Brainstorming: a key in the opinion piece.

How can we tackle the opinion piece for the Spanish exam? There are a few weeks away from the exam, and students might be concerned about how to address the paper. Significantly, the opinion piece is a demanding part of the exam to prepare for because it weighs a lot. Therefore, the students need to express their opinion well-structured and backed with good reasonings.

What are the most common errors in this part of the exam? Well, lacking coherence and cohesion is a common problem. We might start to write randomly and go out ot the tangent without any structures about our thoughts. However, the text should have a  nice flow, connecting paragraph to paragraph and supporting the main ideas accordingly.

What does this mean? The text should contain the main points in your introduction as well as your statement about agreeing or disagreeing with the topic.  So the reader, in this case, the examiner, will know what follows and what to expect. Then, each main idea should be followed by the supporting sentences in each paragraph to complete the main idea.  How can we achieve this?

Step by step – a good opinion piece

The first step is to brainstorm those main points and supportive ideas. Write what you have in your mind in two or three main points. Then, focus on each point and write two or three sentences that explain each os these statements. Giving an example at the end of each paragraph helps to complete your idea or reasoning. This way of writing will help you express yourself well and not waffle. It might sound like you are wasting your time, but actually, you are creating a solid base to develop and write your ideas coherently. 

Writing the opinion piece takes some 30 minutes, so in the first five minutes, you can brainstorm to savinsaveg time.  Once you write these ideas, you can start writing the paragraphs. Keep in mind that connectors link the paragraphs smoothly to create a nice flow and add more meaning to the essay. 

Examples of some connectors: 

  • Además: In addition
  • Asimismo: Likewise
  • Por otra parte: On the other hand
  • Por el contrario: On the contrary
  • A pesar de: In spite of
  • Por consiguiente: Therefore
  • En resumen: In summary
  • En conclusión: In conclusion

Remember to add some sentences expressing the subjunctive mood. They will increase your marks in the opinion piece Spanish.

For example:

To express wishes or desires to resolve a problem

1.    Espero que se solucione pronto. I hope there is a solution soon.

2.    Esperemos que la gente tome conciencia. I hope people are conscientious of 

The opinion piece is YOUR opinion. Add a personal experience and your likes or dislikes about the topic in the paragraphs. Of course, keep checking your grammar which takes 50% of the marks.

Have a look at the following example of Brainstorming.

These are some suggestions that will help you to write a well-structured essay. Of course, you can do your part by studying in advance… and good luck, you can make it!