Writing a B2 Opinion or Discursive Article

Malcolm Corbin
1 jun
4 Min. de lectura

What is an article?

An article is written for a newspaper, magazine or online blog and is usually neutral or informal in tone, but can occasionally be formal, depending on the target audeience. The important thing is to be consistant. You may be asked to write an opinion, descriptive or discursive article and these should be persuasive and interesting to read throughout.

Read the question carefully to discover what type of article you should write. Here, I've included some examples below.

Opinion

Write an article giving your opinion on whether it is a good idea for teenagers to work while studying.
Write an article for your school magazine about how mobile phones affect daily life and whether they are more helpful or harmful.

Discursive

Write an article discussing the advantages and disadvantages of reducing the length of school holidays.
Write an article for your local newspaper discussing the pros and cons of spending public money on space research.

See my guide about descriptive articles here.

General information

Cambridge 140-190 words

However you should write at least 180 words and maximum 200

Trinity 150-180 words

However you should write at least 170 words and maximum 190

You need to write this much otherwise you won't be including enough detail or including enough variety of grammar in your writing!

How to start writing

Create a plan

Think of 2 or 3 key ideas.
Think of a supporting piece of evidence for each idea.
Look at your ideas and evidence and cross out (cross out) the weakest point on each side.
Write down 2 or 3 consequences and/or causes of each idea.

*A more advanced technique is to also think about the consequences of the consequence

Structure

Introduction - 2 or 3 sentences

MUST introduce the key themes of your arguments highlighted in the plan.
ONLY include ideas that you will identify in the plan!

Main body 1 - between 6 and 8 sentences

Argument - 1 sentence
Evidence - 1 sentence
Analysis - between 2 and 4 sentences

Main body 2 - between 6 and 8 sentences

Argument - 1 sentence
Evidence - 1 sentence
Analysis - between 2 and 4 sentences

First introduce your best argument and follow "Argument - Evidence - Analysis". After completing this, start a new paragraph and repeat the process with your second argument from the same side if you have space. Then the same for the opposite point of view.

REMEMBER: When you start an argument, you MUST complete ALL 3 STEPS otherwise you will lose marks! The overall quality of the essay is the AVERAGE quality of the arguments, NOT the total number of arguments.

Conclusion - 2 or 3 sentences.

Give your final thoughts summarising the points made in the main body.
Involve the audience in some way. Eg: ask for an opinion

Phrases to use

Involving the reader

Have you ever wondered why...?
How is is possible that...?
You must agree that...
We all know that...
You might be surprised to learn that...
What would you do if...?
What do you think about...? (conclusion)
We'd love to know your opinion. (conclusion)

Colloquial language to introduce a new topic/idea

Well, ...
So, ...
Now, ...

To be persuasive

It cannot be overlooked that...
Not only... but also... (inversion) - Not only does space exploration create jobs, but it also gives us new technologies.
If we were to + infinitive, subj would... (hypthetical) - If we were to mine asteroids, it would generate enormous wealth.
If only...
The more + subj..., the more + subj... - The more the we invest in space, the more the technologies we'll discover.
Surely... (express certainty)

Techniques to use

Ask a question and answer it with your opinion or a fact
1. Many people still wonder if this is really money well spent. I say, ABSOLUTELY!
2. Did you know how much large corporations pay in tax in the country? Just 3%!
Use rhetorical questions
1. Is this really such a positive thing?
2. How would you feel if you couldn't eat?
Alliteration (the use of repeating sounds)
1. Diverse scientific discoveries develop our understanding
2. These common consumer complaints showed that the business was...
3. Some self-centered celebrities only care about themselves.

Example introduction & conclusion

Question: Write an article for your school newspaper about how space exploration benefits or doesn’t benefit people on earth.

Space exploration is fantastic - Yes, really!

Have you ever wondered about what’s out there in the vastness of space? Well, many people have, and we’ve been investigating it from as early as records began! Recently, governments and companies have been investing more and more into space exploration yet many people still wonder if this is really money well spent. I say, ABSOLUTELY!

For starters, …

…

What’s more,...

…

Lastly, let’s not forget that…

…

So that’s it! Not only can it unlock vast wealth and prosperity here on Earth, but it can also help discover new technologies for entertainment and recreation. I hope that after reading this you’ll also agree with me that space exploration really is fantastic.