument.

Research:Anystatementsyoumakethatwouldcauseareadertosay,Wait,howdoyouknowthats
true?needtobebackedupwithdocumentationfromoutsidesources(IsawsomethingonTVabout
itonetimewouldnotbeconsideredadequatedocumentation).RefertothehandoutWhatis
Research?forfurtherdetails.

Rememberthataparagraphisthreetofivesentencesthatdevelopasingle,clearidea.Agood
paragraphoftenbeginswithatopicsentencethatsumsupyourmainidea.

ParagraphOneTheintroduction.Hereyoustatethemainideaofyourentireessaythepointyou
aretryingtomakeorprove.Thisparagraphshouldincludeyourthesisstatementplusthreereasons
whyyoubelievethisstatementtobetrue.
ParagraphsTwo,ThreeandFour.Thesearethebodyofyouressay.RememberbackinParagraph
One,yougavethreereasonsforyouropinion?Threereasons,threebodyparagraphs.Eachofthe
bodyparagraphsshouldtakeoneofyourreasonsandexplainitinmoredetail,citingsourceswhere
necessary.
ParagraphFiveTheconclusion.FormerNewfoundlandpremierJoeySmallwoodoncesaidabout
givingspeeches:"FirstItellthemwhatI'mgoingtotellthem,thenItellthem,thenItellthemwhatItold
them."That'showyouwriteanessay.Intheconclusion,tellthemwhatyoutoldthem.Sumupyour
argumentbyrestatingyourthesisstatementandremindingthereaderwhatyourthreereasonswere.In
anargumentativeessay,youcanfinishwitha"calltoaction"tellthereaderwhatyouwouldlikethem
todoasaresult.

SampleFiveParagraphEssay
Subject:Shouldparentshavetheirchildrenvaccinated?

Title
AuthorsName

ParagraphOne:
Introduction

Threereasonsformy
opinion

WhyYouShouldVaccinateYourKids
sampleessayforstudentusebyTrudyMorganCole

SinceEdwardJennerintroducedthefirstsuccessfulsmallpox
vaccinebyinjectinganeightyearoldboywithcowpoxpusin1796,
vaccineshavebeenanimportantpartofpublichealthcarearoundthe
world(EdwardJenner).Yettoday,manyparentschoosenotto
vaccinatetheirchildren.Becausevaccinesarewidelysupportedby

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Thesisstatement

ParagraphTwo:
Developsthefirst
reasonbygiving
examples

TopicSentence

ParagraphThree:
TopicSentence

Developsthesecond
reason,givingfacts
andstatisticsto
supportthe
statement.

ParagraphFour:
Topicsentence

Developsthird
reason,givingan
example

ParagraphFive:
Conclusion
Restatementofthesis
Summaryofreasons

How to Write a Basic Five-Paragraph Opinion Essay

research,havefewsideeffects,andhaveprovensuccessfulin
haltingthespreadofdisease,Ibelieveitisimportantthatallparents
continuetovaccinatetheirchildren.

Allmajorhealthorganizations,includingtheCentresfor
DiseaseControlandtheWorldHealthOrganization,recommend
vaccination.Thevalueofvaccinationissupportedbyresearchfrom
aroundtheworld,andresearchersareconstantlyworkingtoimprove
thesafetyandeffectivenessofvaccines.Epidemiologists,the
scientistswhosejobistostudytheoutbreakofdisease,all
recommendvaccination.

Manyparentsworryaboutthesafetyofvaccines.Whileside
effectsdooccur,theyareusuallyminor,likerednessorswelling
aroundthesiteofaninjection.InCanada,onlyaboutoneinamillion
dosesofvaccineleadstoserioussideeffects(FactandFiction).
Themostfamousstudylinkingvaccinestoautism,onewhichgot
manyparentsworriedaboutvaccination,hasbeenprovenfalseand
thedoctorwhoconductedthestudyhashadhismedicallicense
takenaway(Triggle).

Aroundtheworld,increasedvaccinationleadstobetterpublic
health.Diseaseslikesmallpoxandpoliowhichoncekilledand
disabledmillionsofpeoplearevirtuallyunknowntodaythanksto
immunizationprograms.YetincountrieslikeAfghanistanand
PakistanwheretheTalibandiscourageimmunization,ratesofpolio
areontheriseagain(Nordland).

Ifandwhenyouhavechildren,pleasegetthemvaccinated.
Therisksareminimalandyoullnotonlybefollowingthebestadvice
ofmedicalscienceandprotectingyourownchildfromdiseaseyoull
behelpinginthefighttoeradicateinfectiousdiseasesinyour
communityandaroundtheworld.

SourcesCited

EdwardJenner(17491823),BBCHistory:HistoricFigures.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/jenner_edward.shtml

ImmunizationFactandFiction,PublicHealthAgencyofCanada.
http://www.phacaspc.gc.ca/im/iycvve/fic

Nordland,Rod,AfterYearofDecline,PolioCasesinAfghanistanTripleina
Year.TheNewYorkTimes,Jan.17,2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/world/asia/afteryearsofdeclinepolio
casesinafghanistanrise.html

Triggle,Nick,MMRDoctorStruckfromRegister,BBCNews.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8695267.stm

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