How to Write a Discursive Essay: Awesome Guide and Template

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How to Write a Discursive Essay: Awesome Guide and Template

Written by

Annie L.

May 9, 2022

Generally, if you are studying for an academic degree, you most definitely will have to write an essay. This type of academic paper comes in various types, including a discursive essay. What is a discursive essay? In a nutshell, it is a formal paper that has to express an author’s neutral position regarding a topic. If you wonder how to write a discursive essay, there are several common options:

Expressing your impartial view on the topic
Providing arguments for or against the matter
Presenting a few problem solutions

Remember, a top-tier discursive essay usually has a calm tone, unlike a persuasive essay. Besides, it’s best to avoid slang and other types of informal language in a paper like this. If you need the best results you can either buy an essay paper or spend the time to learn the main rules on how to write a discursive essay yourself.

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What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay?

According to the discursive essay definition, this kind of work represents a strong position with reliable backup. Hence, creating a good argumentative paper requires meticulous preparation. Some might believe that writing relies on pure talent, but it’s just one of the components of success. Let’s unpack the secrets of an A+ essay!

Opt for a controversial topic

You might be wondering: “How do I stay original?”. People often choose to play safe and pick common essay themes. But if you want to be unique, it’s best to choose something unusual. Fortunately, there are numerous unconventional discussion topics today. Ideally, the theme should be both unusual and familiar to you to make it easier to provide interesting cases and back them up with arguments. It's quite another matter if you have the task of "do math homework". Mathematics is an exact science, and accordingly you need to have the necessary knowledge.

Strong thesis

After you've selected an unconventional topic, the goal is to come up with a strong thesis statement. To clarify, an essay must contain a statement that narrows down the view on a broad problem. Avoiding statements that are obvious and hardly debatable is key. Instead, stick to the controversial subjects that are easy to support with facts. Learn more about sentence types on Essaypro - term paper writing service.

Thorough research

Another top priority before starting an essay is digging through different sources of information beforehand. To rely on word of mouth exclusively is ineffective. Take your time to find supporting evidence, especially if the theme is new to you. A lack of technical knowledge often leads to errors in an academic paper. Any discursive essay example must have relevant sources.

Discursive Essay Outline

Indeed, learning a discursive essay definition is hardly enough to create a great paper. The second essential step is to memorize the structure of such a paper. Normally, the discursive essay outline includes:

Introduction
Main body
Summary

A key rule is to express one thought in one paragraph. This way, the text becomes easier to perceive. Overall, the secret to creating a top-notch academic piece is in making it logical, coherent, and engaging. An author’s goal is to make the narration seamless, so each part should naturally flow into the next one. To find out what is a discursive essay, memorize the outline and its contents.

Uses of punctuation marks is very important in proper essay writing. But many students often find it difficult to use it or some other details., and that's quite normal. Our team of experienced writers will help you to overcome these difficulties. If you need help with an essay, try to order custom essay from us and make sure it's easy to use!

Introduction: How do you start a discursive essay?

Even though a discursive essay introduction takes up a small part of the whole paper, it is of immense importance. In short, the introduction helps a reader get acquainted with the work. Write an intro to cater both to you and your audience.

Compressing the general idea and its topicality into a couple of sentences requires talent. Brevity is the soul of wit! A discursive essay introduction is essential as it delivers the relevance of the problem to the public. What is more, a good introduction can spark an interest in the most indifferent people.

Main body: Arguments

Once you are done with the discursive essay introduction, it's time for the main body paragraphs. Analyzing numerous discursive essay examples helps in defining the main body principles. First, build the opening paragraph, since it contains an author’s opinion on the matter.

Secondly, take time to lay out the arguments and counterarguments. Dedicate separate paragraphs to every point. It is essential to start each paragraph with topic sentences. According to the discursive essay definition, your top priority is gathering information on the matter. Therefore, all the statements should have a reliable source like specific literature, statistics, personal examples, and other supporting evidence.

Besides, you can see a skilled writer from afar by the way they list their arguments. A high-quality layout tells a full-fledged story through main body paragraphs.

Conclusion: Summing up your thoughts

For the final part of every discursive essay, it's necessary to write a conclusion. Just like the discursive essay introduction, it assists in framing the main part. Here, a writer summarizes all the previous points and even states their personal opinion if needed. A crucial requirement is to reference only the mentioned arguments and avoid introducing new information.

Additionally, the purpose of a conclusion is to encourage future discussions among the readers. There is no better compliment than their desire to do further research. Some authors prefer to include their predictions on the essay topic. Again, all the assumptions should be based on relevant data.

Discursive essay topics: Best ideas

By all means, a beneficial discursive essay sample is a life-saver for a student. Luckily, there are tons of intriguing and entertaining discursive essay topics. Picking the subject that amazes you is the key to success! Here are a few discursive essay examples for creative writing.

Health topics

Are too many skincare treatment steps necessary?
The boom of SPF products and its consequences
The impact of weighted blankets on our mental and physical state
Baby sensory videos: short-term delight or long-term nightmare?
K-pop reign and the epidemic of skin bleaching
Is listening to healing frequencies just a trend?

Technology topics

Should Metaverse educational institutions replace traditional ones?
Why are so many people skeptical about NFT?
Potential threats and possibilities of deepfake technology
No more nightmares? Sleep engineering and the quality of rest
The eye in the sky: do drones take our privacy away?

Education topics

How do students suffer from teachers’ professional deformation?
Are there alternatives to modern classrooms?
The detrimental effect of excessive school noise on academic performance
How can we stop modern students from treating online lectures like podcasts or background noise?
What is wrong with beauty contests at educational institutions?
Should teaching methods vary to cater to students with ADHD?
Do individual preferences of some students negatively affect group well-being?

Essay topics for high-school

The impact of hyper-realistic beauty filters on the modern society
Should there be concerts with holograms of no longer living superstars?
No-backpack trend in schools: what are the other ways to stimulate students’ creativity?

Essay topics for college

Is it wrong when parents exploit their children to gain followers and likes on social media?
The necessity of mental health days in schools and universities
Is it possible to lengthen the attention span of Generation Z?
Why do university graduates overestimate their future salaries?
What makes remote workers protest against going offline again?
Is it time to move away from hustle culture?

Environment topics

Will fast fashion drown us in the piles of clothes?
Who is more guilty of pollution: corporations or end-users?
Can the trend for secondhand beat the destructive results of overconsumption?
Can traveling ever be sustainable?
Tote bags and metal straws: a drop in the sea or sufficient good for the planet?

Sport topics

The dark side of overexercising
How can we fight verbal and physical abuse from coaches?
Can you put E-sports in the same line as regular sports?

Culture topics

What is the problem with doing Asian-inspired makeup?
Where is the fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation?
Do most companies use diversity just for profits and reputation points?
The importance of racial representation through skins in the metaverse
How is the fetishization of Japanese people detrimental to their culture?

Conclusion

To sum up, a discursive essay helps people express their opinions on controversial topics and back up their statements. This type of work requires meticulous preparation and sticking to a set of particular rules. However, an author can get creative with the essay topic that sparks their interest. The Internet most likely contains a suitable discursive essay example.