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UNIT 1

OPINION ARTICLES

EXPLORING THE GENRE

•Fact and opinion

•Subjectivity and objectivity

•Types of opinion articles

•Structure of an opinion article

JOURNALISM SKILLS

•Differentiating fact from opinion

•Identifying language of subjectivity

•Detecting bias in the news

•Conducting a survey

WRITING SKILLS

•How to write an editorial

•Expressing opinion in writing

•Using language of problem solution

•Expressing cause and effect

MENTOR TEXTS

•Editorial from The Sunday Telegraph

•Opinion article from The New York Times

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT

•Gerunds and infinitives

•Conditional clauses

•Alternative conjunctions for if

WORD-BUILDING

•Negative prefixes mal and mis

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UNIT 1

OPINION ARTICLES

THINKING ABOUT THE TOPIC

•What is a fact?

•What is an opinion?

•How is a fact different from an opinion?

Task 1a In each block of sentences, decide which is a fact and which is an opinion. Explain your choice.

Block 1

1.Abraham Lincoln was the most eloquent writer of all the US presidents.

2.Abraham Lincoln was one of the US presidents.

3.Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.

Block 2

1.The cold season in Toronto lasts for 3.4 months, from December 3 to March 16, with an average daily high temperature below 39°F.

2.The cold season in Toronto lasts for 3.4 months, which is absolutely unbearable.

Block 3

1.The first lesson has been shifted to 8.45, which is why students are late for the lesson.

2.The first lesson has been shifted to 8.45.

PAIR WORK

Task 1b Write down the first thing that comes to your mind when you think a) Student 1: about the nationalities in column 1; Student 2: about the groups of people in column 2.

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Task 1c Discuss your sentences in Task 1b with your partner.

Do they reflect facts or opinion*? How do you know? Which prevail?

Task 1d It is believed that opinions are often based on stereotypes, positive or negative. Which of the sentences you/your partner wrote are based on stereotypes? Are they positive or negative?

*NOTA BENE: When the word “opinion” refers to the beliefs and judgements of a group of people, it is uncountable.

DISCUSSION POINTS

Task 2 In mini-groups, discuss one of the following questions:

•Do you agree with the statement that all people are stereotyped? Explain your opinion.

•How can a journalist avoid stereotypes?

BUILDING TOPICAL VOCABULARY: FACT AND OPINION

Task 3a Fill in the chart with words that you associate with fact and opinion.

Task 3b Use a Thesaurus dictionary to add more words to the chart above.

Task 3c Study the chart. Add the words in bold to the respective column in the chart above.

is a process aimed at changing a person’s (or group’s) attitude or behavior persuasion toward some event, object or other person(s) by using written or spoken words

to convey information, feelings, or reasonings, or a combination of them.

is the state or quality of being objective; external or material reality. objectivity Objectivity hinges on separating independently verifiable facts from

subjective values.

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Task 3d Practise giving the definitions of the words in bold.

Task 3e Which of the words in bold can be used both as nouns and verbs? Bring examples.

Task 3f Use a Collocations Dictionary (for example, www.freecollocation.com) to fill in these charts:

OPINION

a strong opinion

Adj + opinion

Verb + opinion

Opinion +Verb

Prep with opinion

Phrases with opinion

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FACT

Adj + fact

Verb + fact

Prep + fact

Phrases with fact

PAIR WORK

Task 4a Student 1, ask Student 2 to translate into English the phrases in Column 1. Student 2, ask Student 1 to translate the phrases in Column 2.

1.She _____________ strong opinions on education.

2.______ my opinion, the text should be thoroughly edited.

3.Opinions __________ as to what is the right age for a child to go to school.

4.I ____________ the opinion that he was not an honest man.

5.Public opinion is __________ on the subject of amendments to the Constitution.

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