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Year 8

The structure of an opinion article

I can explain how to create engaging openings and impactful endings in an opinion piece.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 8

The structure of an opinion article

I can explain how to create engaging openings and impactful endings in an opinion piece.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. You can create an engaging opening by using humour, or creating a shared experience with your reader.
  2. In an opinion piece, your message is your opinion.
  3. In an opinion piece, it is important to get the reader onside, so that they are more likely to internalise your message.
  4. The ending of your opinion piece should bring together the threads of your argument and reinforce your viewpoint.
  5. You can create an impactful ending by using mirroring and/or leaving your reader with a moral conundrum to consider.

Common misconception

Students often rush the ending of their work - particularly if they are writing in timed conditions.

The ending is arguably the most important part of the piece of writing. Students need to leave their reader with a clear message that is memorable. The ending ties together the threads of the argument and reinforces the writer's viewpoint.

Keywords

  • Impactful - memorable and significant.

  • To imply - to indicate the truth about something without explicitly saying it.

  • Viewpoint - a person’s opinion or perspective on something.

  • To reinforce - to strengthen or further support something - in this context- an idea.

  • Conundrum - a confusing and difficult-to-answer problem or question.

For Task B in learning cycle 2, ask some students to read their endings out and get students to provide WWW and EBIs on whiteboards. This will get them thinking about how to improve their own work.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the 'form' of a piece of writing?
using words in a quick and inventive way
Correct answer: the type of text being written
the tone of a piece of writing
Q2.
In an opinion article, what kind of tone would you expect to find?
chatty
sombre
Correct answer: persuasive
Q3.
What do we mean by the word 'structure' when we talk about the structure of a text?
the tone of voice that is used in the text
Correct answer: the way the text is organised
the language devices the writer uses
Q4.
What is being described here? 'The attitude your words imply - the way in which you say something.'
Correct Answer: tone, tone of voice
Q5.
Which of the following is not an example of a persuasive device?
anecdote
humour
statistics
Correct answer: personification
Q6.
What method is being used in the following sentence: “You never forget your first horror film.”
Correct answer: anecdote
voice
personification

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of an opinion piece?
to inform
Correct answer: to persuade
to instruct
Q2.
Why are engaging openings so important when writing an opinion article?
Correct answer: it hooks your reader in
it shows your opinion is correct
Correct answer: it begins to get your reader onside
it allows you to show off your writing skills
Q3.
What is being implied in the following sentence about watching horror films? “Terrifying, utterly terrifying, but, of course thrilling, so very thrilling.”
Correct answer: they are scary but they are also enjoyable
they are scary and they are not enjoyable
they aren't scary and not enjoyable
Q4.
Match the key terms to their definitions.
Correct Answer:impactful,memorable and significant

memorable and significant

Correct Answer:imply,to indicate the truth about something

to indicate the truth about something

Correct Answer:viewpoint,a person’s opinion or perspective

a person’s opinion or perspective

Correct Answer:reinforce ,to strengthen or further support something

to strengthen or further support something

Correct Answer:conundrum,a confusing and difficult-to-answer problem

a confusing and difficult-to-answer problem

Q5.
What is being described here? 'Revisiting an idea at the end of your writing that was included at the start.'
Correct Answer: mirroring, to mirror
Q6.
How can you create an impactful ending to your opinion piece?
Present a counter-argument to leave the reader with something to consider.
Correct answer: Return to an earlier image or idea from the beginning, again at the end.
Correct answer: Leave your reader with a moral conundrum to consider.
Repeat the same paragraph that you used for your opening, again at the end.