WRITING SKILLS 2011

GUIDE TO WRITING SKILLS FOR ADVANCED 1-2

The type of writing skill required for Advanced 1 is “Opinion” essay of

250/300 words. When writing this type of essay you need to consider
the following points:
1- Opinion Essay structure
2- Organization of ideas
3- Language
4- Use of Connectors
5- Grammar

1- OPINION ESSAY STRUCTURE

What is an “Opinion” essay?

An “Opinion” essay is a type of formal writing which requires a
combination of personal and argumentative approach. This is a kind of
essay where you have to express your opinions and views on a
particular subject or problem and support it with all the proper reasons
and valid examples.

2- ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS
Organization is a key ingredient to a good essay. A well structured paper
will be much more logical to the reader, as well as more effective. An
organized paper makes sure that ideas are linked together with smooth
transitions. Your Opinion essay should be organized in the following
way:

Introduction: it is the first paragrapgh where you present the main

idea, that is to say, your opinion about the topic. The reader must be
informed about your ideas and attitude toward the topic from the very
beginning of your essay.
Body: it is the subsequent paragraphs where you elaborate/ present
your arguments to back up your point of view stated in the introduction.
Arguments should be expressed in detail in the main body. That is, you
will provide an argumentative context to the conviction you expressed in
the introduction of the paper.
In the body you also include an opposing point of view about the issue,
this is called the counterargument. You refute the counteraugument in
one or two sentences. In this paragraph, you should show the weak
points of this position by providing convincing instances.
Conclusion: it is the last paragraph of your paper. The conclusion must
recap your arguments and offer a good closing statement that will leave
readers pondering on your message.

3- USEFUL LANGUAGE
These are useful expressions for opinion paragraphs:

Giving opinion:
In my opinion, ...
Personally, I think...
I believe that ...
I feel very strongly...
I completely agree / disagree...
It seems to me that...

Giving facts
It is a fact that...
It is widely known that...
There is/ are definitely....
It is true that....

Referring to other people´s ideas

Many people say that....
Many people believe that.....

3- USE OF CONNECTORS
One of the best ways to improve your writing style is to use sentence
connectors. They are used to express relationships between ideas
and to combine sentences. The use of these connectors will add
sophistication to your writing style. The following list provides useful
connectors:

Contrast:
On the one hand, ...... . On the other hand, ...
However, ...
Nevertheless, ...
In contrast, ...

Adition:
Moreover, ...
Besides, ...
First, .... . Second,... Finally,...
 Reason and Result
This is due to.....
This is because...
As a result...
Therefore.....
Connectors used in the conclusion:
To sum up, ...
In conclusion, ...
To summarize, ...
In brief, ...

5- GRAMMAR
Make good use of grammar: use proper verb tenses, word order, and
sentence structure.

* Useful recommendations about Opinion Essay Writing

Just as there are basic writing etiquettes, there are also things you can
and cannot do when writing an opinion essay.

1-Do not be overly personal with the content of the essay. While the
content should focus on your opinions, it is recommended that you
refrain yourself from giving a lot of details about your personal life.

2- Stay on topic. Do not provide unnecessary information that will only

confuse the reader; stick to your point.
3-Do not let emotions rule your content. Attacking others, using
aggressive writing tone, and making moral adjustments are best
avoided to maintain a high level of professionalism.

4- Unlike descriptive or narrative papers that account for particular

events, people, or topics, Opinion papers are about taking a certain
side and debating it in your writing. Do not write about advantages and
disadvantages or points for and against.

SAMPLE ESSAY

HEALTH AND HEALING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health. This
new theory argues that healing is at our fingertips: we can be healthy
by doing Reiki on a regular basis.

Supporters of medical treatment argue that medicine should be trusted

since it is effective and scientifically proven. They say that there is no
need for spiritual methods such as Reiki, Yoga, Tai Chi. These waste our
time, something which is quite precious in our material world. There is
medicine that can kill our pain, x-rays that show us our fractured bones
or MRI that scans our brain for tumors. We must admit that these
methods are very effective in the examples that they provide. However,
there are some “every day complaints” such as back pains, headaches,
insomnia, which are treated currently with medicine but it has side
effects.. When you use pills for a long period, you become addicted to
them. How about a safer and more economical way of healing? When
doing Reiki to yourself, you do not need anything except your energy so
it is very economical. As for its history, it was discovered in Japan in the
early 1900s and its popularity has spread particularly throughout
America and Western Europe. In quantum physics, energy is recognized
as the fundamental substance of which the universe is composed. Reiki
depends on the energy within our bodies. It is a simple and effective
way of restoring the energy flow. There are no side effects and it is
scientifically explained.

Opponents of alternative healing methods also claim that serious

illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer cannot be treated without drugs.
It is very unfortunate that these patients have to live in the hospital
losing their hair because of chemotherapy, losing weight because of the
side effects of the medicine they take. Most of the medicines these
patients use are to ease their pain and their sufferings because of the
medical treatment they undergo. Instead of drugs which are expensive
and have many side effects, you can use your energy to overcome the
hardships of life, find an emotional balance, leave the stress of everyday
life and let go of the everyday worries. Since balancing our emotions
and controlling our thoughts are very important for our well-being, we
should definitely start learning Reiki and avoid illnesses before it is too
late.

Having said these, resistance to Reiki would be quite illogical. Reiki is

natural and drug-free. What is more, it is easy to learn by anyone,
regardless of age and experience. It can be used anywhere, anytime. It
also enhances physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being and
the benefits last a lifetime. It is definitely high time to get away from
the drug boxes we store in our drug cabinet!