How well can you organize and express your ideas in written text to convince the reader of your position?

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Opinion Paragraphs

• How well can you organize and express your ideas
  in written text to convince the reader of your
  position?

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WHAT IS AN OPINION PARAGRAPH?

• In an opinion paragraph, the writer expresses and
  supports an opinion on a particular topic or
  issue. The writer must give reasons and examples
  that help persuade the reader to agree with him
  or her.
• In opinion/persuasive writing, a writer takes a
  position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to
  convince the reader to believe or do something.

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FACTS or OPINIONS

• A FACT is something that is true. It can be
  proven to be true. If you can find proof or
  evidence for something, then it is a FACT. Facts
  are true statements that no one can disagree
  with.
• The earth orbits the sun.
• Rabbits are mammals.
• George Washington was the first president of the
  United States.
• Women could not vote in the United States until
  1920.
• There are books in the library.
• Maha said, I like chocolate cake.

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FACTS or OPINIONS

• An OPINION is what someone thinks or believes it
  cannot be proven true or false. It is your
  personal feeling or point of view. People can
  disagree with opinions.
• Friends should always be honest.
• White lies are dangerous.
• It is better to make your friends angry than to
  lie to them.
• It is always safer to lie than to tell the truth.
  
• Women should stay at home than work.
• Using a cell phone while driving is completely
  fine.
• We had a great winter this year.

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Activity 1 Look at the following and decide if
the sentence is Opinion (O) or a Fact (F)

1. Learning English is easier for girls than for
   boys.
2. Good teachers dont give too much homework.
3. Our teacher gave us homework last week.
4. English is an easier language to learn than
   French.
5. Owls are birds that hunt at night
6. I was born in New York City
7. Internet use has increased every year since its
   beginning.
8. Engineering is the best career choice
9. Many people carry cell phones these days.
10. My favourite clothes are all blue.
11. Winter in Gaza is quite mild.

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Activity 2 For each topic below, write one fact
and one opinion

• Green Tea
• Violent video games
• Money
• Sports
• University degree

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Supporting Sentences with Opinions and Examples

• In your topic sentence and supporting sentences,
  you can support your opinion by giving examples
  and details which can be facts or experiences you
  have had.

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Supporting Your IdeasThe major ways to support
an opinion

• Observation
• Comparison
• Experience
• Analysis

• Statistics
• Facts
• Evidence
• Prediction

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Activity 3 Decide if the following are Opinions
(O) or Examples (E)

1. Smoking should be banned in all places.
2. Smoking is banned in restaurants in our city.
3. The air is cleaner and healthier in non-smoking
   restaurants.
4. I believe that customers prefer non-smoking
   restaurants.
5. My clothes smelled horrible when I had lunch with
   a friend who was smoking.
6. In my country, smoking is banned in cars, buses
   and all public buildings.

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Organization

• Topic Sentence (You show whether you agree or
  disagree with something)
• Reasons and Supporting Details (Examples or
  evidence to show your agreement or disagreement)
• Explanation explains how your examples support
  your point and/or your overall argument
• Concluding sentence (You summarize the main
  points or state the topic sentence in different
  words)

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Exercise Complete the following paragraph
outline providing reasons and details

• Are cell phones necessary in our lives?
• First reason ____________________________________
  ________
• __________________________________________________
  ______
• Detail __________________________________________
  _______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Second Reason ___________________________________
  ______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Detail __________________________________________
  _______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Third Reason ____________________________________
  ______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Detail __________________________________________
  _______
• __________________________________________________
  ______

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Exercise Complete the following paragraph
outline providing reasons and details

• TS People who practice sports are healthier.
• First reason ____________________________________
  ________
• __________________________________________________
  ______
• Detail __________________________________________
  _______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Second Reason ___________________________________
  ______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Detail __________________________________________
  _______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Third Reason ____________________________________
  ______
• __________________________________________________
  _____
• Detail __________________________________________
  _______
• __________________________________________________
  ______

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Paragraph Organization Another way to flow
smoothly through your paragraph is to use
connectives
accordingly again for example although beyond
conversely first as a result secondly finally
simultaneously also for instance hence then
additionally next nevertheless on the contrary otherwise
consequently thus in addition second at the same time

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Use the Following Expressions to Give Your
Opinion

• As far as I am concerned,
• I am (not) convinced that
• In my opinion/view
• My opinion is that
• I (firmly)believe
• I (definitely) feel/think that
• I am inclined to believe that

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Opinion Writing Topic

• Writing Situation
• Many public school systems across the country
  require students to wear uniforms. Some educators
  believe that wearing uniforms will help students
  concentrate more on their school work. On the
  other hand, some students argue that having to
  wear uniforms prevents them from expressing their
  individuality or personality. Your principal is
  considering whether students at your school
  should wear uniforms.
• Directions for Writing
• Write a paragraph expressing your view on school
  uniforms. Provide convincing reasons and specific
  examples to support your position.

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Model Paragraph
Wearing uniforms to school is a necessary part
of a good school environment. First, the uniform
helps build a sense of community and school
spirit among students. It allows students to
experience appropriate dress in a professional
environment. Second, a school is a place for
learning, not a fashion show. Many students seem
to feel it is more important to look good, when
the real purpose of going to school is to focus
on their studies. The third reason for wearing
the uniform is that it sets an equal standard for
everybody. If it were not for the uniform, school
would be more competitive, divisive and biased
against those with less money. To conclude,
school uniforms are very beneficial for students
and create a healthy learning environment.
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Revise and Edit

• Look for obvious errors in grammar
• Sentence fragments
• Run-on sentences/ comma splices
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Transitions
• Sentence variety
• Organization

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Adjective Clause

• The adjective clause is used to modify a noun or
  a pronoun. They do what regular adjectives do
  they describe nouns.
• An adjective clause is a dependent clause that
  modifies or describes a noun.
• It will begin with a relative pronoun (who,
  whose, whom, which, and that) or a subordinate
  conjunction (when, where, and since).
• Those are the only words that can be used to
  introduce an adjective clause.

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Examples

• The book which I like is on the table.
• The man who wants the book is here.
• The student whose hand was up gave the wrong
  answer.
• The car that Ahmed is driving is not here.

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Find the adjective clause in the following
sentences and tell which word it modifies.

1. I play a kind of music that nobody likes.
2. The man whom you saw was not the famous actor.
3. I remember the day when I took my first airplane
   trip.
4. I have a neighbor whose parents live in
   Australia.
5. The book which I like is on the table.
6. The man whom you saw on stage is my friend.
7. The teacher who gives the English classes lives
   next door.
8. The man whose leg was broken was taken to the
   hospital.
9. This is the place where the accident happened.

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• Who and Whom are used only for people.
• Who is the subject of the clause. After Who you
  should see a verb.
• Whom is the object of the clause. After Whom you
  should see a subject noun or pronoun.
• Which is used for things.
• That is used for things (and people in informal
  English). That can be both subject and object of
  the clause.

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Use an adjective clause to combine the following
sentences using who, whose, whom, which, that.

1. They followed the strange man. He had just come
   from the dark alley.
2. I bought Jim a book. The book is about magic.
3. The doctor examined the patient. The patient had
   fallen from a cliff.
4. The mechanic repaired my sister's car. The car
   had a broken window.
5. The restaurant had closed permanently. The
   customers were shot there.
6. The parents had great respect for the teacher.
   The teacher had taught their children.

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Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses

• Adjective Clauses come in two types restrictive
  and nonrestrictive
• Restrictive adjective clauses They identify the
  noun or pronoun modified. They give necessary
  information needed in order to know who or what
  the pronoun refers to.
• The doctor who lives in California is my sister.
• The car that has broken headlights belongs to my
  brother.

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Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses

• 2. Nonrestrictive adjective clauses give extra
  information about the noun or the pronoun but is
  not needed to identify it. Always put commas
  around a nonrestrictive clause.
• The key, which was lost, belongs to my father.
• All individuals, who bought tickets, will be
  admitted.
• The Eiffel Tower has an elevator, which I rode to
  the top.

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Fragments 1

• Fragments look like sentences but are missing a
  subject or a verb, or dont express a complete
  thought.

Fragment Error
told everyone to get out of the way. No subject
2. However, they in the apartment. No verb
3. Before he answered the phone A dependent clause by itself
4. John working extra hard on his project lately. No subject-verb relationship
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Fragments 2

• There is another kind of fragments when there is
  only a noun and an adjective clause.
• The children who had been lost
• The place which was covered with grass.
• The minute when Ahmed announced his travel plans.
  
• The artist who was going to paint the portrait.
• the photos which we showed to our friends

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Correct the fragments in the adjective clauses

1. The ride which I took at the amusement park
2. The place where the plane wrecked
3. The student who answered the question
4. The dress that the Queen is wearing
5. Our pizza that is in the freezer
6. The person who owns the car
7. The time when I broke my leg
8. the man whom you admire greatly
9. The man on your left who will be the next speaker