And here it is, the task you have been dreading the most for the last months: The infamous Opinion Piece.

I know it looks daunting but Ip promise, there is a simple way to make things easier for you.

If you are interested keep reading.

I. Opinion Piece: The Basics

Where does it appear:  Written Production. Section B, question 5

How many marks:  50 marks

To be finished in 30 minutes

II. Tips for writing a good Opinion Piece

1. Plan what you are going to write….

You have 25 minutes, use them wisely, use the first 5 minutes to make a soft plan of what you want to say, do you agree or disagree with the statement? what are your core arguments? What’s the conclusion? Can you offer a possible solution?

2. … and stick to it.

Many students with a high level of Spanish mess up the Opinion piece because they give too much information, remember to stick to the subject and add valuable information. Keep it short and simple.

3. Check your word count at the end of the opinion piece.

You have to write 80-150, you won’t be penalised for writing too much but keep in mind that the examiners are human, if every student goes well over the limit they will get tired and be more prone to give bad marks.

4. Keep the subject in mind at all times.

Make sure to open your piece by agreeing or disagreeing and don’t be afraid to mention it somewhere down the middle. This will let the examiner know that you are still on track and it will help you keep away from babbling.

5. Vary your verbs.

As with any written piece, it is good to show that you dominate a good array of verbs. A helpful way to keep yourself in check is by “ticking” them off on a spare piece of paper to keep count.

Another method that can be applied to most topics is to talk first about the parts of the situation, then about the current state of it, and finally propose a solution/ your viewpoint for the future.

For example, if you are talking about the need for Toros, you could:

-Open by talking about how it has been a tradition for many centuries (past tenses)

-Go to express the disagreements Spanish people currently hold about them (present tenses)

-Finish by wondering if in the future they will disappear and the economic aid would be destined for other cultural arts. (future tenses)

6. Use an opinion piece magickal layout.

Life doesn’t need to be complicated. Simply follow my magical layout to organise your thoughts and show the examiner how well put together you have everything.

III. This is the magical layout.

IV. Practice, practice, practice, and then…more practice.

Do you want o know a secret? They look scarier than they are.  And they are like cakes, the more you make the better they turn out. So this is your sign to go and start churching Opinion Pieces like coockies.

Super suggestion: Write opinion pieces on the topics you see in class each week. That will help you work on your verb tenses and set vocabulary in your mind.

You can also write them to me.

Here in the comments below.

Have a glorious day.