Writing an opinion paper can be a challenging task for students because papers of this kind require you to have a strong position and to provide it in a clear and persuasive way. You should address important issues and defend your position. However, defending your position implies using solid evidence. Therefore, such papers often rely on research data and are organized in a clear, logical way. Professors who teach English, religion, and philosophy often like to assign such papers, so we at college-writers.com decided to share some writing tips that will help you.
1. Research Your Topic
First, you should research your topic. In your paper, you need to not only report your opinion but also provide evidence that will support it. Your position must be reasonable and based on solid facts. The best way to come up with a strong position is to draw conclusions from the research. Consider different opinions and defend an opinion that looks right to you.
2. Create an Outline
Before writing a position paper itself, create an outline. It must include the three key sections of your document. The paper must start with an introduction, followed by the body and conclusion. State your opinion in the introduction, after presenting your topic. It will serve as the basis for the entire paper. You can also explain what are the reasons for this opinion. However, there is no need to provide a detailed explanation in the introduction. You should keep your readers interested so that they can learn more in the body section. Finally, the conclusion must summarize your argument and the main pieces of evidence.
3. Write the Paper
Use your outline to write the paper itself. Follow the structure of the outline, and present your position in the introductory paragraph. When writing the body of your essay, you should also consider the reasons for your opinion in more detail. Make sure to include at least three reasons. We recommend that you describe the reasons, starting with the weakest one and moving toward the strongest one. This way, your paper will be more engaging.
4. Write the Last Section
The main purpose of the conclusion is to summarize the content of the entire paper. However, you should also use it as an opportunity to restate your opinion once again. Mention the most important facts that support your point. Don’t provide too many details in this section but put the key points together so that your readers can draw their conclusions, as well.