opinion essay genially

Band 6+: Genetic engineering is an important issue in modern society. Some people think that it will improve people’s lives in many ways. Others feel that it may be a threat to life on earth. Discuss both opinions and give your opinion?

Genetic modification is one of the most controversial issues today. While its supporters count it as an empowerment tool to increase the quality of human life, its oppositions see the empty half of the glass, worrying about its foreseeable implications, not only on human life but also on other forms of life on earth.

Even the most bigoted opposition of genetic engineering cannot deny its huge achievements. For example, scientists have succeeded to raise productivity of agricultural products such as grains, beans, etc. through modification of their genome, and this has led to remarkable reduction in global hunger, and has consequently reduced the number of people starving on a daily basis across the world. Furthermore, once incurable disease like blood cancer has become treatable to some extent, utilizing in-vitro growth of stem cells, which is one of the latest achievements of genetic engineering.

Beside countless undeniable positive effects of genetic engineering on human life, its adverse effects on the environment should not be overlooked. For instance, one of the most disastrous incidents in genetic engineering history happened when a colony of genetically modified bees escaped from a laboratory in Chile in 1987. Due to as yet unknown factor, the bees that were under test -in order to create a more resistant type against disease- had turned to extremely violent flying monsters which nothing was protected against their attacks. Later, these small predators caused the extinction of several different animal species, and this way contributed in the nation-wide draught and famine that struck the country in 1992.

In conclusion, I personally view genetic engineering as a game changer which can even be a door to a utopia where there is no incurable disease; however, the stronger a weapon is the deadlier backfire it can cause. Therefore, we need to be extra cautious and strictly regulate genetic modification, so that minimize unintentional negative effects of it. Furthermore, a tough integrated international supervision system seems to be vital in order to make the abuse of genetic modification almost impossible.

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Generate a band-9 sample with your idea, overall band score, task response, coherence & cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range & accuracy, essays on the same topic:, genetic engineering is an important issue in modern society. some people think that it will improve people’s lives in many ways. others feel that it may be a threat to life on earth. discuss both opinions and give your opinion.

In recent times, one of the most essential parts of the biology- genetic engineering plays a vital role in our society. Due to the popularity of this type of science many individuals are worried about the further fate of humanity, whereas others argue that this field of science will be able to save us if […]

In recent times, one of the most essential parts of the biology — genetic engineering plays a vital role in our society. Due to the popularity of this type of science many individuals are concerned about the further fate of humanity, whereas others argue that this field of science will be able to save us […]

Nowadays genetic engineering is considered to be the topic for a discussion.While some people have positive attitude towards the issue, I personally believe that drawbacks overweigh the benefits. On the one hand genetic engineering can benefit humans in variety of areas.Firstly,pesticides and fertilizers are becoming an essential part of modern farming due to its effectiveness […]

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Nowadays in some countries the number of children aged 15 and younger is increasing. what are the current and future effects of the ever-increasing population.

In recent years, many nations have experienced a significant rise in the proportion of their population aged 15 or below, raising substantial concerns. This essay will delve into the current and future effects of this phenomenon on society and the economy. To initiate, the merits of a growing young population are evident, particularly in terms […]

Learning at university would be more effective if men and women were educated separetely. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

During the successive wave of globalization, male and female are able to do multiple tasks as well not like the old days. I completely disagree that it isn’t suitable to separate guys and ladies while they are studying at several universities. On one hand, mostly, there are many schools, colleges and universities that allowed the […]

The way people communicate has changed thanks to the advancements in technology. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

In this digital age, it is true that the proliferation of technology has transformed the way we work. While I acknowledge this trend has several drawbacks, I would argue that the benefits are more significant. On the one hand, the influence of technology in many professions is advantageous in a few aspects. One primary concern […]

Some ex-prisoners commit crimes after being released from prison. What do you think is the cause? How can it be solved?

In the contemporary world, the phenomenon of recidivism has emerged as a primary concern among the public. This essay will delve into a myriad of plausible reasons before proposing potential actions to tackle the issue. To begin with, multiple factors contribute to the observed reoffending of criminals. One key rationale revolves around the scarcity of […]

We live in a world of technology these days. While the internet brings with it clear advantages, the problems in terms of control and secutity of information outweigh the advantages. To what extent do you agree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

These days, technology permeates every aspect of our life, and the internet is largely responsible for the way we interact, collaborate, and obtain information. Although there is no denying that the internet has many benefits, I would contend that they are outweighed by the hazards associated with information control and security. People may connect across […]

Some people argue that the best way to enhance public health is by increasing the tax on unhealthy foods. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?

Some individuals believe that the most optimal way to improve public well-being is by increasing the tax on junk foods. I partially agree with this statement, although high taxes will contribute to less consumption of them by people, public health initiatives could be more effective way to enhance public heatlh. On the one hand, increasing […]

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Opinion: First Opinion readers respond to essays on right to try lies, pharma execs, and more

First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and maybe even provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others.

To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to the Editor received in response to them. You can submit a Letter to the Editor here , or find the submission form at the end of any First Opinion essay.

Read the rest…

© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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There once was a tree that lived on top of the factory

by Jack Ludkey

August 7, 2024

Gentrification is weird. It makes you miss things you barely knew were there. You regularly pass by the same old auto body shop, the same laundromat, the same feed mill, and then one day it’s just gone. Or it’s been turned into something so foreign that you almost wish it was gone. 

I recently rode my bike to the back of Garver Feed Mill, where we used to host parties in high school. I pass two security cameras and a window with the words “The Idea Factory” printed on it. People are here enjoying coffee and Ian’s pizza. It’s not summer yet, but it’s warm enough.

Garver Feed Mill wasn’t always a nice spot to take your family or get some work done. It was once an abandoned building, but one that teemed with life, a playground for those brave enough to enter. 

The piles of bricks I remember and the layers of graffiti are scrubbed away. We once raised a flag on that brick pile. It was just a dirty sheet and some random metal pole we found. It didn’t really stand for anything, but that was sort of the point. 

I turn around and this is when the tears come. I have to keep biking to not disturb the people working on their laptops. It hasn’t really hit me yet. I mean, I knew it was different. I didn’t know it was gone. 

The back lot where there used to be rough hills and brambles and fields and birds and our old fort “Domain 2” and even a pet cat we rescued (she lived there for only a few weeks before she was adopted by a friend) is now perfect, level gravel. 

As the old Joni Mitchell song goes, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

It was mostly east-side kids with some Shabazz kids thrown in. Even west-siders would drive over if a gathering was “lit” enough. These were not really parties you would want your kid to go to. It was 2014 and we were mixing Everclear with soda, breaking bottles and burning the couches we had gathered from the curb earlier in the evening. 

Inside the building, nature ran its course. There was even a tree growing on the roof. I have no idea how it grew up there on that cement roof. Its roots must have dug into the concrete. Maybe the roots wrapped around the whole building. I saw it every day for years and never thought to photograph it. 

For teenagers with not much to lose, it was paradise. A space my friends and I called “The Factory.” You could stay out past curfew. The police that busted the parties probably found the whole scene pretty hellish.

One year I borrowed my Mom’s minivan and we stuffed as many Christmas trees as we could into the back seat. It smelled amazing (I never did get all the pine needles out). That night the fire got so big it went higher than the building itself and we all slipped on the ice running from the police. Someone lost a pair of glasses.

One night, a bunch of thirty-somethings on bikes came through, drinking beer. We were throwing bottles around, making small talk. Someone smashed a bottle on a screaming blue graffitied face on the wall.

“Hey man, watch it, some of us aren’t wearing shoes,” said one of the bicyclists. “This is America and we can be barefoot here if we want.” 

I looked around the abandoned lot, broken glass scattered everywhere. I almost thought he was joking.

Well this is America and we can smash bottles at the abandoned factory if we want , I thought. I didn’t say it but a friend did and it killed the vibe. The herd of cyclists biked off into the night.

This was a place away from all adult supervision, for better or worse. It was dangerous, sure; it was almost punk — but no one had a band. Maybe there was a portable speaker playing SoundCloud. All cliques and factions evaporated in the heat of the bonfire.

Inside the factory the floor sagged, rusted metal and graffiti was everywhere. Even now the column next to Ian’s Pizza still has a green faded face a friend of mine from high school stenciled onto the rusty pillar. Was it left purposefully as decoration or was it a hold-out from power washing? Hard to know.

I come out of my nostalgic daze and watch three girls doing TikTok dances in the gravel lot. Time moves forward, I guess. 

Madison has changed so much. Some people never knew it was different. I grieve for that abandoned feed mill. Even though it’s hard to defend keeping a rotting building when it could be a place of opportunity for businesses and artists instead of a place for kids to be weird. 

I never thought it was going to change. They put up iron supports on the brick walls to keep them from collapsing. The premise of turning that place into something usable seemed insane. 

Who knew that the groovy east side was one day going to be littered with home security signs? Who ever thought there would be more than one Willy Street Co-op? Who ever thought there would be traffic? Who knew how many IPAs were yet to be invented?

Would there be any point in keeping the Garver Feed Mill an old rotting building? No, not really. It was dangerous and dirty and could have collapsed at any moment. Still, I guess I thought it might be passed down to the next generation of burnouts. Because there still need to be places to let loose some teenage angst. n

Jack Ludkey was born and raised in Madison. He is currently writing and residing in Brooklyn, New York. 

ISTHMUS is © 2021 Isthmus Community Media, Inc. | All rights reserved. | Madison, Wisconsin | USA

War on ESG investing must shift focus to proxy advisers

A group of officials from BlackRock, a multinational investment company, rings the closing bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square on July 25. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig

This guest essay reflects the views of Lee Zeldin, who represented part of Suffolk County in the House of Representatives from 2015-2023 and ran for governor of New York in 2022.

It wasn’t long ago that Wall Street and special interests thought they could force environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, policies into our workplace, retirements, and lives. Much to their disappointment, the American people didn’t fall in line with this ideology. Conservatives and other everyday people have fought back against ESG, and our collective efforts have caused Wall Street to rethink and retreat from the ESG scheme. But we shouldn’t take our foot off the gas just yet.

Factoring ESG into investment decisions is wrong for many reasons. From a financial standpoint, ESG funds bring worse returns for some investors. That makes it more difficult for those invested to reach their retirement goals. Everyone in the finance industry has a fiduciary duty to clients to act in their best interest and get the best returns. Yet in recent years, financial leaders have interpreted that to mean utilizing other people’s money in a way they believe is best and factoring in environmental and social factors when investing and voting shares during proxy season.

Those managing funds should stick to maximizing investor returns, not injecting politics into investment decisions by a Nassau County schoolteacher or Suffolk police officer.

The past several years of conservative criticism of ESG investing have caused asset managers to pause and often move away from it entirely. But we can’t take a victory lap yet because asset managers are only half the battle. We should remain vigilant about other shadow actors pushing this ideology, particularly proxy advisers.

Proxy advisers evaluate lengthy shareholder proposals and recommend which way to vote on how companies approach operations and policies. Individuals and money managers trust these professionals to recommend the best long-term return, and most vote in lockstep with their recommendations. And the largest proxy advisory firms continue to push ESG onto clients through shareholder votes.

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Generally, shareholders appear to be growing increasingly resistant; last year, ESG proposals only had a 5.1% passage rate.

Many asset managers deserve credit for walking back their support for ESG initiatives. A 2023 ShareAction report found that the "Big Four" asset managers listed in the report — BlackRock, State Street, Vanguard, and Fidelity — voted less favorably on ESG proposals than in the past. In fact, support for ESG resolutions hit a "new low," according to the report’s findings.

The same cannot be said for proxy advisers, who continue to overwhelmingly support ESG proposals; the largest such firms can sway proxy votes by as much as 30%.

In a small win pushing back against this ESG hegemony, BlackRock expanded its voting choice by introducing its own proxy service to its clients. One policy of this conservatively aligned investing choice prioritizes the wealth of investors, and specifically notes it steers clear of social or environmental goals.

This expansion of choice means increased competition in the industry and guarantees shareholders’ preferences will be met in their investment decisions. As a fiscal conservative, I know investors and consumers always benefit from more choices in the market, and they deserve to have their dollars match their values.

Hopefully, BlackRock’s initiative pushes other financial institutions and fund managers to offer more proxy options for their clients — including ones that push back against ESG.

We’re winning this battle. But to win the greater war, we need to shift the focus to proxy advisers, the real culprits in pushing the ESG agenda.

This guest essay reflects the views of Lee Zeldin, who represented part of Suffolk County in the House of Representatives from 2015-2023 and ran for governor of New York in 2022.

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First Opinion readers respond to essays on right to try lies, pharma execs, and more

By Patrick Skerrett Aug. 10, 2024

F irst Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and maybe even provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others.

To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to the Editor received in response to them. You can submit a Letter to the Editor here , or find the submission form at the end of any First Opinion essay.

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“Give pharmaceutical execs the benefit of doubt — but they need to work for it,” by Fred D. Ledley

The author believes “the pharmaceutical industry can develop products that are affordable, universally available…without compromising their profits” and yet also contends that industry executives are not the monocled barons the media makes them out to be. How can both be true?

If the utopian vision Fred Ledley describes is so easily attainable, surely it is the malaise and greed of industry that prevents it. But, as he is quick to point out, that simply is not his experience — or a reality experienced by thousands of scientists, entrepreneurs, investors and yes, corporate executives, dedicated to bringing medicines to patients.

Instead of trying to square this circle, the commentary adds to a long line of other “observers” who insist there is a path to having it all. For example, the author points to his research , which concludes that “drug price negotiation provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could have little or no impact on the number of drug approvals.”

Several other studies point to an opposite conclusion, including newly released data showing dozens of programs paused or stopped because of the IRA. That has certainly been the experience of those with ovarian cancer or those suffering from Stargardt’s disease .

A different report by Ledley and a colleague mistakenly concludes that cutting current drug prices won’t impact the funding for the early-stage companies, to which he attributes the bulk of new medicine development. This is a faulty argument that’s been seen time and again and it is a particularly tough sell now, when on the same day STAT published Ledley’s commentary it covered how sluggish the biotech VC scene is this year. A headline in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal similarly captured the trickle-down effects: “Big Pharma Cuts R&D, Sending Shudders Through Industry.”

As much as people want to demonize large pharma and champion small biopharma companies, that’s not how the ecosystem works. And this symbiotic relationship isn’t just inseverable, it is invaluable. It reflects decades, if not a century, of specialization of labor and efficient allocation of capital.

But Ledley writes that breaking these ties, and navigating hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue can be done if industry is “held accountable …” and by “executing effective strategic management and investment practices.”

If only it was so easy. The reality is that economics, like life, is governed by tradeoffs. We cannot have our cake and eat it too. Is it really that hard for all of us to admit that?

— John Stanford, Incubate Coalition

“Trump gave patients a ‘right to try’. It hasn’t helped them,” by Alison Bateman-House and Holly Fernandez Lynch

At the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump claimed that “Right to Try” had saved hundreds of thousands of lives. People living with terminal diseases that cannot yet be treated should not be lied to. It is sad that they are being used as pawns by unscrupulous politicians.

— Kim Meyers

“Mark Cuban’s company won’t fix drug costs, but it can still help rectify America’s drug shortages,” by Ezekiel J. Emanuel and John Connolly

I’m not sure if there’s a medical procedure code for “tall poppy syndrome” — the act of cutting down someone who has become successful or noteworthy — or not but this article is the embodiment of it. The authors create a ridiculously high standard that they argue Mark Cuban needs to achieve in order to “fix costs” while ignoring the fact that he is changing the conversation about the pricing of generic medications to payers, be they individuals, companies, or the government.

Roughly 90% of people have insurance and most of the time it works well to cover medications, especially common generics. However, if you find yourself among the 27 million uninsured Americans or the tens of millions in a high deductible plan, you may encounter a situation where you must pay cash for a generic medication. Many surveys have shown that this unexpected type of expense can be difficult. But what makes Cost Plus so interesting (and often revered) is that consumers know they’re not getting ripped off by a bunch of excessive markups. Who would buy milk at a store if marked up randomly by $40 when the store across the street priced it as usual?

If the country’s entire pharmacy-based reimbursement system went to Cost Plus for the roughly 6 billion generic prescriptions a year, it wouldn’t save that much if set at a price point of 10% to 20% over the true, net wholesale price (to the pharmacy). But the pharmacy pricing roulette game that many people experience is really frustrating and has no doubt led to early deaths and complications from lack of adherence.

I applaud Cuban for his leadership and risk-taking here. My advice is to ignore the critics who appear to be envious of your ability to capture so much attention and nudge the markets in an exciting new direction.

— Stephen Buck, CancerSurvivalRates.com

“PBMs aren’t opening access to lower-cost biosimilars. Reform is needed now,” by Juliana M. Reed

As Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and advocates from across the health care system have long known, pharmacy benefit managers are not doing nearly enough to ensure that biosimilars are accessible and affordable for patients.

This is a serious, and sometimes life-threatening, problem for the millions of Americans living with gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. While biosimilar medications like infliximab are safe, effective, and clinically appropriate for many people, the pharmaceutical company rebates secured by PBMs for these drugs do not translate to reduced costs for the people who need them. Instead, these rebates are lining the pockets of PBMs, while patients pay exorbitant prices out-of-pocket for necessary medications.

These rebates don’t factor into the cost of biosimilars purchased by independent practices, meaning physicians lose money for each dose they provide to patients. Just to stay afloat, at a time when costs are rising across the board, practices are often forced to switch patients to other drugs (thereby starting a fresh round of prior authorization approvals from the patients’ insurance company) or refer them to hospitals or standalone infusion centers (often owned by private payers) — both settings where costs are higher and the continuity of care is disrupted.

As policymakers in Washington rightly consider putting up guardrails around PBMs, it is critical for them to regulate dangerous white bagging mandates, delink the list price of a biosimilar drug from PBMs’ compensation, and ensure that patient access to necessary infusions is not disrupted every time an insurer updates its formulary. Patient access and health depend on it.

— Dr. Maria T. Abreu, president of the American Gastroenterological Association, director of the Crohn’s & Colitis Center at the University of Miami Health System, and professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

About the Author Reprints

Patrick skerrett.

Acting First Opinion Editor

Patrick Skerrett is filling in as editor of First Opinion , STAT's platform for perspective and opinion on the life sciences writ large, and host of the First Opinion Podcast .

STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect

To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page .

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WRITING EBAU: OPINION ESSAY

Ana Aliaga Laencina

Created on December 8, 2020

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EBAU WRITING: OPINION ESSAY

- STICK TO your opinion- Use a FORMAL or NEUTRAL register

- CHANGE your view- GIVE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES of the issue (pros & cons)- Use short forms or slang

To sump up / To conclude / In conclusion, As I see it / In my view / I am convinced that ...

Nowadays, ... It is argued that ...I totally disagree/could not agree more with that statementPersonally, I feel that ... I strongly believe that ...

- Restate your opinion (deeper/new words)- Briefly summarise the 2 arguments above - Include a 'call to action'

- It is widely known that ... / It is a fact that ...- It is clear/true that ... / It goes without saying that ...- Research has shown that ... / As a matter of fact, ...- For instance / To give an example / Probably the most obvious example is ...- Furthermore / What is more / In addition to this, ...

- Reason 2 to support your opinion (topic sentence)- Explanation sentence (expand on your first idea)- Give an example, relevant facts or details

- Reason 1 to support your opinion (topic sentence)- Explanation sentence (expand on your first idea)- Give an example, relevant facts or details

- Establish the topic- Grab the reader's attention (rethorical question)- State YOUR OPINION

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INTRODUCTION

SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH 2

SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH 1

2º BACH - ENGLISH

The DiCaprio effect when dating after 50

Men prefer younger women. if you’re a woman over 60 — maybe even 50 — you know i’m right..

I hope to secure funding for a new dating site for older singles, one that will distinguish itself from the competition by requiring a pledge from the men who sign up: They have to be willing to date women their own age.

I expect it to be a dismal failure. If you’re a woman over 60 — maybe even 50 — you know I’m right. If you’re a man of that age, you’ve probably stopped reading by now.

This is not a new phenomenon, as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino or Leonardo DiCaprio can tell you. But the film “ The Idea of You ,” about an age-flip romance between Solène, a 40-year-old art gallery owner and divorced mom, and Hayes, a 24-year-old boy band singer, was, shall we say, a trigger. There is such a thing as too much fantasy.

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I prefer data — and after three months on a dating site, I have it.

I left my marriage after 30 years and spent the next 10 not looking very hard for a date. One dear man retired the search for two years before he proved that we are all mortal, and after that, for awhile, I decided to be the single woman of mystery at the end of the bar. But lately I’ve missed being half of a couple, so I invested in a 3-month dating site membership and waited to see what would happen.

What a rush of attention. Every day the algorithm sent me a batch of potential dates ranked by a “percentage match” number based on how many variables we had in common. It was my first clue that something was off. A few matches hit the 70 percent mark, but the vast majority sat in the ratings basement, low 40s and high 30s. I read, go to the movies, ride my bike, bake pies, cook, and subscribe to legacy media. Nothing very unusual — so why was I out of sync with available men?

Because I am as old as they are.

They prefer younger women. They are the men “The Idea of You” complains about in passing, as though they were a museum diorama, an extinct species, and not a thriving, chronic insult to the very women they dated back when we were all in high school.

I had time on my hands, given the age issue, so I drew up a list of each candidate, by age, alongside his target age bracket. A few ventured bravely into an age-appropriate range, but one cluster wanted a date as much as 20 years their junior, and another was ready for a 30-year gap. My personal favorite was the guy pushing 70 who imagined that an 18-year-old woman would find him fetching. (A friend explained that this was likely a wealthy man prepared to be a sugar daddy, a story for another day.) All told, about two-thirds of the men with whom I shared multiple interests ignored me, seemingly because of my birthday.

And, yes, I know a few long-married couples who’ve survived a substantial double-digit age gap. I’m talking trend, not isolated exceptions.

I was paying, literally, to be rejected by strangers for being their contemporary. Why? Appearance is the obvious answer, because our culture tells us that the very wrinkles that make a man appear dignified and wise make a woman appear wizened and tired. Beyond that, I think boomer men want someone to take care of them, despite all of their 1970s talk about equality , and they probably worry that women their own age, those noisy second-wave feminists , are going to call them on it.

Not that younger women are eager to step into a caregiver role, tradwives notwithstanding, but at least the optics, from the guy’s point of view, are better. Besides, consider the first thing Solène did for Hayes after he flashed money and power by buying up the contents of her gallery, Solène, who may be considered middle-aged in the movie but is a youngster to my cohort: For all her professional and sexual autonomy, she took him home and made him a sandwich. Old expectations die hard.

If a man finds a partner who’s 15 years younger than he is — he’s 68 and she’s 52, say — and they live to their actuarial potential, he could well end up the center of attention for the rest of his life. She’ll be alone again just in time to be too old to date men her own age.

I wonder how we got as far as we have, in terms of redefining women’s roles — not far enough, sure, but as far as we have — only to have progress grind to a screeching halt when it comes to relationships late in life.

And, no, I don’t think every woman needs to be half of a couple, any more than I think every woman needs to have a career or a baby. I do think it ought to be our choice, rather than one that’s imposed by a man searching for the fountain of youth. Millennials might want to take heed, as the leading edge of that generation looks at 40 in its rearview mirror. They have a decade, maybe a bit more, to figure out how to change this.

If they don’t, I have sad news for Solène, because age is going to catch up even with her someday. With a nod to the Beatles: Will he still need her, will he still feed her, when she’s 64?

And he’s 48?

Karen Stabiner is a journalist. Her most recent book is “Generation Chef: Risking It All for a New American Dream.”

Globe Opinion

opinion essay

gabriela.ayan

Created on May 31, 2021

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OSCAR WILDE

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OPINION ESSAY

WHAT IS IT?

It is a type of argumentative essay which presents the writer’s personal opinion concerning the topic, clearly stated and supported by reasoning and/or examples.

Gabriela Ayan

Points to consider

English Language 3

Writing workshop

• write well-developed paragraphs;
• Use appropriate linking words and
• apply techniques for beginning

Introduction (1st p) A hook Set the background information. State the topic. Your thesis statement needs to state your opinion. Main Body (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. p) Option 1: P. 2 and 3: viewpoints supporting your thesis statement, with reasons and examples. P. 4: counterargument: opposing viewpoint with reasons and examples. It needs to be rebutted. Option 2: start each paragraph with an opposing viewpoint together with reasons and examples. Rebut each opposing point in the same paragraph. Conclusion (5th p) Final paragraph: Summarize, restate and reinforce your opinion in light of the discussed ideas.

• The world should have one only universal language
• All languages are equally valid in linguistic terms.

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Guest Essay

What the Polls Say About Harris That the Trump Team Doesn’t Like

By Kristen Soltis Anderson

Ms. Anderson, a contributing Opinion writer, is a Republican pollster and a moderator of Opinion’s series of focus groups.

Now that we have a little more data about how voters are processing the new Kamala Harris-versus-Donald Trump presidential matchup, the poll unskewing — efforts to prove that certain unfavorable survey results are missing the mark — has begun.

Right out of the gate comes Tim Saler, a data consultant for Mr. Trump’s campaign, who takes issue with the latest CBS News/YouGov poll showing Ms. Harris ahead of Mr. Trump by one point nationally and running very close to Mr. Trump in the key battleground states. In an internal memo that the Trump-Vance campaign made public , Mr. Saler writes:

The latest CBS/YouGov poll of registered voters nationwide showing margin-of-error shifts in the national head-to-head ballot between President Trump and Kamala Harris is entirely the result of a methodological decision allowing ideology to change significantly, while maintaining weights on age, partisanship and race to make the survey appear not to have been manipulated. Without this manipulation, President Trump would be maintaining a 51 to 49 lead in their Aug. 4 survey.

There’s a lot of interesting and potentially controversial stuff going on with this poll and how it estimates the results in the battleground states, but for today, let’s unpack Mr. Saler’s particular complaint. His contention is that the only reason the poll shows Ms. Harris doing so well is a “methodological decision” about what factors to hold steady and what factors to allow to shift from poll to poll, with the implication that there were choices made intentionally that “manipulated” the results. (A Trump campaign senior adviser, Brian Hughes, went further, calling it a “national gaslighting campaign.”)

Whenever we pollsters conduct a survey, we know that the sample of people we talk to may not exactly match up demographically with the broader population. As a result, we adjust our data to align with known benchmarks, a process known as weighting. The New York Times/Siena College poll, for instance, weights its results along a dozen dimensions , and that’s just for understanding registered voters, to say nothing of the additional modeling that goes into the poll’s results among the likely electorate.

Weighting a survey by factors like age and race is quite standard and is a basic matter of good research practice . Weighting a political survey by party identification is also fairly common these days, though not without controversy and complication; while my age will always be a fact rooted in the year of my birth, I may wake up tomorrow and decide I am no longer a member of the political party with which I identified yesterday. Pollsters have robust and friendly debates over the best ways to keep a poll from over- or undersampling people of a certain party. (And yes, when it comes to sampling, pollsters sometimes get it wrong.)

Ideology (as opposed to party identification) is not a factor most pollsters hold to be constant. While I as a pollster can have good benchmarks for how old or how male or how Democratic an electorate is likely to be, ideology is an attitude that is arguably more fluid than even partisanship. The Trump campaign may very well be using ideology as a weight in its internal polling, as is its prerogative, but CBS News/YouGov isn’t some strange outlier trying to manipulate its results by not holding ideology steady.

If a major change in the race (such as the rollout of a whole new major-party presumptive nominee) suddenly means that more progressive voters become fired up and engaged in the process, it would not be unusual to see a slightly higher number of liberals and progressives as likely voters.

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