Argumentative Writing v Discursive Writing Structure Discursive Writing
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Argumentative Writing v Discursive Writing Structure
Discursive Writing • The structure of discursive essays is traditional. • You should remain impartial and look fairly at both sides of the situation.
Discursive Writing The introduction should not have an opinion nor suggest any conclusion There should be no personal pronouns in the introduction The thesis statement (last sentence of introduction) will formally outline the aim of the essay
Discursive Writing structure (based on the 5 paragraph model) Introduction. The structure of discursive essays is traditional. You should remain impartial and look fairly at both sides of the situation. The thesis statement appears here in the final sentence of the introduction and should be impartial (no bias). Body paragraph 1. The body paragraphs should be balanced and fair (looking impartially at both sides of the subject) Body paragraph 2. The body paragraphs should be balanced and fair (looking impartially at both sides of the subject) Body paragraph 3. The body paragraphs should be balanced and fair (looking impartially at both sides of the subject) Conclusion. The conclusion should summarise the key points from above and conclude based on the main points from above in a fair and impartial way. At this point it is acceptable to state an opinion (but based on the facts and not using the 1 st person).
Argumentative Writing • The structure of argumentative essays is non-traditional • You should not remain impartial and you should be biased to your opinion
Argumentative Writing The introduction should have an opinion in the first paragraph (usually in thesis statement) There can be personal pronouns in the introduction (“I think that…” The thesis statement (last sentence of introduction) will outline the aim of the essay but can be biased
Argumentative Writing structure (based on the 5 paragraph model) Introduction. The structure of argumentative essays is not traditional. You can be biased and be unequal when writing about a topic. The thesis statement appears here in the final sentence of the introduction and should be biased to your opinion. It can contain personal pronouns “I think that. . ” Body paragraph 1. The body paragraphs should be un-balanced and only support your opinion (supporting only your argument). Body paragraph 2. The body paragraphs should be un-balanced and only support your opinion (supporting only your argument). Body paragraph 3. You can mention the other side of an argument ONLY if it supports your main argument (these are called counter arguments) in situations where you can not ignore something. For example if your essay is titled ‘Why smoking is healthy’ then you need to mention that some evidence suggests smoking can be unhealthy (because to ignore it would be to weaken your argument). E. g. “some people suggest smoking is unhealthy, however smoking helps people to relax and many people gain a lot of weight when they quit smoking, which is equally if not more unhealthy” Conclusion. The conclusion should summarise the key points from above and conclude based on the main points from above in a biased way. Re-cap the original opinion from the introduction.
