What is opinion article?
The opinion article is a type of essay-argumentative text where the author presents his point of view on a certain topic and, therefore, receives this name.
Argumentation is the main rhetorical resource used in opinion texts, which has the characteristic of informing and persuading the reader about a subject.
Opinion articles are usually published in the mass media - television, radio, newspapers or magazines - and address current issues.
The characteristics of the opinion article
- Texts written in first and third person;
- Use of argument and persuasion;
- They are usually signed by the author;
- Productions broadcast in the media;
- They have a simple, objective and subjective language;
- Address current issues;
- They have controversial and provocative titles;
- Contains present and imperative verbs.
The structure of the opinion article
Opinion articles generally follow the pattern of the structure of the dissertation-argumentative texts:
- Introduction (exposition): presentation of the theme that will be discussed during the article;
- Development (interpretation): moment when opinion and argumentation are the main resources used;
- Conclusion (opinion): finalization of the article with presentation of ideas to solve the problems on the proposed topic.
To better understand, see also: Opinion article: understand the structure and how to structure your
How to make an opinion piece - step by step
1. Choice and definition of the theme
To make an opinion article, the theme must be defined. It is the subject on which the author will lecture. For this, the article will be made for a means of communication; Is there already a defined agenda, or is it a free theme of a school work?
Note.: theme and title are two different things. The first is related to the subject, and the second is the name that will be given to the text.
2. Search and search for arguments
It is not enough to know what the topic is, and not have arguments about it. As an opinionated text, it is important to support the point of view based on arguments. Therefore, in-depth and up-to-date research, whether in library books or on internet sites, should be the next step in writing an opinion piece.
Write down everything that is interesting and gradually build and flesh out the text. But don't forget: you must form your opinion on the subject and not copy others, as this is considered plagiarism!
See too: The Argumentation
3. Theme clipping
Imagine that the opinion piece to do is a topic given by the teacher and that it is very comprehensive: racism in Brazil. Note that we can say many things about racism in Brazil, for example, its origin, history, some cases, racism today, etc.
Thus, it is essential to make a “cropping” to focus only on some aspects of the theme. This makes writing the text easier, avoiding getting lost in so much information.
4. Material selection
Now that the “cut” has been defined, the selection of the material that will be used is more clarified. Do not forget to select everything and then use, if necessary, the bibliography at the end of the text. Importantly, the selection made must contain updated data on the topic.
5. text production
According to the structure of the opinion text - introduction, development and conclusion - it is time to produce the text in formal language. Cohesion and coherence are two fundamental mechanisms in the construction of an intelligible text.
Cohesion is related to the correct use of words in the connection between sentences, periods and paragraphs, the so-called connectives. Coherence, on the other hand, refers to the logic of the ideas exposed in the text.
You may also be interested in: How to make an opinion piece
Super Tip
A very important tip that can help when writing an opinion piece is to be familiar with its structure. For this, read several articles of this genre in newspapers and magazines, for example.
However, reading is not enough, it is very important to read it rationally and attentively. Analyze, for example, the titles, introductions, developments (arguments, opinions) of the text and endings. If necessary, make notes on some things that will help you in producing this type of text.
Examples of Opinion Articles
To better understand this type of argumentative text, here are some examples of opinion articles:
Excerpt from opinion article on "Education"
Education in Brazil has been increasingly discussed, as it is the main aspect of a nation's development.
While our government invests in the country's economic and financial expansion, education regresses, thus presenting many structural problems.
It is mainly in small towns that investment in education is misused and funds are often misappropriated.
For this reason, our country is far from being a developed country until the neglect of education persists.
The governments of our country need to be aware that while education is on the sidelines, problems such as violence and poverty will persist. Thus, our flag's motto will always be an irony. “Order and Progress” or “Disorder and Return”?
Our great educator Paulo Freire used to say: “If education alone does not transform society, without it neither does society change”.
Excerpt from opinion article on "Drugs"
Currently, the drug problem has become very recurrent in different parts of the world. The emergence of new narcotic substances has led to an increase in the number of drug addicts.
In Brazil, it is difficult to mention the drug problem and not think about the city of São Paulo, where Cracolândia is expanding more and more.
Crack has shown the strong dependence it causes in individuals and the structural problems that generate, among them, poverty, unemployment and the spread of diseases.
In this regard, government negligence is notorious. In other words, the main focus is on ending the crack problem, rather than offering an improvement in the lives of addicts.
Therefore, crack addicts continue to live in terrible conditions and unfortunately, they are still treated as "bad guys".
Excerpt from opinion article on "Racism"
Although a large part of the Brazilian population is of black descent, the problem of racism is far from being resolved in the country.
In the colonial period, Portugal brought blacks from Africa to work in the country as slaves. Since then, racism has been instilled in the minds of many Brazilians.
Although the Lei Áurea freed Africans from slave labor in 1888, the black population still presents the greatest problems in the country today. Living conditions, access to work, housing, among others, stand out.
If we look at the country's favelas or even the penitentiaries, the number of blacks is undoubtedly higher. The big question is: how long will racism persist in our country?, because even centuries later, it is still possible to come across a veiled racism in Brazil.
Read too:
- Editorial Text
- Journalistic Text
- Essay-Argumentative Text
- How to make a good essay-argumentative text?
