Writing: Opinion and Listen-Write
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| opinion/əˈpɪnɪən/ | A personal view or judgement that may be supported by reasons but is not itself an established fact. |
| reason/ˈriːzn/ | reason |
| topic sentence/ˈtɒpɪk ˈsentəns/ | A sentence that states the main idea developed in a paragraph. |
Choose a side
- "Homework is good and bad and it depends." That is not an opinion 观点; it is a shrug in writing.
- "I think homework helps students, for two reasons." Now you have a paragraph to write.
Why is "Homework is good and bad and it depends" a weak start?
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An opinion paragraph needs a clear side.
Task 3: Opinion
- You read a question or statement about a topic and write one paragraph giving your opinion. It should be about 100–150 words, and you have 10 minutes.
- Topics are usually about school life: longer lunch breaks, school uniforms, learning to cook, using phones at school.
About how long should the Opinion paragraph be?
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The handbook asks for a paragraph of about 100 to 150 words.
How many minutes do you have for the Opinion task?
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Ten minutes to plan and write.
The Opinion task asks for one paragraph, not a long essay.
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One paragraph of about 100–150 words.
Build the paragraph
- Topic sentence 主题句 with your opinion → reason 1 理由 with an example → reason 2 with an example → closing sentence.
- Link the parts: First, … For example, … Also, … That is why …
Question: Should students have a longer lunch break?
I think students should have a longer lunch break. First, they would have time to eat slowly and talk with friends. For example, at my school many students finish lunch in ten minutes and rush back to class. Also, a short walk after eating helps students focus in afternoon lessons. When I play outside at lunch, I feel more awake in maths. That is why a longer break would be good for both health and learning.
Which is the clearest topic sentence?
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It takes one side and tells the reader what comes next.
Put the parts of an opinion paragraph in order.
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One clear shape, every time.
Match each linker to its place in the paragraph.
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Linkers show the shape of the paragraph.
Good reasons are specific
- A reason must answer the question asked. "Uniforms are blue" is a fact, not a reason for or against uniforms.
- Make each example concrete: a time, a place, something that happened to you or your class.
Reason, example or off topic?
Write a 100–150-word opinion paragraph with a clear position and reasons
Question: "Should every student learn to cook at school?" Which are real reasons for "yes"? Choose all that apply.
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Only the first two explain why learning to cook is useful; the others are unrelated facts.
"Should students wear school uniforms?" Which is a real reason?
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A reason must support a side; the others are only facts.
Which example is the most concrete?
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A time and a real situation make it concrete.
Task 4: Listen-Write
- You listen to a short academic talk while you see one or more pictures. Then you write about the information you heard. You may take notes, and you have 10 minutes to plan and write.
- Use the pictures to remember the parts or steps, and report them in the teacher's order.
Listen to the science teacher. The talk goes with pictures of a bean seed growing.
Notes: needs water, air, right temp (NOT light yet) · 1 takes in water, swells · 2 coat splits, root down · root first → more water · 3 shoot up · leaves open → makes own food
The teacher explained how a bean seed starts to grow. A seed needs water, air and the right temperature, but not light, because it carries its own food. First, the seed takes in water and swells…
According to the science talk, a bean seed needs light to start growing.
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It needs water, air and the right temperature. It does not need light yet because it carries its own food.
Why does the root grow first, according to the teacher?
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The root grows first so the young plant can take in more water.
Put the stages of the talk in order.
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Water, root, shoot, leaves, the order the teacher repeats at the end.
In Listen-Write, what do the pictures help you do?
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Use them as memory hooks.
What happens first when a bean seed starts to grow?
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Water, root, shoot, leaves.
What does a seed need to start growing, according to the teacher? Choose all that apply.
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Not light yet; the seed carries its own food.
Ten minutes each
- Plan for 1–2 minutes (opinion and two reasons, or notes in order), write for about 7 minutes, and check for the last minute.
- In Listen-Write, report what the speaker said; don't add what you already knew about seeds.
In 10 minutes, write an opinion paragraph of about 100–150 words: "Should students be allowed to use phones during lunch?" Then compare with the model and tick the checklist.
One clear side, two different reasons and a concrete example for each make a strong opinion paragraph.
Put the ten minutes in order.
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Plan, write, check.
In Listen-Write you should add facts about seeds that you learned elsewhere.
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Report what the speaker said.
Common mistakes
- Writing both sides with no clear opinion, or changing your opinion halfway.
- Two reasons that are really the same reason in different words.
- In Listen-Write, getting the steps out of order or leaving out the teacher's main point.
Reasons: "Cooking is a useful skill" and "Cooking is a skill you can use." What is the problem?
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Two reasons must be different ideas.
Recap
- Opinion: about 100–150 words in 10 minutes; one side, two specific reasons with examples.
- Listen-Write: notes in order, pictures as memory hooks, report the talk.
- Plan, write, check. Practice here is self-checked; only ETS gives a Writing score.
Official sources
- Task details checked on 15 November 2026 in the TOEFL Junior Test Taker Handbook (ETS, PDF).
- Interactive official samples: Opinion (ETS) and Listen-Write (ETS). The questions and the recording here are original.