What is an opinion essay?

HOW TO WRITE OPINION ESSAYS

What is an opinion essay?

An opinion essay is where a writer shares a clearly formed opinion backed by research, logic, and anecdotal evidence. The purpose of an opinion essay is to clearly articulate a position, often in response to a question. It’s a writer’s way of demonstrating both what they think and why they think it.
Being able to express an opinion well is an important skill to have in the world. For example, being on social media exposes you to a wide array of opinions, so it’s good to be able to recognize which opinions are backed up with substantial evidence and which ones aren’t.
You will also find opinion essays in the Op-Ed sections of newspapers. The most famous op-eds, like those printed in the New York Times, are read by millions of readers and can have a serious impact on the way that people think.

How is an opinion essay different from other essays?

Opinion essays are only one type of essay that you might be assigned. Different essay types have different goals. Opinion essays are great for sharing an opinion, while persuasive essays are useful for convincing the reader that an opinion is correct. Argumentative essays also demonstrate why something is correct, but they do not rely on emotions as much as persuasive essays do. Expository essays explain the reasons why something is a certain way without taking a side.
Opinion essay: States an opinion and backs it up with facts
Argumentative essay: States a fact and backs it up with more facts
Persuasive essay: States a fact or opinion and tries to convince the reader to agree using facts and emotions
Expository essay: Explains a subject by laying out all of the evidence connected to it

How to structure an opinion essay

If this is your first time writing an opinion essay, a good way to start is by using the five-paragraph essay structure.