A discursive essay or an argumentative essay, is a type of writing whose purpose is to convince the readers to agree with certain views or arguments that we put forward. Therefore, such type of writing is also called by some teachers a persuasive essay. Starting 2015, you will be required to master this type of writing if you want to sit the FCE or the CAE exams from Cambridge International Examinations.
Generally speaking, an essay is a short, formal piece of writing on a single given topic. It presents the author’s personal view and it contains both information on the given topic, but also PROs(supporting ideas) and CONs(opposing ideas) to illustrate a clear point of view. Two of the most popular types of argumentative essays are the For and Against and the Opinion Essay.
In order to write an effective argumentative essay, there are a few steps to be followed. To begin with, you should take some time to write a plan before staring to write. During this planning stage, you should first gather evidence and do some research on the topic. Don’t forget to take into consideration both sides of the topic(PROs and CONs)! Last but not least, decide what side you are on!
Once the planning stage is done and you start writing, make sure you introduce the topic clearly by means of an introductory paragraph. In the main body of the essay, include both sides of the topic. Don’t invent evidence and quote your sources and remember to give a balanced account of your arguments. Finally, end your essay with a logical, coherent conclusion!
Follow our series of articles on writing and practice your writing by participating in our Essay Competition. Be bold! Your courage of sharing your ideas with us, might take you to the UK! Who knows? Maybe you are this year’s winner of our Essay Competition!
