ENG 180-Baumann 

An opinion paper is a type of essay that describes a strong belief or conclusion that may or may not have facts or solid proof to support it.  Opinions are highly personal and likely to vary from individual to individual.

Opinions are often written for the purpose of persuading others.  Newspaper and magazine editorials and columns express the opinions of the editor, publisher, or columnist, while letters to the editor reflect the opinions of readers.

There are a number of ways to write opinion papers, check with your instructor to see how your class is supposed to do it.

The basic idea has four main steps.

1. State your opinion in the first sentence of the paragraph
   
2. In the body of the paragraph, give reasons why you think and feel as you do.
   
3. Include both facts and examples to support your opinion.
   
4. End with a sentence that sums up and restates your opinion.