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Discursive writing uses the following viewpoint: There is a single goal in discursive essays. An individual holds a particular way of thinking as the only sensible way to think. The writer presents only one side of the story – his side. There may be one opposing point in discursive writing, but it is quickly dismissed or refuted.


Discursive writing is intended for the following audiences: The audience needs to be defined. The writer “attacks” what they believe and think to persuade the readers.

Your tutor might not directly say ‘write a discursive essay’ but the essay question will give you a clue. It might be a relatively simple question, or it could just state that there is disagreement on a . It will not ask you to give your opinion or direct you to persuade your readers. Your is part of a study course, so there will be enough guidance from your tutors.

that discursive essays can also include the following features:

Your coursework may require a discursive essay in order to test your ability to find and presenting balanced evidence without bias. In this assignment, you need to make a balanced examination of arguments surrounding a topic, with the option of stating your own position. You are not attempting to settle the debate, only to show the thinking that surrounds it.

One of the main differences between these two is that argumentative essay uses logical reasoning to support facts while discursive essay tends to connect several points. The other difference is in the structural formula. An argumentative essay should have its thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. It discusses its single point by providing proof or examples and then restating with a stronger thesis statement, while a discursive essay follows a cyclical pattern. Finally, an argumentative essay is persuasive because you expect the reader to accept your point of view by the end of the paper.

It is not the author’s job to solve a problem. The problem could be a long-running one with no solution in sight. For example, in a discursive text, you do not examine a problem or literary text; instead, you discuss the opposing ideas and opinions surrounding them. These essays benefit readers by presenting a collection of various views on a subject all in one place, saving them from doing the research themselves.

The first thing to ; think of it as a framework. You are going to fill this framework with good material. Remember that every word you put into it will have to justify its inclusion. For a discursive essay, the structure will likely follow the usual format of title, , , and , followed by a section.


You’ll find examples of discursive writing in publications like:

During the Renaissance, discursive essays were quite popular, though they have become much less so over time. Many consider the discursive essay to be one of the more difficult to approach. As such, with them, and it is quite common to .

Some effective ways to start discursive essays are:

Example:
The discursive discusses ideas and opinions on a topic without the aim of persuading the reader to take a given view. It is your unbiased presenting of differing viewpoints that allows the reader to decide which is best. This allows you to present the topic from several viewpoints, showing the pros and cons of them all.

There are three main types of discursive essays:

Example:
The should touch on all the points you’re going to cover, even if only broadly. It should provide a concise description of the topic and what your focus will be. Everything you discuss in the body should come under the umbrella created by the introduction.

What do I do once I’ve got a second draft of my discursive essay?

Contrarily, argumentative essays balance the thesis and the anti-thesis, which support and dispute your position. You must develop enough thesis statements that can stand independently and are diverse enough to account for scope-related factors. Without the antithesis, your writing would appear one-sided, stubborn, or mute about the weaknesses of your argument. The antithesis is equally crucial. On the other hand, recognizing these weaknesses and refuting them shows strength. You not only identify any potential flaws and exceptions in the opposing arguments, but you can also firmly and convincingly reject them, strengthening your case.

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Instead, you can ask questions to introduce the topic or use an anecdote to frame the topic. You also don’t need to lay out a roadmap of how your essay will unfold, so you can spend time explaining your interest in the topic.

Need a quick reminder of how a discursive essay works?

The discursive essay does not have a formal , as with other . This gives you the option of opening with something to really hook the reader. For example, any of these can be used: