Writing a Letter to the Editor When you are writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper you are engaging in a type of persuasive writing. Persuasive writing attempts to convince the reader that the point of view recommended by the writer is valid, meaning that it is convincing, logical, and well supported. Deciding on a Topic People usually write letters to the editor in response to an article or editorial (opinion piece) they have read in the newspaper. The ﬁrst step to writing a letter to the editor is to ﬁnd a newspaper story you are interested in concerning an issue that you have an opinion about. It must be a story where the writer expresses his or her views about an issue that has both pros and cons. A story summarizing what happened at a hockey game is not suitable, for example, because it contains undisputable facts. A story arguing that professional hockey has become too violent and penalties for ﬁghting should be more severe, however, presents an opinion with which you may agree or disagree. Before beginning your letter, you must have a clear idea of the opinion and argument made by the writer of the article you are responding to. Ask yourself the following questions: • What is the writer’s thesis or central idea? • Does the writer make a logical argument? • Is there sufﬁcient evidence to develop and support the thesis? • What is the writer’s evidence? Make point form notes identifying the thesis and main evidence in the article. Then think about whether you agree or disagree with the writer’s argument and why you do or do not. Writing the Letter Address your letter to the editor of the newspaper. Begin the letter by identifying the article or editorial you are responding to. Then clearly deﬁne your position about the issue in one sentence. This is your thesis statement. This statement directs the reader to the conclusion that you want the reader to support. In the same introductory paragraph, state the three best reasons that you have to support your position. These reasons become the topics of each of the three supporting paragraphs. Be sure they can be supported with additional separate and speciﬁc facts. Do not make sweeping statements such as, “All students hate the idea of wearing school uniforms,” because there are obviously some students who will not feel this way. In the body of the letter, use speciﬁc evidence, examples, and statistics to persuade the reader that your stated position is a valid one. Do not make up facts. Stick with the truth. If you are stating your feelings, and those of your friends, explain why you have those feelings. Do not resort to name-calling, as that just lessens the strength of your position. Each topic sentence for the support paragraphs has been introduced in the ﬁrst paragraph. Each additional sentence must closely relate to the topic and the sentence that came before it. This way, the logic of the argument is easy to follow. As you are writing, think over each and every sentence. Be sure that it is strong and factual. Avoid making your paragraphs simply a list of reasons by varying your sentence structure. Use English 9 -How to write letter to editor Prepared by Seaquam Page 53 adequate transitions between paragraphs as they make it easy for the reader to follow the logic of your argument. Thinking at this stage of the writing really cuts down on the time and need for revision in your writing. Each sentence will ﬁt well into the paragraph if you follow these suggestions. In a letter to the editor, the summary ending is very important. As you close the letter, it is important to clearly restate your most compelling evidence. You must do so without being repetitious and rewriting the introductory paragraph. Use originality and make the reader feel that your position is the logical one. Do not introduce new material in the conclusion. Remember, this is the last chance to remind the reader and convince him/her to accept your position. When you are ﬁnished, be sure that there are no errors. Check for spelling, punctuation, verb agreement, incorrect pronoun reference, and confusing tense shifts. Correct any that you ﬁnd. English 9 -How to write letter to editor Prepared by Seaquam Page 54 School Uniforms (Original Editorial) In an effort to address violence in our schools, many parents, teachers, and school ofﬁcials have come to see school uniforms as a positive way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety. Those who are in favour of uniforms argue that the children who wear them will experience many beneﬁts. I disagree with this position. I feel that the use of uniforms will strip identity, stiﬂe creativity, and unnecessarily burden the families who cannot afford to buy them for their children. Moreover, wearing uniforms will not stop students from bullying and teasing their classmates. The use of uniforms has already been implemented in several long-standing social environments. The penal system uses uniforms to brand those persons who are incarcerated. Likewise, the military also uses them to separate and remove the individualism inside of the soldier. In both cases, individual identity is stripped away and the subject is forced to conform to the same outward appearance as every other subject. Implementation of school uniforms will suppress the individual’s creativity and expression. Many students express who they are through the way they dress. If a teenager wants to show the rest of the world that he believes in environmental causes, for example, then he or she might wear a t-shirt that states this. Students should be encouraged to express themselves, not be forced to conform like soldiers or criminals. Uniforms will unnecessarily burden those families of limited resources. Many lowincome families do not have the money available to furnish uniforms to their children. They can barely make ends meet with the help of charities and social programs. It is unfair to make uniforms a requirement for attending school. Education is more important than clothing. Uniforms will not stop discipline problems in the school; in fact they will create a whole new category of discipline problems. Children will get in trouble for what they are wearing. In schools that have adopted uniform policies, detentions and suspensions have gone up. This does not help children learn. It also takes valuable time from teachers and administrators. Implementing mandatory school uniforms can be dangerous because it provides the community with a false sense of security. It is like putting a small bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to ﬁnd ways to truly deal with the bleeding. If our society is to ever get past bigotry and prejudices, it is imperative that students learn to accept people who do not dress like them. Children should not be teased, period. Dressing everyone alike does not eliminate teasing. In fact, it sends the message that we should all strive to be the same, rather than recognizing, respecting, and celebrating differences. School uniforms should not be implemented in the public school system for the above reasons. Not only will they meld the individual into the mass, and place an unfair ﬁnancial burden on poor families, they do nothing to address the causes of school violence If the school boards are sincere about wanting to makes schools safer, they must address the root problems of violence, not just attempt to make children look alike. Brenda Mason English 9 -How to write letter to editor Prepared by Seaquam Page 55 Sample Student Writing Letter to the Editor (Doesn’t Meet Expectations) I am going to prove why students should wear uniforms. Without uniforms students aren’t disciplined and don’t have self-conﬁdence. I always see other people wear the same clothes every two days. As for me I have about seven pairs of clothes. I hate having to decide what to wear every day. I would love to wake up and just put a uniform on. My argument; sometimes I don’t like wearing different clothes. For instance you might just want to wear something cool. But you already wore that yesterday. I would like my school to support uniforms. This would show other schools that we are just one team. It conveys a message that we are united as a team. A well-mannered school. Moreover, there is no distinction. For instance, uniforms are basically what people would wear to school every day. Rich kids look the same as poor kids. No one can tell between them with uniforms. This would raise self-conﬁdence. Therefore, there is no distinction. Rich or poor is melted into just students. In all fairness, one may say that uniforms degrade our basic individuality. The question is that do we need to express our liberty at school? We need to ask the question what is important? We go to school to learn. If wearing uniforms will help us in this goal then we must wear uniforms. History dictates wearing uniforms is for unity. Unity is a means of uniting the people to be one unit. If we feel as one unit we can help each other to succeed in our daily tasks. Letter to the Editor (Meets Expectations Minimal Level) I don’t agree with Brenda Mason when she says uniforms are a bad idea. I think that wearing school uniforms would be a good idea for students. The school would work better if people conformed more, like they do in the military. I believe uniforms would improve students’ behaviour, be cheaper than buying brand-name clothing, and get students more focused on their education than fashion. Children who dress alike behave better. Rich students won’t tease poor students about not having cool clothes. This means there will be less ﬁghts. Making students wear uniforms will also improve the self-esteem of students and boost school spirit. Kids feel better about themselves and their school if they aren’t worrying about whether they look cool and they all look like they ﬁt in. Wearing uniforms kids would no longer have to worry about being teased for their geeky clothes. In addition, school uniforms are generally cheaper than brand-name clothing. Lots of students now feel they have to wear shoes and clothes that cost more than $100 a piece. Students often try to compete with others to have the most expensive shoes and the most trendy clothing. Some kids will steal, just so they can wear the right stuff. School uniforms eliminate all these problems, and when students wear them no one can tell who is rich or poor. With school uniforms students could concentrate on the major reason for being in school in the ﬁrst place to learn something. School isn’t supposed to be a fashion show. Many students put too much emphasis on fashion and not enough on their education. Students would no longer waste time deciding what to wear in the morning. There wouldn’t be arguments with their parents over scanty halter-tops and other skimpy clothes. If schools had dress codes there would be less teasing and ﬁghting, parents would save money, and students would pay more attention to their classes than their clothes. Why is the military more efﬁcient than public schools? Because people wear uniforms. English 9 -How to write letter to editor Prepared by Seaquam Page 56 Letter to the Editor (Fully Meets Expectations) Although that Ms. Mason makes some interesting points about school uniforms in her editorial published on Februrary 12th I believe she has overlooked some key advantages of implementing uniforms in public schools. Many students complain about the dress codes at their school, and totally reject the idea of school uniforms, but I feel there are many beneﬁts to this proposal. These days everyone is so concerned about being attractive and popular that they forget the real reason for going to school. Increasing academic performance, along with decreasing violence, is more important than looking cool for your friends. Students who wear uniforms to school can express their individuality in more valuable ways than by what they wear. A good portion of the student population does not give schoolwork a high priority. With uniforms for every student, there would be less focus on fashion and more emphasis on education. Grades are directly related to how much time students spend studying and doing homework. By focusing on their work students would see their marks increase and therefore their self-esteem would rise. Our report cards would be posted on the refrigerators for everyone to see, rather than stuffed at the bottom of our backpacks. Private school students who are required to wear uniforms score higher overall on provincial wide tests which measure student achievement. They do not have to spend time worrying about whether what they are wearing is the latest fashion, and can spend more time focused on their class work. They are also not distracted by revealing clothes worn by other students. Teen violence is common in our schools. Anyone who has spent time in a high school has heard students being taunted and bullied. If all students wore uniforms, fewer would be teased for their attire, and sexual harassment caused by provocative clothing would come to an end. No one would steal another person’s clothing, because if everyone wore the same thing there wouldn’t be any point to it. Our schools would provide a more secure environment in which we all could learn. Many students argue that school uniforms will restrict their personal freedom. They do not realize that they could still select their own trendy accessories, and they could wear whatever they desire at home and on the weekends. With a standardized dress code, individual personalities would shine, and not be hidden behind the latest fashion. If everyone appeared the same on the outside, people would begin to recognize others for what is on the inside. The beneﬁts to students of wearing a school uniform cannot be overlooked. Uniforms would help students focus on the true reason for being in school, to get an education. We should be encouraged to change the standards and be individuals. We should all stand out for what we achieve, and for what we believe, not for what we wear. English 9 -How to write letter to editor Prepared by Seaquam Page 57 Quick Scale: Grade 9 Letters to the Editor (Personal Views or Response) Impromptu writing is usually expected to be checked for errors but not revised or edited. Aspect Not Yet Within Expectations Meets Expectations (Minimal Level) Fully Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations SNAPSHOT The writing shows problems with style, form, and mechanics that obscure purpose and meaning. May be too brief to meet basic requirements of the task. Reﬂects little knowledge of the conventions of writing. The writing is generally clear and conversational, with a beginning, middle, and end. However, development is uneven, and the writer uses a limited repertoire of language, sentences, and techniques. The writing is clear and logical, with some evidence of depth or maturity. Meets the requirements of the task with a sense of purpose and control and with some variety in language, sentences, and techniques. • ideas are not developed • may be very short, with • ideas are generally • ideas are fully The writing creates an impact on the reader, with a sense of vitality and ﬁnesse. It exceeds requirements of the task and features some complex and mature language, ideas, and techniques. Few, if any, errors. • ideas are fully developed with some originality, maturity, and individuality • details and examples often show some subtlety • tries to elicit a speciﬁc response from the reader MEANING • ideas • support • connection to reader • few examples and details problems obscure any sense of individuality • often uses inappropriate STYLE • voice and tone • syntax • vocabulary • rhetorical or stylistic techniques • • • tone or language simple sentences and coordination basic vocabulary; errors in word choice disjointed and awkward • opening usually FORM • beginning • organization and sequence • transitions • ending CONVENTIONS • spelling • sentence structure and punctuation • usage • • • introduces the topic structure may seem illogical or random may seem disjointed because ideas are not linked with transitions omits or provides ineffective ending straightforward and clear; unevenly developed • some relevant examples, details • may connect to own experience • generally colloquial • limited repertoire of • • sentences straightforward vocabulary little evidence of deliberate techniques • opening establishes • • • purposes sequence is generally logical but may lack sense of direction transitions awkward or missing in places conclusion is often mechanical • • developed and show depth in places supporting details and examples are relevant personalizes the topic • appropriate tone and • • • level of language varied sentence types and lengths varied and appropriate language some attempts to use effective techniques • opening establishes • • • context and purpose sequence is logical transitions help to connect ideas clearly conclusion focuses on the purpose; tries to provide a resolution • style and tone help to • • • accomplish purpose, add impact wide repertoire of effective sentence structures precise, concise language takes risks with a variety of techniques • engaging introduction • smoothly integrates • • elements such as dialogue, examples, explanations, and anecdotes sound structure; seems effortless and natural conclusion provides a satisfying resolution • includes frequent • includes noticeable • may include some errors; • few errors; these do not noticeable errors in basic structures and language that may interfere with meaning errors that may distract the reader but do not interfere with meaning these are generally not serious and do not distract the reader distract the reader (may only be noticeable when the reader looks for them) English 9 -How to write letter to editor Prepared by Seaquam Page 58