Opinion Essay or Persuasive Essay

1st Class - English for academic skills

Activity 1 – Listening skills

Listen to this video and complete the following gaps with a word or words from it.

Opinion Essay or Persuasive Essay

One of the most common types of essay you have to write in your academic careers is the opinion essay also known as the argumentative essay or the persuasive essay, where you have to take a controversial idea or a  topic that many people have different opinions on

(0:17) you have to present your opinion and you have to……………….. it and support it.

now the …………… of the opinion essay is to……………. the reader into agreeing with you or at least ……………… that your opinion in argument is valid.

(0:33) a couple tips before you write your opinion essay:

1.     take a ………………… position. It's important that the reader clearly understands your opinion. You cannot …………………………… in an opinion essay. Pick one side or the other;

2.    also you have ……………………….,  not just in your opinion but in your reasons,  in your details. Remember that  it's not  the readers job to ………………………… .. That's your job as the writer;

3.    you should consider………………………… meaning you. Think about if you're trying to persuade someone who is it that you were……………………. to persuade? Who would…………………………. you and why? If you consider the other side of the argument your own defense will be much stronger. You know,  once you've decided or considered  those things,  it's it's time to write your essay.

(1:25) Now in opinion essay follows the basic structure: it has three parts: the introduction, …………………………….. , and the conclusion. Now like all essays the introductory paragraph would start with a……………………… . Meaning a sentence that is engaging to get the reader's attention and to introduce the topic in an interesting way. You have the background information which would give a little bit of information about the topic in order that the reader can understand why it´s ……………………… or why it's important.  And then of course the most important sentence in your essay is the…………………………… statement, which is the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Now in an opinion essay,

your thesis statement will be your opinion.  In this case, my example thesis statement is:  Professional athletes who were caught taking performance-enhancing drugs should be banned from the sport for life.

(2:22) Now this is a good thesis statement because it's clear and I've taken a ……………………………. And now it's time for me to support my opinion. Now in the body you can be one paragraph or three or however many you need in order to……………………………….. your opinion and meet the requirements of your class.

(2:41) Now the body paragraph should support your opinion with both reasons and details. To have a ………………………………. you probably want at least three good reasons. If you can´t  think of three …………………………… to support your opinion, you may have a weak argument.

(2:59) Now once you've given a reason, for example:  A strict lifetime ban could protect other athletes from the………………….. to use drugs. You may want to add………………………………… to fully explain what you mean. Now if athletes are aware of the punishment, a severe punishment they will be less likely to be tempted by these performance enhancing drugs like steroids.

(3:24) Now once you have presented your argument with reasons and …………………….., it's time for you to introduce something ………………… the counter-argument. The counter-argument means the opposing view or the view of a person who would disagree with your opinion.

(3:40) now you may ask you why you would include the counter argument in your

essay but remember that you want the reader to ……………………… that you have seen both sides of the argument. You've considered both sides and you've made a decision. So,

it's important to continue to include…………………, for example in this case:  I've said some might…………………. that this punishment is too severe; if you take away the person's ability to play the sport, you take away their ……………………. ..

(4:10) Now this is the counter-argument and once you've presented that it's time for you to answer it and explain why. Your opinion is stronger now. There are two ways

to respond to the counter-argument: you can…………………… or concede. …………………. means that you

are saying the counter argument is wrong that you disagree. To ………………………. means you're saying “yes”  but so you're recognizing that the counter argument is a good point, but that your opinion is stronger.

(4:44) Now in this case my refutation is:  However, it is the athletes taking these drugs

who are the ones robbing other athletes opportunity and dreams.

(4.56) Now once you've established the counter-argument and the response, you can move on to your ………………………. paragraph. In the conclusion like all basic essays, you want to restate the thesis, paraphrase it. You…………………….. your main points and then you want to end,  and your concluding paragraph with a strong statement.

(5:16) Remember that just like the …………………., your grabbing the reader's attention. In the conclusion you want to leave the reader with a lasting impression. If you follow this…………………….., you much more likely writing a successful opinion essay. So if you wanna practice opinion essays follow the link at the end of this video. 

Activity 2: speaking and writing

Writing an opinion essay on a controversial issue requires that you look at both sides of an issue and take a position on one side or the other.  You not only take a stand on an issue, but you must defend it against opposing points of view.  Therefore, your argumentative research paper will involve advocacy and persuasion. 

What to do:

• Select your topic
• Research the issues surrounding the topic
• Read other writers’ arguments for and against
• Present supporting evidence in favor of your position
• Defend your position against opposing points of view
• Anticipate and deflect arguments against your position
• Make your case persuasively 

Let´s think together in this statement: Abortion should be legalized for all women without restrictions.

Discuss with your classmate about the pros and cons of abortion and write down your ideas in the persuasion map.

  In pairs try to discuss and think about your essay. Have a try thinking on this essay map.

Activity 3: Reading and writing

1^st Draft of your opinion essay

Pair work activity

Using the tool of google docs, open a document and share it with a classmate or classmates and the teacher.  You should write an opinion essay about one of the following topics:

·      Abortion should be legalized for all women without restrictions.

·      It is inappropriate to let a gay couple adopt a child of the same gender.

·      The only difference between organic and non-organic food is its cost.

·      If we want to stop the global warming process, we need to stop driving cars.

Remember to search for texts and information about the subject in the internet, so that you can have strong arguments  about the theme chosen.

Useful links about it:

1. http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/general/general-advice
2. http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Essays/sta-developessay.aspx
3. http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/essay-structure
4.http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/writing-essays
5.https://intranet.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/20609/essay.pdf

Useful sentences to use in your essay

Introduction  

 “Nowadays… “In modern society…”

“(In my country) many (older/ younger) people think that...”

 Introduction – Saying why it is an important and/ or interesting question

“This is a common talking point…”

“… has been getting a lot of newspaper coverage recently.

 Explaining the structure of the essay

 “I will look at … and…, and then … in my conclusion.”

“To look at this matter from both sides, I will…”

“In this essay I will… the main points and then…”

Starting paragraphs – Explaining why you chose that topic

 “There are many advantages to this/ possible ways of approaching this topic…”,

 “the most important/ most topical/ easiest to illustrate/ one I know most about…”

 Starting paragraphs – Showing a change of topic

 “Looking (now) at the advantages/ disadvantages (of…)…”

 “Another area of this topic that is worth looking at is…”

“I will now examine the arguments for…/ about…”

Strong statements

“It seems clear to me that…”

 “We can therefore obviously conclude that…”

“I don’t think anyone can doubt that…”

“It is almost universally agreed that…”

 Weak statements

 “I don’t have the data I would need to be confident on this matter, but…”

 “It could perhaps be said that…”

“Although I am no expert on this matter,…”

 Supporting your arguments - Personal experience

 “In my own experience,…”

“A relevant experience I had was…”

“I (once) experienced this when…”

Supporting your arguments - Other people’s opinions and experiences

“My own friends and family…”

“I once saw a television programme in which…”

“According to a newspaper article I read last week,…”

Supporting your arguments - Giving examples

 “One (well-known) example is…”

“An example from my own experience is…”

 “To give an example,…”

“For instance…”

“…, such as…”/ “…, e.g…”

Other ways of supporting your arguments

“In other words…”

 “To put it another way…”

 “I can perhaps illustrate this point by…”

 Listing

“Firstly,…/ Secondly,…/

A third point to consider is…/

Finally,…”

 Generalising

“In general,…”

 “Almost everyone (I know)…”

Summarizing

 “To sum up/ To summarize (what I have written above/ the two sides of the argument),…”

Concluding

 “As should be clear from the arguments above, the … outweigh the …”

“I therefore conclude that….”

 “Having weighed up both sides of the argument,…”

 “Although the arguments for/ against… are also quite convincing,…”

“On balance, I would say that…

Activity 4:  Reading and writing

Revision of your opinion essay

1. Now that your essay is nearly ready, invite two other classmates as editors  to read your essay. They are supposed to give you feedback about your writing. After that you can send it your teacher for appreaciation.

Attention: Read the checklist below.  The teacher will check and evaluate your essay according to the following checklist.

Introduction

1. Does the first paragraph provide a good idea of what the essay is about?  P O

2. Does the first paragraph include a topic sentence that strongly and clearly states the writer’s opinion?  Does the topic sentence tell the reader which side the essay will support? P O

Supporting Details

3. Are there three points that support the topic sentence? P O

4. Are there details to further explain the three supporting points? P O

The Other Side

5. Does the writer give an argument for the other side—a point that argues against the topic sentence—and explain why that opinion is weak or flawed? P O

Conclusion

6. Does the last paragraph remind the reader of the main points of the essay? P O

7. Is the conclusion free of any new information (like another supporting point)? P O

General

1.   Does the whole essay read smoothly? P O

2.    Do the details relate to the topic sentence? P O

3.    Does everything make sense? P O

4.   Are the grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct? P O

5.   Is the essay convincing? P O

6.    Does the essay keep the reader interested? P O

Listening Comprehension -Inside Out CD 3

Listening Comprehension  - Book: Inside Out Pre Intermediate CD 3
Dear stds,
Click on the link below to download the audio files from your students´book.
/Listening_Comprehenssion-Inside out CD 3

Comparative & Superlative

Click on the following sites and learn more about Comparative and Superlatives.

http://www.language-worksheets.com/comparative-adjectives-elementary.html
http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/grammar/4g2-the-the-comparatives.php
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/45.html
http://www.english-in-chester.co.uk/e-learning/lesson/superlatives-comparatives
http://www.english-zone.com/grammar/compare1.html

Tutorial for the Google Drive (2015)

Google Docs - Tutorial 01 - Basics

Documentário - Malala Yousafzai - Editado/Legendado

Documentário - Malala Yousafzai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFz6uROh4Ng

Discurso de Malala nas Nações Unidas (Legendado)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLKpqajRruQ

Extra Reading Comprehesion1

Reading Comprehension - Read the text below and answer the questions about it. 






Text 1

TRAPPED IN THE MOUNTAINS

By Deborah Morris (adapted)

  Doug, Theresa and her sister Ruth drove to Colorado in order to have a six-day hike through the Rocky Mountains.

  The walk began on Monday morning, June 14. By mid-afternoon, however, deep snow on the trail left them wet and freezing. After dinner and a good night's sleep, the hikers' enthusiasm was restored. They made good time at first, but at the end of the day the rocky trail became increasingly obscured by snow and they lost the trail completely. Just before dark they reached the top of the hills.

  Before going down to the lake below, Ruth said "Let's slide. it'll be easier than walking." As soon as Theresa pushed off, she started going fast. Suddenly, she cried in terror as she slid toward a precipice. Ruth heard her sister's cry and thought in despair: "What have we done?" Then she spotted Theresa, who had managed somehow to stop her descent. Seconds later, Ruth and Doug were also able to stop themselves.

  They spent a sleepless night behind a large rock. On the next day they realized that they were trapped. Doug tried several times to climb down and get some help but didn't succeed. "l"ve failed, " he thought bitterly. "Unless somebody comes for us,  we don't have a chance.”

  On June 22, Esther Goldbas, Ruth's friend, discovered that she hadn't returned to work. Esther phoned Doug's office but he hadn't shown up either. Then she called up the Forest Service office."My friends are missing." she said. "We think they might be in your region."

  High on the mountains,  Ruth, Doug and Theresa were fighting despair.

Over the past eight days, the three had grown progressively weaker as food had been rationed for each day.

  Thirty miles south, Channel 4 News helicopter pilot Mike Silva and photographer David Gregg were informed by radio that Rocky Mountain Rescue needed an aerial search for three people reported missing.

  By eight p.m. they were over the trail, searching for any sign of the hikers. "We'll need to go back soon," said Silva. "it's getting dark." Still watching the trail, Gregg nodded. As trees momentarily obscured his view, he looked out the opposite window and spotted the three wildly gesturing figures on the mountain side. 'We got them!” Gregg said. He waved to the group to let them know they had been seen..

  After being evacuated by Rocky Mountain Rescue volunteers and Mike Silva the next day, the three hikers took some of the men and women who had saved them to dinner. Only then did they learn that Esther Goldbas had been responsible for their rescue. (UFMG - 94)

Choose the alternative that best completes the following statements, according to the text.

QUESTION 1

Doug, Theresa and Ruth expected to spend six days

A) driving Theresa's car.

B) looking for a trail.

C) skiing on the Rockies.

D) traveling to Colorado.

E) walking in the mountains. 

QUESTION 2

Before evening on Monday, the group    

A) felt cold from the snow. 

B) got sick from the food.

C) looked tired from the walk.

D) seemed hot from the sun.

E) was wet from the rain.

QUESTION 3

The hikers got lost due to    

A) a damaged compass.    

B) a misused map.

C) the old guidebook.

D) the bad weather. 

E) wrong instructions.

QUESTION 4

They arrived at the top of the mountains    

A) after a few hours.

B) after a three-day ride.

C) a week after setting off.

D) before dark on Monday.

E) by Tuesday evening. 

QUESTION 5

When they reached the hill top,

A) the day was breaking.   

B) the ice was cracking.

C) the rain was falling.

D) the snow was melting.

E) the sun was setting. 

  

QUESTION 6

Ruth suggested that they should slide because

A) it was difficult to walk on the snow. 

B) it was too boring going down on foot

C) the snow had frozen their feet and hands.   

D) they could go down  much faster and safer.   

E) they might have great fun along the way.

QUESTION 7

Theresa was terrified because she   

A) heard loud and strange noises.   

B) lost both her skis and sticks.

C) realized Doug was sliding fast  

D) was anxious to get closer to Ruth.   

E) was heading toward the abyss. 

QUESTION 8

On their first night on the mountains, the three people   

A) couldn't sleep at all. 

B) had to sleep in a cabin.

C) must have slept very well.

D) should sleep by the lake.

E) ought not to sleep together.

QUESTION 9

Doug's attempt to get some help was a

A) complete failure.   

B) doubtful decision.   

C) good experiment.   

D) pleasant solution.  

E) sudden success.

  

QUESTION 10

They could be saved only if

A) Doug managed to call Esther.

B) Ruth slid to the lake below.   

C) Theresa screamed for help.   

D) they found the right map.   

E) they had help from outside. 

QUESTION 11

Doug felt  bitter because he

A) didn't have a chance to slide.   

B) felt like eating something.   

C) had passed a sleepless night.

D) was afraid of the precipice.  

E) was unable to get any help. 

QUESTION 12

Esther Goldbas realized there was something wrong because   

A) Doug's office had been closed for a week.

B) her friends asked her to call the police.

C) neither Ruth nor Doug had returned to work. 

D) she was called up by the Forest Service.

E) the two sisters did not answer the telephone.

QUESTION 13

Doug, Theresa and Ruth got weaker because they   

A) couldn't find any water to drink.

B) had not eaten for eight days.

C) had very little food to share. 

D) stayed awake for a long time.

E) tried eating poisoned food.

QUESTION 14

After eight days on the mountains, the three hikers felt

A) extremely cheerful.

B) nearly desperate. 

C) quite hopeful.

D) rather unconcerned.

E) somewhat foolish.

....................................................................................................................................

Text 2 

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the texts carefully and then choose the alternative which best completes the following statements.

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

JOYCE BROTHERS, PH.D.

ATTRACTED TO A YOUNGER MAN

    I am a 42-year-old mother of three, and I've been divorced for five years. The few men I've dated have been older than I, as my ex-husband is. Lately, though, I find myself very attracted to younger men - including one who is just 27. Is this normal?

    I don't think this new attraction is unusual, and it certainly isn't abnormal. But I would advise you to think carefully before you act on it. Consider how others - particularly your children - might view your involvement with a younger man. Also think about what you can bring to such a relationship, and what you want out of it. Are the rewards realistic and long-term? Do you think you can communicate with a much younger man and share common interests? If the answers to these questions are no, you probably should put this out of your mind. On the other hand if the mix is right, a relationship with a much younger person can reignite spiritual, intellectual, and physical fires. By following your feelings, you may find an exciting and rewarding experience. (UFMG - 95)

QUESTION 1

The woman is worried because she

A) has been divorced for 5 years.

B) has found an attractive fiancé.

C) has never dated an older man.

D) is older than the men she likes.  

E) is younger than her ex-husband.

QUESTION 2

When the letter was written the woman's ex-husband was

A) 27              B) 42              C) is this 30s            D) over 42                 E) under 42

QUESTION 3

All the statements below are true, EXCEPT:

A) The woman has got three children altogether.

B) The woman got married to a 27-year-old man. 

C) The woman has dated some other older men.

D) The woman's ex-husband is still alive.

E) The woman is younger than her ex-husband

QUESTION 4

The advice given to the woman is to think carefully about the situation

A) although the doctor does not consider it abnormal.

B) because normal people would not do such a thing.

C) if the woman wants to get married in the future.   

D) in spite of the support of the woman's children.

E) so that the woman could avoid getting married.

QUESTION 5

In Dr. Joyce's view, the woman

A) could hide the problem from the children.

B) may keep her three children out of it all.

C) might avoid involving her three children.

D) must ask for her children's permission.

E) should think about her children's opinion. 

QUESTION 6

According to Dr. Joyce, the woman should worry about all the following points, EXCEPT:

A) Her children's reaction to the relationship.

B) How long the positive aspects would last.

C) The things she could offer her partner.

D) The subjects they are both interested in.

E) What the younger man expects from her. 

QUESTION 7

Dr. Joyce's answer could be summarized as

A) Avoid young boy-friends.

B) Find an older husband.

C) Listen to your heart.  

D) Mix up your feelings.

E) Think about your past.

 Text 3                                          LOVE AMONG THE LAUNDRY                               

When Sally found a man's striped sock curled among her clothes at the launderette she returned it to the tall dark young man with a shy smile. They met there every week for several months, then were seen no more. One of their wedding presents had been a washing machine.

                                                                                                                      (Molly Burnett)

QUESTION 8

Love among the laundry is the story of

A) a couple who met for the first time at a launderette.   

B) a man and a woman who had lost their dirty socks.

C) a woman and her husband trying to wash their clothes.

D) people who go to launderettes only to make a date.

E) two people who wanted to buy a new washing machine.

QUESTION 9

Sally met the tall dark young man when she was

A) buying a present.

B) doing her ironing.

C) drying her socks.

D) getting married.

E) washing her clothes. 

QUESTION 10

The word "it" in ...she returned it to the tall dark young man... (line 2) refers to

A) a smile.

B) a sock. 

C) the launderette.

D) the laundry.

E) the machine.

QUESTION 11

If they had not got married they probably have

A) changed their dirty clothes.

B) lost their socks forever.

C) rented a washing machine.

D) returned to the launderette.  

E) sold their striped socks.

Text 4                                                  FUTURE OPTIONS

                                                                                             (by Rod Suskin)

Aries

   

Work and home are closely related astrologically, and you've been so focused on work-related matters these past few months that you may have created an imbalance. Domestic matters will demand attention during October, and trying to meet both domestic and professional demands could be stressful. Establish your priorities.

QUESTION 12

According to the horoscope, people who were born under Aries may have been

A) devoting no attention to their priorities.

B) overworking and neglecting their homes.   

C) paying attention to domestic matters.

D) trying to solve their home problems.

E) working on closely-related subjects.

QUESTION 13

In October,

A) Arians will be highly stressed.

B) home will need more attention.  

C) house and office will be okay.

D) the job will need more balance.

E) work and home will be related.

QUESTION 14

The horoscope advises people to "establish priorities" in order to

A) avoid stress. 

B) be professional.

C) get money.

D) lose balance.

E) work hard.

(TEXT 4)

ANYTIME you see a young man open a car door for his girlfriend,  either the car is new or the girlfriend is.

(Robert E. Limbaugh)

QUESTION 15

..., either the car is new or the girlfriend is, means:

A) the car and the girlfriend are both new.

B) the car is new and so is the girlfriend.

C) the car is new but the girlfriend isn't.

D) the car is old but the girlfriend is new.

E) the car is new or the girlfriend is new. 

QUESTION 16

This joke suggests that  when a young man has a new girlfriend, he

A) behaves in a polite way.  

B) gives the girl a ride.

C) invites people for a drive.

D) pretends his car is new.

E) takes care of his car.

QUESTION 17

The joke also suggests that young car-owners are careful with

A) any car they drive.

B) their driving.

C) their girl-friends.

D) their male friends.

E) their new cars. 

Text 5                                                              POLES APART

   

"You shouldn't throw stones at the police," a tourist from Western Europe told a Polish demonstrator." In our country, if we want to protest against someone,  we throw tomatoes and eggs." "If we had tomatoes and eggs," said the Pole, "we wouldn't be protesting."

(Times Weekly)

QUESTION 18

We can see from the tourist's comments that

A) demonstrating about food is very dangerous.

B) people are not so violent in his country.  

C) Polish people want to demonstrate too much.

D) stealing tomatoes and eggs is acceptable.

E) to protest about tomatoes and eggs is wrong.

QUESTION 19

People are protesting because they

A) are against the police.

B) are throwing tomatoes.

C) don't have enough food. 

D) don't like Westerners.

E) want to go to West  Europe.

QUESTION 20

You shouldn't throw stones at the police is

A) a formal request.

B) a piece of advice.  

C) a polite apology.

D) a strict order.

E) a strong warning.