Opinion Column
It might sound obvious, but to write a good opinion column, you need to have strong opinions. Unlike objective news reports and articles, this text type requires you to clearly choose a side. But what are the key features? What makes it an 'appropriate' choice for the context, audience, and purpose on the Paper 1 exam? How should it be structured? And how can you approach writing one? Read on to learn how to ace this text type on the exam.
Opinion Column/Letter to the Editor
While the subject guide groups Opinion Column and Letter to the Editor together, they are significantly different in that an Opinion column is presumed to be written by a professional journalist, while a Letter to the Editor is presumed to be written by a non-professional member of the public. However, they both share the same goal: to express a clear point of view as forcefully and interestingly as possible.
In practice, the Letter to the Editor has been set in exams far more often than the Opinion Column, possibly precisely because the Letter is an 'amateur' type and so more accessible, while the Column is 'professional' and so more demanding.
KEY FEATURES
Context, Audience, & Purpose
- Context: The prompt will give you a real-world situation or trend. This issue will have different sides to it, and your job is to choose a clear point of view and argue for it.
- Audience: The prompt will tell you where your column is published (such as a school magazine, a local paper, or a website). You can assume your readers already know a little bit about the topic and want to read a smart, well-explained argument.
- Purpose: The main goal of an opinion column is to share your personal perspective and convince the reader to agree with you. Instead of just reporting facts, you want to make readers think, question their ideas, and join the debate.
Register and Tone
- Will have a semi-formal to formal register
- Will have a tone appropriate to the task, e.g. suitably serious (or possibly provocative and amusing for a more advanced response)
Conventions
- Relevant title
- Introduction to catch attention
- Engaging style
An opinion column will be appropriate if the task requires you to focus on one particular issue, which should be explained convincingly and your final opinion argued reasonably. It will typically address a wider audience.
Because an opinion column is written for a specific publication, such as a school newspaper, student magazine, or local community press, it should always be tailored to suit that publication's readers. Think carefully about who they are, what they care about, and what tone will best persuade them.
Paper 1 examiners are given detailed notes on each task to help them mark Criterion C. The table below outlines the rationale for choosing each text type.
| Text Type | Rationale | |
| Appropriate | Opinion column | An opinion column provides an ideal format for presenting personal views on a controversial issue, challenging public thinking, and persuading the school community through a strong, reasoned voice in a school newspaper or magazine. |
| Generally appropriate | Blog | A blog is well suited for sharing personal opinions and offering suggestions to a large, unspecified audience connected by a shared interest (such as other young people). However, because it addresses an open digital readership, it lacks a direct connection to a specific school publication. This choice works if the post is explicitly framed as a student-led blog written specifically for the school community to discuss campus life. |
| Generally inappropriate | Emails are private messages sent directly to an individual or small group, so this format does not align with the goal of addressing the entire school community simultaneously. This choice could be considered generally appropriate if structured as an "open letter" distributed to the complete school mailing list to argue against the proposed changes. |
Be careful not to confuse opinion columns with…
- A blog: A blog is written to entertain a large, undefined online audience using lively storytelling, witty observations, and provocative personal experiences to hook readers. While an opinion column is also personal, it is written for a specific publication (like a school or local newspaper) and focuses on building a disciplined, persuasive case around a single community issue.
- An essay: An essay is a formal, academic piece that provides a balanced and objective review of different arguments. It relies heavily on factual evidence and neutral analysis to reach a logical conclusion for an academic reader. An opinion column, by contrast, is journalistic and driven by a strong, passionate personal voice meant to persuade and provoke debate.
- An article: A feature article explores a topic, trend, or issue in depth to inform and engage the reader, often presenting balanced viewpoints and multiple sides of the story. An opinion column, however, is not meant to be neutral; its primary mission is to argue a specific personal stance and persuade the reader to adopt that viewpoint.
- A news report: A news report delivers objective facts about a recent event, answering who, what, where, when, and why in a neutral and detached tone. An opinion column does the exact opposite: it reacts to the news, shares strong personal judgements, and uses a distinctive, subjective voice rather than simply stating what happened.
An opinion column belongs to the world of journalism, but unlike a standard article or news report, it is openly personal and persuasive. Rather than trying to be completely neutral, a columnist's main job is to react to an issue, argue a clear point of view, and get readers thinking.
Basic Format
- A Catchy Headline: An engaging title that hints at your viewpoint or sparks curiosity.
- A Sub-headline or Strapline (optional): A short line underneath the headline that summarises your main argument or sets the tone.
- A Byline: The author's name, often accompanied by their role (for example: By Joe O'Callaghan, Student Columnist).
- Clear Paragraphing: Well-structured paragraphs, sometimes using a short, punchy sentence or single line to emphasise a dramatic point.
- Sub-headings (optional): Useful markers to guide the reader through different stages of your argument.
Approach
- Aim to Persuade: Your primary goal is to convince the reader to see an issue from your perspective. Never just list facts or describe what happened; use evidence, real-world examples, and personal observations to actively prove and defend your point of view.
- A Clear and Consistent Stance: Readers should never reach the end wondering what you actually think. Hook your audience in the opening paragraph, make your position clear early on, and drive that message home in your final conclusion.
- A Distinctive Personal Voice: An opinion column relies heavily on personality. Write with confidence and energy. You can use rhetorical questions, lively language, and thoughtful humour to keep your reader engaged, without losing your mature and reasoned tone.
- Engaging the Opposing View: A strong columnist knows what critics will say. Briefly bring up the counter-argument, then explain clearly why that idea is flawed, impractical, or short-sighted. Showing both sides before defending your own makes your case far stronger.
- Sense of Address to the Target Readership: Tailor your style to the publication named in the task. If you are writing for a school newspaper, speak directly to shared student and teacher experiences; if writing for a local city newspaper, focus on the wider community.
Relevant writing purposes
All writing has a purpose, or often a combination of purposes. For guidance on the purposes needed for an opinion column, see our pages on ... Explanation ... + ... Argument ... and Description and Narration. A good opinion column will use all of these!
Two versions are presented: one for HL, with three required elements, and one for SL, with two required elements.
Prompt 1
(HL) Your local town council is considering introducing an 8:00 pm weekend curfew for all teenagers under eighteen to reduce public complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour. You believe this measure unfairly punishes responsible young people and want to make your voice heard in the local community. Write a text in which you outline why the proposed curfew is unfair to youth, discuss the negative impact it would have on the community, and suggest constructive alternatives the council could introduce to support local young people instead.
(i) Opinion column … (ii) Presentation … (iii) Official report
(SL) Your local town council is considering introducing an 8:00 pm weekend curfew for all teenagers under eighteen to reduce public complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour. You believe this measure unfairly punishes responsible young people and want to make your voice heard in the local community. Write a text in which you outline why the proposed curfew is unfair to youth and suggest constructive alternatives the council could introduce to support local young people instead.
(i) Opinion column … (ii) Presentation … (iii) Official report
Prompt 2
(HL) Your school administration is planning to introduce a mandatory rule requiring all students to keep their cameras and microphones on at all times during remote study days, arguing it improves academic focus. Many students feel this intrudes on personal privacy and increases anxiety. You want to share your thoughts on this debate with the school community. Write a text in which you explain why this policy increases student stress, examine why visual monitoring is an ineffective measure of real engagement, and propose fairer guidelines for independent remote learning.
(i) Opinion column … (ii) Blog … (iii) Review
(SL) Your school administration is planning to introduce a mandatory rule requiring all students to keep their cameras and microphones on at all times during remote study days, arguing it improves academic focus. Many students feel this intrudes on personal privacy and increases anxiety. You want to share your thoughts on this debate with the school community. Write a text in which you explain why this policy increases student stress and propose fairer guidelines for independent remote learning.
(i) Opinion column … (ii) Blog … (iii) Review