Discursive Writing

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Discursive Writing
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What is Discursive Writing?

• Discursive Writing This is the overall title for
  factual writing where you discuss ideas, express
  opinions and present evidence to justify your (or
  other peoples) viewpoint.
• Discursive writing includes
• Argumentative where you present a balanced view
  on the topic.
• Persuasive where you take a side and persuade
  the reader of your opinion.

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Discursive Writing Exam Questions

• There are always around 5 discursive essay tasks
  in every Standard Grade Exam paper.
• The key words in the task which indicate a
  discursive essay are discuss or give your views.

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Discursive Writing Exam Questions

• Here are some past examples you could plan essays
  for
• 2008 Education is about what we learn both
  inside and outside the classroom.
• Give your views.
• 2007 Whats going on with our weather?
• Individuals need to take steps to tackle climate
  change. Give your views.
• 2007 These days young people are unfairly
  treated by the media. Give your views.
• 2006 Look at me! Is it more important to be an
  individual or to fit in with the crowd? Discuss.

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Discursive Writing Exam Questions

• Tasks tend to be centred around topics like
• Education/school
• Young people/youth culture
• Technology
• Environment
• Revision Tasks Look through your Past Papers and
  decide which topic heading each task comes under.
• Are there any other possible topic headings?
• Do you think you could write convincingly on any
  or all of these topics?
• Plan essays for all these topics and read up
  about them so you have some convincing evidence
  and opinions to use in the exam.

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Whats Expected in the exam

• Although you should research the topics you will
  not be expected to produce such detailed and
  accurate evidence and quotations etc. as you did
  for your folio discursive essay.
• The examiner will recognise that you cannot
  possibly recreate this standard in the exam and
  they will not be checking that the statistics or
  quotations you use are exactly correct (although
  dont just make up nonsense!)
• They will be looking for how developed your
  reasoning is, your structure and the
  sophistication of your language.

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Step by Step Guide

• Content
• Quality ideas
• Development of ideas
• Supporting evidence
• Fact and opinion

• Style
• Persuasive or
• argumentative?
• Formal
• Present tense
• Rhetoric
• Emotive Language

• Structure
• Introduction
• Arguments counter arguments
• Conclusion
• LINKING connectives and topic
  sentences

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Step by step in the ExamStep 1 Choosing your
task.

• Pick something relevant to you.
• You are going to have to demonstrate knowledge
  and understanding of your issues, without the
  ability to do any reading or research, so it is
  best if you choose something in which you have a
  genuine interest and on which you have a genuine
  opinion.
• If you have revised and researched the topics
  listed previously, then you should have opinions
  and evidence for most of the questions which
  arise.

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Step 2 Persuasive or argumentative?

• Persuasive
• Where you give your personal opinion on a topic
  or issue, and endeavour to persuade the reader to
  your way of thinking. Works best if you are
  genuinely committed to the issue.

• Argumentative
• Allows you to consider, in a balanced way, the
  pros and cons of a particular topic or issue.
  Useful if you feel there are strong arguments on
  a least two sides of the issue or topic.

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Step 3 Structuring your Essay

• Argumentative Essay Structure
• Opening statement giving OPINION
• Series of paragraphs
• Arguments for x 3
• Arguments against x3
• Summary / Conclusion
• Restating opinion

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Step 3 Structuring your Essay

• Persuasive Essay Structure
• Opening statement giving OPINION
• Series of paragraphs each containing the
  following
• Counter-argument
• Refute counter-argument
• Summary / Conclusion
• Restating opinion

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Step 3 Structuring your Essay

• Persuasive writing how to structure each
  paragraph using counter-arguments.
• 1. Give an opinion which goes against your
  argument
• Some people believe
• It has been said that
• There are those who say
• 2. Make a statement say the opinion given is
  WRONG!
• However this is not the case.
• This is far from true.
• Clearly this is unfounded.

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Step 3 Structuring your Essay

• 3. Give your own opinion (counter-argument)
• In actual fact
• In my opinion
• The truth is that
• In my view
• I believe / I feel
• I am convinced

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Step 4 considering style

• General Language Features for all discursive
  writing
• First Person (persuasive) OR third person
  (argumentative)
• Present Tense
• Topic Sentences
• Connectives (linking words and phrases see next
  slide)
• Phrases to give own opinion
• Rhetorical Questions to pose the issue and
  involve readers
• Similes / Metaphors
• Exclamations - to make dramatic point

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Step 4 considering style

• USING CONNECTIVES
• 1. To give sequence /structure to whole text
• e.g. firstly secondly, thirdly etc
• 2. To connect CAUSE and EFFECT, linking points
  within paragraphs
• e.g consequently, as a result, therefore
• 3. To COMPARE and LINK DIFFERENT arguments
• e.g. however, on the other hand, but

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Step 4 considering style

• PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES These techniques are
  mainly used in persuasive writing although they
  can sometimes in argumentative writing
• Rhetorical questions How could you possibly
  consider letting this poor dog die?
• Appeal directly to the audience You have the
  power in your hands to save this dog.
• Emotive language This poor, weak, defenceless
  creature should be spared.
• List in Threes This poor, weak defenceless
  creature.
• Commands Vote to save a life today!

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Step 4 considering style

• Surely there is no one in this world who enjoys
  ploughing their way through a mountain of these,
  foul-tasting vegetables!
• Persuasive words/phrases surely, obviously,
  undeniably, certainly.
• Imagery and exaggeration mountain of, ploughing
  through.

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Step 4 considering style

• Do not
• Use abbreviations (i.e./e.g./etc./UK/)
  Contractions (isn't/don't/won't)
• Slang (e.g. bloke/geezer etc) 
• Colloquial language (mate/bolshy etc.)

Tone in a discursive essay

• Do
• Write in proper, complete sentences
• Use complete words and expressions
• Use proper, standard English

You should also try to make sure that you use a
decent standard of vocabulary In particular, try
to avoid weak vocabulary such as 'get', 'got' and
'getting'. Relying on this level of vocabulary
too often suggests that your power of expression
is weak. Build up your word power!
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Step 5 Opening your essay

• The following methods are suggestions. It is up
  to you to decide which style suits your writing
  best.
• Provocative
• e.g."It is difficult to see how anyone can
  approve of fox hunting."
• Balanced
• e.g."Fox hunting is a subject about which people
  hold strongly contrasting views."
• Quotation
• e.g."Oscar Wilde once described fox hunting as
  'The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable.'."
• Illustration
• e.g."On a glorious autumn morning a terrified,
  exhausted animal is savaged to death by a pack of
  baying dogs while a group of expensively dressed
  humans encourage the dogs in their bloody work."
• Anecdote
• e.g."I have always detested fox hunting since I
  was almost physically sick while watching a
  television film of the kill at the end of a hunt."

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Step 5 Opening your essay

• Rate the following introductions. Which is best?
  Why?
• My essay is going to be about living in the town
  and the country. In this essay I will look at
  both sides of the argument.
• Deciding whether to live in the town(city) or the
  countryside can be difficult, as there are many
  reasons why both locations might be attractive.
  However both choices also offer a number of
  disadvantages which can put people off.
• City life bright, exciting, challenging. Rural
  life peaceful, idyllic, relaxing. How do you
  choose between two such different locations when
  making the crucial decision of where to live?

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Step 6 Using topic sentences

• Given the choice, many people prefer to live in
  the country. One reason for this is
• The countryside also
• Furthermore, living in the country also
• Additionally, country living means that
• On the other hand , many people feel that country
  living
• But rural life is not always
• However not everybody agrees that living in the
  country is Another problem with living in the
  country is

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Step 7 Concluding your essay

• Rate the following concluions. Which is best?
  Why?
• To finish my essay I am going to sum up my ideas
  for and against living in the town and living in
  the country.
• In conclusion there are many good reasons to live
  in the town, but there are also many good reasons
  to live in the country. I think I would prefer to
  live in the town.
• To conclude, deciding whether to live in the town
  or the country is a very personal decision.
  Whilst some people adore the hustle and bustle of
  the city, other much prefer the tranquil world of
  the countryside. Having lived in both, I can
  honestly say that the many amenities and the
  bright lights of the city are what appeal to me
  most. I definitely prefer living in the city.