how to write opinion essays ppt

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This presentation is designed to introduce your students to the elements of an organized essay, including the introduction, the thesis, body paragraphs, topic sentences, counterarguments, and the conclusion.

The Opinion Essay

Jul 16, 2014

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The Opinion Essay. The Opinion Essay. Opinion essay is a formal piece of essay writing which presents the author’s point of view on a particular subject supported by reasons and examples. The opposing viewpoint is also suggested, it goes with arguments that show that it is unconvincing.

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The Opinion Essay • Opinion essay is a formal piece of essay writing which presents the author’s point of view on a particular subject supported by reasons and examples. • The opposing viewpoint is also suggested, it goes with arguments that show that it is unconvincing.

The Opinion Essay • A Successful Opinion Essay Consists of: • An introduction where the topic and the author’s opinion are stated clearly. • A main body where viewpoints supported by reasons are presented in several paragraphs. This section has also the opposing viewpoint which is proved to be unconvincing. • A conclusion where the main points of the essay are summarized and the author’s opinion is restated in other words.

The Opinion Essay • Useful Tips for Writing an Opinion Essay: • Decide your opinion as for the topic discussed • Make a list of viewpoints and reasons supporting your point of view • Write well-developed paragraphs • Use linking words and phrases to join the sentences and the paragraphs within the text • Start each paragraph with a topic sentence

The Opinion Essay • Apply the Following Techniques to Start and Finish Your Opinion Essays: • Address to the reader directly • Start with a quotation • Start with a thought provoking or rhetorical question • Refer to some striking or unusual fact, idea or situation

The Opinion Essay • Use the Following Expressions to Give Your Opinion: • As far as I am concerned, … • I am (not) convinced that … • In my opinion/view … • My opinion is that … • I (firmly)believe … • I (definitely) feel/think that … • I am inclined to believe that …

The Opinion Essay • Basic Do’s in Writing Opinion Essays: • Write in a formal style • Introduce the topic clearly • State clear topic sentences • Use generalizations • Use quotations

The Opinion Essay • Basic Dont’s in Writing an Opinion Essay: • Don’t use colloquial expressions • Don’t use short forms • Don’t use emotive vocabulary • Don’t use over-generalizations • Don’t use statistics without proper referencing • Don’t give personal examples

IntroductionStep 1 Underline key words in the task Some people believethat modern teenagers are really awful. However, modern teenagers think that they are criticized for no reason. What’s your opinion? Do you agree that teens are really so bad? Write 200-250 words

Step 2 Remember about the plan • Paragraph 1 • Paragraph 2 • Paragraph 3 • Paragraph 4 Draw a conclusion State the problem Give arguments for the opposite point of view and explain why you disagree with them Express your opinion and give reasons for it

Step 3 Write the introduction • Try to paraphrase ___________, using synonyms and different grammar structures • Remember that the purpose of the introduction is to attract ___________and to give __________ on the topic • Remember to express ___________in the introduction.

Step 4 Language for introduction • According to… • It is often said that… • It is often argued that… • Nowadays, we are becoming aware of the fact that… • These days, it seems that… • Recently we have all become concerned that…. • There is no doubt that…

Example of introduction According to the older generation, teenagers are lazy, they wear ridiculous clothes and they are appallingly rude to their equals and elders. However, are they really much worse than they used to be a hundred years ago? It seems to me quite the opposite of the truth.

Positive adjectives and phrases to describe teenagers hard-working helpful constructive caring become successful have part-time jobs achieve great things study a lot Negative adjectives and phrases to describe teenagers aggressive disobedient rebellious cruel take drugs and alcohol get involved in fights listen to awful music The body of the essayStep 1Brainstorm the ideas

Step 2 Think of 2-3 arguments to support your opinion • Teenagers are purposeful and highly motivated • They achieve great things in sport • They do household chores to help their parents. Most of them aim at entering universities and study hard in order to fulfill this task They are more ambitious than they used to be in the past. Their parents are busy following their career paths and have no energy for keeping their homes

Step 3 Phrases to introduce your personal opinion • I believe that… • Personally, I feel that… • It seems to me that… • I would argue that… • I feel strongly that… • I am convinced that… • I am greatly in favour of… • I’m completely opposed to…

Step 4 Linking words to introduce arguments. • Firstly, secondly… • Moreover… • Furthermore… • In addition… • Besides…

Example of the second paragraph Personally, I am convinced that teenagers are misjudged. To begin with, most of them are purposeful and highly-motivated. The great majority of the school-leavers today enter the universities. They also achieve great things in sport and seem to be more ambitious than they used to be in the past. Besides, lots of teens do household chores as their parents are busy following their career paths and have no energy to fulfill their duties.

Step 5 Opposite views and counterarguments

Step 6 Transition between paragraphs • However.. • Anyway.. • Nevertheless.. • Nonetheless..

Example of the third paragraph However, teenagers are often criticized for having bad habits like taking drugs and alcohol. In my opinion most teenagers are aware of the consequences of such bad habits and very few of them get addicted to drugs and alcohol. Some people claim that teenagers are cruel, aggressive and disobedient. I feel strongly that it is not fair as not everyone gets involved in fights or tends to commit a crime.

ConclusionStep 1 Think about the language • To sum up,… • In conclusion… • To conclude…

Step 2 Rephrase your opinion I believe that … teenagers are not as bad as they are thought of nowadays, teenagers are worse than they used to be teenagers are better now than they used to be

Example conclusion To sum up, I believe that teenagers are not as bad as they are thought to be. The main reason for such unfair attitudes to teenagers is misunderstanding between adults and young people. Very often adults disapprove of their fashion, music, and habits. Of course, not all teenagers are adeal, but they are not worse than their parents.

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Opinion Writing: a Guide to Writing a Successful Essay Easily

An opinion essay requires students to write their thoughts regarding a subject matter. Relevant examples and explanations back their point of view. Before starting an opinion paper, it is important to study the definition, topics, requirements, and structure. Referring to examples is also highly useful. Perhaps you need help with our admission essay writing service ? Take a look at this guide from our dissertation writing service to learn how to write an opinion essay like an expert.

What Is an Opinion Essay

A common question among students is: ‘What is an Opinion Essay?' It is an assignment that contains questions that allow students to share their point-of-view on a subject matter. Students should express their thoughts precisely while providing opinions on the issue related to the field within reasonable logic. Some opinion essays type require references to back the writer's claims.

Opinion writing involves using a student's personal point-of-view, which is segregated into a point. It is backed by examples and explanations. The paper addresses the audience directly by stating ‘Dear Readers' or the equivalent. The introduction involves a reference to a speech, book, or play. This is normally followed by a rhetorical question like ‘is the pope Catholic?' or something along those lines.

What Kind of Student Faces an Opinion Essay

Non-native English-speaking students enrolled in the International English Language Testing System by the British Council & Cambridge Assessment English are tasked with learning how to write the opinion essays. This can be high-school or college students. It is designed to enhance the level of English among students. It enables them to express their thoughts and opinions while writing good opinion essay in English.

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What Are the Requirements of an Opinion Essay?

Avoid Going Off-Topic: Always write an opinion essay within relevance to answer the assigned question. This is also known as ‘beating around the bush' and should not be included in any opinion paragraph as it may lower your grade.

Indent the First Paragraph: With most academic papers, opinion writing is not different. Therefore, it contains the rule of indenting the first line of the introduction.

A Well-Thought Thesis: The full thesis statement is a brief description of the opinion essay. It determines the rest of the paper. Include all the information that you wish to include in the body paragraphs

The Use of Formal Languages: Although it is okay to write informally, keep a wide range of professional and formal words. This includes: ‘Furthermore,' ‘As Stated By,' ‘However', & ‘Thus'.

Avoid Internet Slang: In the opinion paper, avoid writing using slang words. Don'tDon't include words like ‘LOL', ‘OMG', ‘LMAO', etc.

The Use of First Person Language (Optional): For the reason of providing personal thought, it is acceptable to write your personal opinion essay in the first person.

Avoid Informal Punctuation: Although the requirements allow custom essay for the first-person language, they do not permit informal punctuation. This includes dashes, exclamation marks, and emojis.

Avoid Including Contradictions: Always make sure all spelling and grammar is correct.

We also recommend reading about types of sentences with examples .

Opinion Essay Topics

Before learning about the structure, choosing from a wide range of opinion essay topics is important. Picking an essay theme is something that can be done very simply. Choosing an excellent opinion essay topic that you are interested in or have a passion for is advisable. Otherwise, you may find the writing process boring. This also ensures that your paper will be both effective and well-written.

• Do sports differ from ordinary board games?
• Is using animals in circus performances immoral?
• Why should we be honest with our peers?
• Should all humans be entitled to a 4-day workweek?
• Should all humans become vegetarians?
• Does a CEO earn too much?
• Should teens be barred from having sleepovers?
• Should everyone vote for their leader?
• The Pros & Cons of Day-Light Saving Hours.
• What are the most energy-efficient and safest cars of X year?

Opinion Essay Structure

When it comes to opinion paragraphs, students may struggle with the opinion essay format. The standard five-paragraph-essay structure usually works well for opinion essays. Figuring out what one is supposed to include in each section may be difficult for beginners. This is why following the opinion essay structure is something all beginners should do, for their own revision before writing the entire essay.

You might also be interested in getting more information about: 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Opinion essay introduction

• Address the audience directly, and state the subject matter.
• Reference a speech, poem, book, or play.
• Include the author's name and date of publication in brackets.
• 1 or 2 sentences to make up a short description.
• 1 or 2 summarizing sentences of the entire paper.
• 1 sentence that links to the first body paragraph.

Body Paragraph 1

• Supporting arguments
• Explanation
• A linking sentence to the second body paragraph.

Body Paragraph 2

• Supporting argument
• A linking sentence to the third body paragraph.

Body Paragraph 3

• A linking sentence to the conclusion.

Conclusion paragraph

• Summary of the entire paper
• A conclusive sentence (the bigger picture in conclusion)

If you need some help, leave us a message ' write my essay cheap ' and we'll help.

Opinion Essay Examples

Do you need something for reference? Reading opinion essay examples can expand your knowledge of this style of writing, as you get to see exactly how this form of an essay is written. Take a look at our samples to get an insight into this form of academic writing.

Over the past, American popular culture has been strong in creating racial stereotypes. Images displayed through television, music, and the internet have an impact on how individuals behave and what individuals believe. People find their identities and belief systems from popular culture. Evidently, I believe that American pop culture has created racial stereotypes that predominantly affect other ethnic minorities. Analyzing the history of America reveals that African Americans have always had a problem defining themselves as Americans ever since the era of slavery. AfricanAmericans have always had a hard time being integrated into American culture. The result is that African Americans have been subjected to ridicule and shame. American pop culture has compounded the problem by enhancing the negative stereotypes ofAfrican American. In theatre, film, and music, African Americans have been associated with vices such as murder, theft, and violence.

The family systems theory has a significant revelation on family relations. I firmly agree that to understand a particular family or a member, they should be around other family members. The emotional connection among different family members may create functional or dysfunctional coexistence, which is not easy to identify when an individual is further from the other members. Taking an example of the extended family, the relationship between the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law may be tense, but once they are outside the family, they can pretend to have a good relationship. Therefore, I agree with the theory that the existing emotional attachment and developed culture in the family is distinctively understood when the family is together.

Opinion writing is a form of academic paper that asks students to include their thoughts on a particular topic. This is then backed by a logical explanation and examples. Becoming more knowledgeable is a practical way to successfully learn how to write an opinion paper. Before writing anything, it is essential to refer to important information. That includes the definition, topics, opinion writing examples, and requirements. This is what turns amateur writers into master writers.

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is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

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Persuasive Writing Lesson Slides | Opinion Writing Unit Plan and PowerPoint

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

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Are you looking for fresh opinion writing activities and lessons that are fun, engaging, and no-prep? This huge 200+ slide resource is packed full of sequenced persuasive writing activities covering persuasive structure, and the language features of persuasive texts.

You’ll also save time with our 25-lesson teaching sequence, hyperlinked menu, and guided writing slides to help students through every step of their persuasive writing.

Topics covered in persuasive writing (also known as opinion writing): forming opinions, supporting with evidence, counter-arguments, persuasive structure, language features of persuasive texts and more!

Your students will love the different opinion writing activities included. These slides even include learning intentions, success criteria checklists, and step-by-step guided writing slides to help students boost their opinion writing!

You will get:

• 205 colourful and engaging persuasive writing slides in PowerPoint and Google (PDF link included) - see the contents below!
• Hyperlinked menu so you can find concepts easily
• 25-lesson opinion writing teaching sequence with hyperlinks to suggested slides
• Student checklists at different levels
• Step-by-step writing slides - scaffold your students with these guided writing slides.
• Your students will love the simplicity of the structured persuasive writing lesson slides and see real improvement in their persuasive writing. You will love having everything in one place!

Opinion Writing Lesson slides contents include:

• Teaching Sequence
• Learning Intention and Success Criteria
• Student Checklists
• What is a Persuasive Text?
• Types of Persuasive Texts
• Why do we write Persuasive Texts?
• Examples of Persuasive Texts

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How to Teach Opinion Writing to Kids in Grade 4

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you teach opinion writing to students at the grade 4 level.

Introduce the concept

Begin by explaining what opinion writing is. Emphasize that it involves expressing personal beliefs or viewpoints.

Provide examples of opinions in everyday life, such as favorite foods, movies, or books.

Model the process of forming an opinion and supporting it with reasons. Use a simple topic, like "What is the best season?" and demonstrate how to express your opinion and provide reasons for it.

Brainstorming

Help your kids brainstorm topics for their opinions. Encourage them to think about things they feel strongly about, such as favorite hobbies, school subjects, or extracurricular activities.

Organize thoughts

Teach students how to organize their thoughts before writing. Use graphic organizers like a T-chart or a web to help them outline their opinion and reasons.

Introduction

Teach students to begin their opinion writing with a strong introduction that clearly states their opinion. This could include a hook to grab the reader's attention.

Body paragraphs

Break down the body of the essay into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific reason supporting their opinion.

Emphasize the importance of providing details and examples to support each reason.

Transition words

Teach the use of transition words to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. Words like "first," "next," "finally," and "in addition" can help create a smooth flow.

Counterarguments

Introduce the concept of counterarguments. Teach your kids how to acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints while strengthening their own arguments.

Guide students in writing a strong conclusion that restates their opinion and summarizes their key reasons. Encourage them to end with a memorable statement.

Opinion writing worksheets

In our grade 4 grammar and writing are, we have a section of new worksheets for students to practice opinion writing .

Counterarguments practice

Students practice writing counterarguments in this first set of opinion writing worksheets.

Opinion writing graphic organizer

Students make use of these graphic organizers to plan out their thoughts, reasons and counterarguments.

Prompt and write worksheets

Students are given a prompt and asked to organize their essays with these different types of graphic organizers.

Writing prompts practice

The final set of worksheets has students practice stating their opinions of a series of writing prompts .

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How to Write an Opinion Paragraph Common Core Writing

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Polarization may phase out of American politics as younger generations shift into power

Associate Professor of Political Science, University at Albany, State University of New York

Professor of Political Science, Hamline University

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The sharp increase in political polarization in America over the past 50 years has been driven in part by how different generations think about politics. But the rise of younger generations to political power may actually erase the deep social divisions associated with polarization.

That’s one of the strong possibilities for the future suggested by the diverse array of findings of our research , including editing a collection of the most current work on how different generations of Americans participate in public life.

For the past 30 years, baby boomers (those born roughly between 1946 and 1964) and members of the Silent Generation (those born between 1925 and 1945) have driven and defined American politics . For the most part, the Silent Generation and the older baby boomers were the core of the Republican Party. And the younger baby boomers, along with many Gen Xers (born roughly between 1965 and 1981), formed the core of the Democratic Party.

Millennials (born between 1982 and 1995) and Gen Z (born between 1996 and 2013) lean liberal and are more likely to vote for Democrats . They were key contributors to Democratic election wins in 2018, 2020 and 2022, especially in swing states.

Based on our research, presented in “ Generational Politics in the United States : From the Silents to Gen Z and Beyond,” earlier generations – the Silents, baby boomers and Gen X – are more divided than millennials and Gen Z.

We expect that in the future, highly partisan members of the Silent, boomer and Gen X generations will exit and no longer be part of American political life. They will be replaced by millennials and Gen Zers, who are less likely to define themselves as strong Republicans or Democrats. The greater consensus among young people today may lessen polarization.

5 decades of change

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the vast majority of Americans had views roughly in the political center , with smaller numbers of people holding notably right-leaning or left-leaning opinions. In general, most voters had a broad consensus on policy issues. The Democratic and Republican parties were also broadly centrist . During this time period, Congress passed the Great Society programs, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act and the Clean Air Act with bipartisan support .

But over the past 50 years, fewer and fewer Americans have identified themselves as aligned with the political center, and more have described themselves as on the right or the left , either as liberals or conservatives. This has led to increasing differences between the political parties , with the Democrats to the left of center and the Republicans to the right.

Members of Congress now are more likely to stick with their political party when voting, rather than vote for legislation supported by the other party. Recent passage of legislation linking Ukraine aid with support of Israel has been described as “ rare cooperation among the parties .”

This polarization has many causes , including the influence of special-interest money on lawmakers and parties and society’s increased economic inequality . But our research highlights the role that new and changing generations can play in future shifts in American politics.

American politics is the constant cycle of generations entering and exiting the political arena. Even more, variation in the social and political environment during each generation’s formative years notably affects the attitudes and behaviors each generation will subsequently adopt.

For instance, the youngest generation is used to a 24-hour online news cycle and has experience with contested elections. Changes in generational attitudes today hold the potential to lessen current levels of polarization.

Generations have different characteristics

When we look across the past century, our research finds profound differences in the demographics and political views of the generations today.

The millennials and Gen Zers are the most racially and demographically diverse generations in American history. They are the least religious , which means they are less likely than their elders to say they follow a religion, to believe in a biblical god and to pray.

Additionally, these younger generations are more likely to self-identify as liberal . As we and others explain in several chapters of our book, surveys show they are more liberal on a whole range of issues regarding social matters, the economy, immigration and climate change .

Millennials and Gen Zers also vote more Democratic than older generations. And there is some evidence to support the expectation that their governing style as elected officials emphasizes issues that millennial citizens care about. For example, a set of millennial mayors who held office at various times from 2004 to 2024 focused on traditional economic concerns but also added social justice perspectives to the mix.

A new political center?

The consensus on political views among members of these younger generations means there is potential for decreasing polarization. This would be a key change in American politics, we believe for the better.

But there are other possible scenarios. As the old saying goes, demographics are not always destiny . There are thorny methodological questions involved in pinning down the impact of generations.

Politically, young Republican men can be conservative on social issues. And consensus among young Democrats could be challenged by events such as campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Overall, however, generational shifts portend the possibility of decreasing polarization.

• US politics
• Generations
• Baby boomers
• Future generations
• Millennials
• Polarization
• Generation X
• Generation Z
• Political polarization
• US political history
• U.S. polarization

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Book Review

Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony

By M.K. Asante Amistad: 208 pages, $26.99 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

In his new book, M.K. Asante, a recording artist and bestselling author of the 2013 memoir “ Buck ,” details the history of his older half-brother Uzi. Asante’s latest memoir, “Nephew,” is framed as a letter to Asante’s nephew Nasir, who is on the verge of death in a Philadelphia hospital after being shot nine times. Asante’s intent is to tell his nephew the story of Uzi, the estranged father whom Nasir never knew. What follows is an emotionally powerful family history that explores the essential role of music and language in healing old wounds.

“ Nephew” bears the intriguing subtitle “ A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony, ” which points to the book’s strongest element: the layering of multiple first-person voices to create a compelling rhythm and flow. In addition to Asante’s voice, which combines an emotional directness with insightful reflections on Black history and music, the book features letters and writings from several of Asante’s family members, including Uzi, their mother, Nna, and Uzi’s father, Bob. These direct first-person accounts not only create the narrative’s complex harmony but also add a raw authenticity. A fifth voice, meanwhile, is Nasir, whose rap lyrics are interspersed throughout the text, providing additional commentary on the story.

These voices, each of them rhythmically distinct, are brilliant in how they play off one another, but it is in Bob’s letters, which begin to appear halfway through the book , that the raw emotion reaches a perfect pitch. Bob, Uzi’s estranged father, is a heroin addict desperate for salvation who begins writing letters to God. “Dear God,” the first letter begins, “here’s my situation as it stands now.” Such directness makes these confessions beautiful and achingly vulnerable, and they provide a wonderful complement to the other voices in the memoir.

In an example of Asante’s insightful ability to draw connections between different generations and historical contexts, he notes that Bob’s first letter was written in 1971, just as Apollo 15 was landing on the moon. Asante links this to a song Uzi wrote called “NASA” and uses the famous saying from Neil Armstrong , who was on the moon-landing mission of 1969, to draw a thematic connection between Bob’s letters and Nasir himself. “Bob passed before you were born,” Asante writes to Nasir, “but I don’t think he ever imagined that you or anyone would one day read his words, yet here we are, two generations and nine shots later. … The letters may have been a small step for Bob, but they were a giant step for us.” In this way, Asante gives the letters a sense of historical weight, and we read in them not just the words of one man struggling for absolution but also a necessary link between the past and the present.

Throughout the book, Asante deftly contextualizes his family’s story within the larger history of the Black American experience. Every chapter is full of a wonderful mix of references that link the present and the past in a complex web of thematic relations. In the second chapter, for example, Asante analyzes the lyrics of Nasir’s music and brings up Ancient Egypt, the Greek god Apollo, Aretha Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, Assata Shakur and eventually George Moses Horton , who becomes the focus of the chapter. A poet who was born enslaved and who taught himself to read, Horton began writing poetry, which helped him eventually buy his freedom. This chapter is just one illustration of Asante’s use of history to provide an insightful thematic commentary on the present.

The story of Horton also functions as a symbol for Asante’s larger thoughts on the essential role of art and music as a path to liberation. “Horton’s poetry,” Asante writes, “is the North Star that delivered his freedom.” For Uzi and Nasir, their music and lyrics play the same role. In one of the book’s more memorable scenes, Asante describes how, when he was 10 and Uzi was incarcerated in Arizona, Asante played the rapper Nas’ “ N.Y. State of Mind ” for his brother over the phone. This is 1991, and Asante has to hold the corded phone to his boombox speaker. The music is so revelatory that the other inmates gather to listen with Uzi over the phone. They react to Nas’ “bars as if they were NBA dunks,” Asante writes. “I hear the click boom clank of Black fists beating on stone and metal. I can feel their heads nodding, their arms flying in approval and solidarity.” It is, for Asante, a mystical, magical moment, connecting with his brother via music through prison walls on the other side of the country.

The other major character in the novel is Asante’s mother, contemporary dance choreographer Kariamu Welsh Asante, whom he affectionately refers to as Nna. Her voice is once again different from the others, and the distinctive rhythms give the book its tonal and musical complexity. As with the other characters, though, hers is a story of a passion for art and music, in her case through dance. You can feel Asante’s love for his mother in the way he relays her story, and their relationship is a key emotional foundation of the book.

There are moments toward the end of the book when one might wish for more detailed scenes, and some parts of Uzi’s story can feel a little rushed. But the way Asante ends his journey is so emotionally powerful that you can easily forgive any minor flaws. It’s a gut-punch of an ending, bringing together all the threads of this complex family history that he’s been setting up, and it completes the story on the perfect note. As with a great piece of music, the emotions and rhythms of that final chapter lingered in my mind long after I’d put down the book.

Aatif Rashid is a writer in Los Angeles and author of the novel “Portrait of Sebastian Khan.”

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These Butlers Are Neither Carson Nor Hudson

The rise of “executive butlers” — a breed whose job combines silver polishing with being a concierge and a maitre d’ — reflects the changing nature of the very rich.

Graeme Currie at Weston Park, where he served as head butler for a decade. These days, he said, being a butler requires “sparkle, darling, sparkle.” Credit... Billy Barraclough for The New York Times

Supported by

By Plum Sykes

Plum Sykes reported this story from her home in Britain’s Cotswolds region. She has written about society for magazines and in several novels.

• May 14, 2024

In Britain’s bucolic Cotswolds region, the arrival of summer is typically marked by a migration. Specifically, the return of a rarefied group to grand country houses in counties like Oxfordshire or Gloucestershire, where preparations begin for a season of hosting guests at picnics, luncheons and events like the Chelsea Flower Show , the Royal Ascot horse races and “the tennis” — shorthand for a center court box at Wimbledon .

Owners of those country estates — let’s call them the one percent of the one percent — of course do not handle such preparations themselves. These are relegated to butlers, whose job, like for others associated with the lifestyles of the ultrawealthy, has evolved.

As personal assistants have been rebranded as executive assistants and child care providers as executive nannies, buttling has become a career that involves not only polishing silver and folding napkins but also lifestyle management.

The modern butler — also known as, wait for it, an executive butler — is still in most cases a man. But he is no longer a grandfatherly type in morning trousers that stays in the background, if not out of sight. More likely, he is fresh-faced, wears a lounge suit with a Charvet tie and is by his employers’ side whether they are at home or not.

“They’re like a private maitre d’ now,” said Nicky Haslam, 84, the English interior designer and social fixture. “In the old days the butler was in the house all the time. Now, if the family is on their yacht, the butler goes with them.”

This was not the case as recently as the 1990s, when butlers for the most part reflected the archetype popularized by characters like Hudson, from the TV show “Upstairs, Downstairs”; Carson , from “Downton Abbey”; or Stevens, from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel “The Remains of the Day.”

Among that ilk was Michael Kenneally, a mischievous Irish butler employed for decades by my cousin, Sir Tatton Sykes , at his country estate, Sledmere , in the county of Yorkshire.

His antics were legendary. If children were visiting, he would sometimes accessorize his formal uniform with a curly-haired wig or glasses with plastic eyeballs on springs. His pièce de résistance was riding through the dining room after dinner on a bicycle with a port tray balanced on the handlebars, a trick that was noted in his obituary in The Telegraph. When he died at 65 in 1999, his funeral drew a crowd of about 300 people, and he was buried alongside members of the family that had employed him for 40 years. On the headstone marking his grave, the epitaph simply read “The Butler.”

The profession’s evolution in recent decades is a signifier of a societal shift in Britain: What rich people want has changed because who rich people are has changed.

That group’s makeup has shifted from being primarily aristocratic families, the type long associated with traditional butlers, to include a new breed of self-made, high-net-worth individuals who have built fortunes in industries like technology and media and who see butlers less as part of the furniture and more as a flashy accessory.

Graeme Currie, 53, exemplifies the modern butler, a role that he said requires “sparkle, darling, sparkle.” He has been employed by some of Britain’s highest-profile families and was the head butler for 10 years at Weston Park, an estate in the county of Staffordshire that is the ancestral home of the Earl of Bradford and can now be booked for private events.

This summer Mr. Currie — who has tawny hair and, often, a light tan — is planning to travel to various destinations in Europe to buttle at vacation houses. In his spare time, he breeds toy poodles, some of which have competed at dog shows like Crufts .

Mr. Currie is the sort of person who can whip up an espresso martini blindfolded and comprehend the precise level of froth someone might prefer for a coconut-milk cappuccino. He developed such skills in part from a career in hospitality that has included jobs on the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner and at ritzy London hotels like the Dorchester and Claridge’s and restaurants like the Ivy.

“The difference between me and an old-fashioned butler is that I’ve had the experience of people paying for dinner and of always being critiqued,” Mr. Currie said.

Seasoned butlers like him can make around 100,000 British pounds a year, or about $125,000. The job’s starting salary is closer to 40,000 pounds, or $50,000.

For butlers with full-time positions, various costs — food, lodging, even fancy uniforms — are subsidized by employers. And those who work in Europe are typically afforded the same mandatory benefits granted to other workers, like a minimum of 20 vacation days. Many develop schedules with their employers that include regular time off on the weekend or midweek to account for other days when they are expected to work long hours.

Mr. Currie was drawn to the profession for a reason that many butlers are: He is passionate about taking care of people.

“One thing I always say is that I’m very good at remembering who people are and what they want,” he said. “You’ve got to have a whole repertoire in your brain because people ask for things they have never asked for before.”

That repertoire can vary wildly depending on a butler’s location, said Niels Deijkers, the managing director of the International Butler Academy in Simpelveld, the Netherlands.

Mr. Deijkers recalled a story he had heard from an executive butler who was with a family on a yacht. “The client pointed toward the coastline and said, ‘Tonight I’d like to have dinner on top of that mountain — please arrange it,’” he said, explaining that the butler contacted a restaurant in the area, which “set up a table for six and flew in everything with a helicopter.” (Mr. Deijkers estimated that the dinner cost “around $300,000.”)

Andrew Gruselle, 53, has encountered similar demands in his time working on Lamu Island , off the coast of Kenya, where he has managed grand beachfront properties with staffs that have included cooks, housekeepers and pool attendants.

In his typical uniform of loose cotton shirt and seersucker Bermuda shorts, Mr. Gruselle has performed a range of duties: serving trays of fresh mango or papaya for breakfast; arranging water-skiing excursions; recommending fabric shops; securing reservations at the Peponi Hotel, a Lamu hot spot; and wrangling six donkeys to stage a makeshift Nativity scene at Christmas.

“When someone comes out here,” he said, “you have to be very careful that they are looked after properly, and that it’s a seamless experience for them.”

Carole Bamford, 78, expects nothing less of the head butler at Daylesford House, her country estate in Gloucestershire, one of several homes she resides at with her husband, Anthony Bamford, the billionaire owner of the British construction company JCB.

Events held at Daylesford House by the couple, known formally as Lord and Lady Bamford, are among the most coveted invitations in the Cotswolds. This spring Lady Bamford, who is the founder of Daylesford Organic , a popular British lifestyle brand, hosted various lunches with themes inspired by plants grown on the estate like snowdrops and tulips.

Leading the preparations for those lunches was, yes, Daylesford House’s head butler, whose résumé reflects those of traditional butlers, in that he has been with the Bamfords for more than 20 years.

“He was with the queen for about eight years before me,” Lady Bamford said.

But his job also involves many duties expected of modern butlers, too.

Lady Bamford recalled a recent lunch where the menu included lamb, purple sprouting broccoli, a cheese board, panna cotta and rhubarb bellinis.

“Who makes the bellinis?’” I asked.

“Well, the butler,” she said.

Susan Beachy contributed research.

Plum Sykes is the author of “Bergdorf Blondes,” “The Debutante Divorcée,” “Party Girls Die in Pearls” and the just released “Wives Like Us.”

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