Express your opinion on an issue that makes you angry, annoyed or concerned.

The topic can be related to, for example, school life, public services in Joensuu, or an issue/problem concerning Finnish society or the world as a whole.

Choose one of the following formats (i.e. think about who your target audience is):

• A blog post (Your blog is mainly followed by other young people.)
• A letter to the editor of a newspaper (Anyone might read your letter.)
• An email to the head teacher

Remember!

- Organise your thoughts carefully before you start writing.

- Express yourself clearly and concisely – avoid rambling.

- Support your opinions with well-developed arguments. Aim to convince your readers that the issue is important and get them on your side.

- If you are writing an email to the principal, for example, remember to be polite and use an appropriate tone.

- Use clear, standard written English. Avoid slang, abbreviations (e.g. "gonna", "wanna", etc.) and inappropriate language.

- Make use of the expressions in the handout "Transitional Words and Phrases" to develop your text and link your sentences and ideas together.

EVEN IF THE TOPIC IS MADE UP OR IMAGINARY AND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS FICTIONAL, DO NOT TURN YOUR WRITING INTO A JOKE. Instead, aim to write a convincing and serious piece of writing.

Maximum length: 300 words

Structure of your text

1) Introduction: What is the issue? Why are you writing about it?

2) 2–3 body paragraphs: How does the issue/problem manifest itself? Why is it a problem / Why does it annoy you? What is your opinion? What should be done about it?

3) Conclusion / Summary: What is the most important thing you want your readers to understand or think about?

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Assessment

1) Content and following the instructions: max. 10 points

2) Language: Easy to understand, fluency and variety of expression, a wide range of vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy: max. 10 points

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Schedule

• Tuesday 10 November: Creating a mind map and starting the writing process. The teacher will collect your work at the end of the lesson.
• Wednesday 11 November: Finishing the text at school. You are not allowed to write your text at home.