Opinion Essay — clear position xuyên suốt mọi paragraph

Question type

"To what extent do you agree or disagree?" "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" "Is this a positive or negative development?"

Common mistake: band 7 candidate hedge bằng cách argue both sides. Band 8 commit to ONE side + acknowledge other briefly.

3 valid stance patterns

Pattern A: Strongly agree (90%+)

• Intro: "I strongly agree because..."
• Body 1: Reason 1 supporting
• Body 2: Reason 2 supporting
• Conclusion: Reaffirm strong agreement

Pattern B: Mostly agree, with reservations (70/30)

• Intro: "I largely agree, though with some caveats"
• Body 1: Main reason supporting
• Body 2: Acknowledge counterargument + refute
• Conclusion: Reaffirm overall agreement

Pattern C: Disagree with nuance (10-30%)

• Intro: "I disagree because..."
• Body 1: Reason 1 supporting disagreement
• Body 2: Address "reasonable" version of opposite view + show why still wrong
• Conclusion: Reaffirm disagreement

AVOID: "50/50" or "depends on situation" → lacks position.

Stance markers throughout

Intro (stance signal)

• "I firmly believe / contend / hold the view that..."
• "In my view / opinion / It is my conviction that..."
• "While [opposing view] has some merit, I argue that..."

Body paragraphs (maintain stance)

• "This supports my position because..."
• "This demonstrates why I believe..."
• "It is precisely this evidence that strengthens my view..."

Conclusion (reaffirm stance)