Last Updated on December 8, 2022 by Hammad Hassan
An opinion paper is formal writing in which the author displays his opinion regarding a specific topic or subject. Like other assignments, students are asked to write these papers in the form of assignments by professors to know the student’s opinions on a specific subject or topic. Like other essays, it starts with an introduction and ends with conclusions but is it that simple? You have to be very careful while writing an opinion paper. As there is no universal template, students often make mistakes while writing an opinion paper. Students struggle with the writing and research process of the paper a lot, but you can ensure that it is quality by avoiding some of the common mistakes that students make. This article has provided the major mistakes you must avoid while writing an opinion paper.
The Most Major Writing Mistakes
Every little detail matters a lot when you are writing an opinion paper. You need to check on the flow and whether it makes sense, whether the tone is appropriate, or whether there is any uncovered information. First, have a look at the major mistakes.
1. Repeating the introduction in conclusion:
Students often repeat what they have said in their introduction when writing their conclusion section. Be sure that your conclusion, don’t repeat the introduction in different words. Try to make your conclusion clear and precise for your reader so that he can understand your thesis statement’s solution and the methods used to formulate them. However if you are facing any issue in précising the statement, hire a dissertation writing service to overcome this issue.
2. Too much information and too many facts:
While writing an opinion paper, your main focus is to provide valuable and detailed information about your opinion on a certain topic. Although you are asked to write a detailed paper, it doesn’t mean using unfiltered information.
3. Crafting a hard essay to read:
Many students make mistakes by making the essay complex while writing an opinion paper. Writing a paper according to your instructor’s guidelines doesn’t mean that you make it hard to read. Try to keep it as simple as possible and try to deliver your opinion clearly.
4. Wrong formatting and too many typos:
The way of presenting anything matters a lot. If you don’t pay attention to the formatting of your paper, you will decrease the worth of your content. There are also too many typing mistakes that show your poor attention during editing. Formatting is also very important while writing an opinion paper. You can’t avoid formatting details and don’t submit your paper without proofreading and editing. Try to follow the standard format style your instructor has assigned you.
5. No transition in paragraphs:
Paragraphs of your paper are divided according to your information, and your information should be presented that way. Ensure that your paragraphs should not sound like two different topics. They should show proper relevance between them.
6. Active & passive voice:
Using active voice shows the verb’s action, while passive voices don’t directly infer that the user did something. So these sentences decrease the consistency of the content. That’s why it is better to use them occasionally.
7. Using wrong and generic titles:
The title of the papers shows the reflection of the content. When someone reads your title, they should know what type of information and research you have captured in your paper. If the information you have written in your paper is not relevant to the topic, this will not result in a good impression. Do not add irrelevant content to your paper; doing this reduces the interest of your audience. Your essay must be on ideas only related to your topic statement.
8. Redundancy:
Redundancy is an unnecessary recurrence of the data. Eliminate the redundant words and phrases without changing the significance of the statement. Do not use too many words that don’t make sense in the sentences; it also decreases the worth of your essay and paper. Redundancy usually results from carelessness, so pay attention while proofreading and editing and exclude redundant words.
9. Other grammatical mistakes
Beyond these major mistakes, some grammatical mistakes cannot be neglected. During writing an opinion paper, do not use confusing words because some errors also occur when some phrases and words describe similar meanings. Determiners arise only before a noun or a noun phrase; use determiners sensibly. Choose specific descriptive words that are easy to understand. Vague language forces the reader to understand your idea and meaning, which deteriorates your paper’s information flow.
People also make mistakes while using punctuation marks, especially commas and semi-colons. Use semi-colons when you want to connect to complete thoughts. While commas are the trickiest punctuation marks you need to master, please do not get confused with their use while writing an opinion paper.
How to avoid these mistakes
We have a broad idea about some major mistakes that we make while writing an opinion paper. The problem is how to avoid these mistakes to improve our writing. Ensure your content is according to your topic and do not merge it with other topics. It will deviate the attention and interest of the reader. Your thesis statement should be clear and engaging. Use your thesis statement at the end of the introduction to make its relevance to the body paragraphs. While drafting and editing exclude extra information. Make the first draft and do an analysis. You can also get feedback from experts on your first draft. Spend time on editing and improving your grammar and spelling mistakes. Use standard formatting style and font size to improve formatting issues.
Conclusions:
We all know the importance of writing an opinion paper, and writing skills matter a lot to improve the quality of our content. Whether it is a dissertation, a report, or an opinion paper, you need to master these skills. This article has listed some major mistakes we make while writing and useful suggestions for avoiding them. Consider these mistakes seriously and practise daily to improve your writing skills. Make a draft of your writing, get feedback from your advisors, and share it with your colleagues.
