Today, I think that you should have a go at writing your own
opinion article. I could give you a topic, but I think that it will be far easier
for you if I don’t. If you are truly passionate about the topic you are writing
about, it will all come so much more easily. Think of a subject which really
annoys you or inspires you – the more controversial the better and simply write
about it.
Below is a quick summary of some of the techniques we have
looked at this week in case you would like to include them but please remember
that they are NOT compulsory.
These are some ways in which you could start if you are
stuck:
·
A personal anecdote
·
A rhetorical question
·
A shocking fact
These are some rhetorical techniques that you could
include in your writing:
Anecdote/alliteration
Facts
Opinions disguised
as fact (start an opinion with “clearly” or “obviously”)
Rhetorical
question/repetition
Exaggeration/emotive
language
Statistics
Triples
If you really can’t think of anything to write about, I have
decided to write the opening of an article about the influence of the virtual
world on teenagers.
Task: Can you think of a suitable heading and subheading
for this article?
Shockingly, the average
teenager spends almost 75%
of their time online, chatting with their virtual friends and only 25% of their time
engaging in the real world
with real people
face to face. This lunacy must stop. How are the next generation going to get
jobs if they lack the necessary social skills? Communicating online is far different to
communicating face to face. Firstly, online communication does not happen in
“real time”. The recipient
of a text can take a minute or even an hour if they choose before deciding how
to respond. This does not happen in real life. In the real world, one must be
prepared with an answer as soon as a question is asked of them. Secondly, it is
important that our young people learn about the appropriate body language to engage in real life.
How will they learn how to maintain eye contact or how to shake somebody’s hand
when they are first introduced? All these skills are vital in the real world, but completely
inconsequential in the virtual world.
By far the biggest
problem with communicating with “friends” online is that the identity of that person on the
other end of the phone cannot truly be known. Last year, it was reported that a
young school girl in Bournemouth was lured into meeting a new “friend” at a park. This
so-called 12 year old girl transpired to be a 40 year old man, who was arrested
by the police and taken into custody. This particular case ended well as the
young girl involved was shrewd enough to tell an adult. However, many teenagers
may not have done this and the situation could have ended in tragic
consequences.
See if you can label some of the techniques I have highlighted:
·
Statistics
·
Ambitious vocabulary
·
Anecdote
·
Repetition
·
Use of inverted commas to indicate sarcasm
·
Rhetorical questions
You could argue the
opposite point of view – that the virtual world has a positive influence on
young people
Please remember, that it does not matter whether the facts
are correct (obviously, it does if you are writing for a real life newspaper,
but it really doesn’t if you are writing for fun or for an exam, so feel free
to make it up – one of the many advantages of English as a subject. Just get creative!)
Most importantly, enjoy the freedom of expressing your own
unique point of view. Who cares if people disagree with you? What you think really does matter and the skill of being able to express yourself will get you far.
To quote Dr Seuss (again):
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