How to write an opinion paragraph with one clear reason
One paragraph, one idea. An opinion paragraph needs a topic sentence that carries your view, two or three sentences of support, and the part that makes it mature: one honest sentence about what your position costs. Here is how to do all of that in 70–110 words.
The task
The briefSome students take their first job in their home city to stay near family; others move to a metro for a better role. Write ONE paragraph giving your opinion. State your view, give one supporting reason, and acknowledge one cost of your position.
Points to coverOpen with a topic sentence carrying your view
Give one clear supporting reason
Acknowledge one real cost of your position
Keep it to a single unified paragraph
Length
70–110 words
Suggested time
12 minutes
Level
Easy
Planning tip: One paragraph, one idea. A topic sentence carrying your view, two or three sentences of support, and one honest sentence about what it costs.
What a strong answer does
The first sentence states the view plainly, so the reader knows your answer before the second sentence.
There is one reason, developed, rather than three reasons mentioned. In a paragraph this short, depth beats a list.
The reason is supported by something concrete: a scenario, a comparison, something you have seen.
One real cost of the position is acknowledged honestly, the kind of cost a thoughtful person on the other side would raise.
It stays a single unified paragraph; no second topic slips in at the end.
It closes by returning to the view briefly, so the cost does not become the last word by accident.
How to structure it
- 1
Topic sentence
15–20 wordsYour view, in one clear sentence.
- 2
The reason
15–20 wordsWhy you hold the view, in one sentence.
- 3
Support
20–30 wordsA concrete example or scenario that makes the reason convincing.
- 4
The cost
15–20 wordsOne honest sentence about what your position gives up.
- 5
Closing clause
10–15 wordsA short return to your view, now weighed against the cost.
Useful phrases
Frames, not finished sentences: put your own details where the [brackets] are, and use only the ones that fit what you are saying.
Topic sentence
- In my view, [view] is the better choice for most graduates.
- I believe [view], at least at the start of a career.
The reason
- The main reason is that [reason].
- This matters most early in a career, because [reason].
Support
- Picture a graduate who [scenario].
- For example, [concrete case].
The cost
- This choice has a real price: [cost].
- What this position gives up is [cost], and that should not be brushed aside.
Closing
- Even so, [restated view], because [short reason].
- On balance, the trade-off is worth making.
Common mistakes, and how to fix them
Hiding the opinion until the end.
Building up to the view is a speech technique. In a paragraph, the reader needs the topic sentence first to make sense of the support.
Fix: State your view in the first sentence.
Three thin reasons instead of one developed one.
Better jobs, better salaries and a better lifestyle in one line is a list, not support.
Fix: Choose the strongest reason and give it two sentences.
A missing or token cost: ‘There are no real disadvantages.’
The brief requires a real cost, and denying any reads as naive.
Fix: Name a cost a thoughtful opponent would raise.
Ending on the cost.
If the last sentence is the downside, the reader may think you changed your mind.
Fix: Finish with a short clause that restates your view.
Paragraph drift: a new topic in the last sentence.
A closing remark about salaries abroad or working from home breaks the unity of the paragraph.
Fix: Every sentence should support the topic sentence or weigh its cost.
‘I am agree’ and ‘According to me’.
‘I am agree’ comes from Spanish ‘estoy de acuerdo’ and similar patterns in other languages. ‘According to me’ is common in Indian English but sounds odd elsewhere, because ‘according to’ introduces someone else’s view.
Fix: Write ‘I agree’, ‘In my view’ or ‘I believe’.
Before you submit: a self-check
Does the first sentence state your view clearly?
Have you developed one reason rather than listing several?
Is the reason backed by a concrete example?
Have you named one real cost of your position?
Does the paragraph end by returning to your view?
Is it a single paragraph of 70–110 words?
Questions people ask
What is a topic sentence?
The sentence, usually the first, that tells the reader what the paragraph is about and, in an opinion paragraph, what you think. Every other sentence should support it.
How many reasons should an opinion paragraph have?
In 70–110 words, one well-developed reason is stronger than three mentioned in passing. Save multiple reasons for an essay, where each can have a paragraph of its own.
Why should I admit a cost of my own opinion?
Because it shows you have thought about the other side, which makes your view more credible. Examiners and readers reward writing that is balanced but still decisive.
What can I write instead of ‘according to me’?
‘In my view’, ‘I believe’ or ‘I think’, or simply state the view directly. Keep ‘according to’ for reporting other people’s views, as in ‘according to the survey’.
Give an opinion in one paragraph, with a reason
70–110 words · 12 minutes · Easy. Free to start; you need a TalkDrill account to submit, not to read this guide.
Scored by AI on TalkDrill on
- Task response25%
- Organisation20%
- Grammar20%
- Vocabulary15%
- Mechanics (spelling and punctuation)10%
- Tone10%
