Write a Discussion Essay

In general, discussion is “competent deliberation that is rooted in knowledge” (Center for Education in Law and Democracy). In a tactful and productive discussion, you need to consider opposite points and make a balanced, though-out conclusion. When discussing something in an essay, you also need to stick to a certain structure: choose an opinion and present the arguments for and against your viewpoint and sum up your opinion in an elegant conclusion.

Steps

  1. Work upon a prompt. If you have a prompt, you should carefully analyze it by defining the key words and asking problematic questions about them. For example, a problematic question (a key word) is the one that is relevant and provokes disagreement. However, since no question has a universally accepted answer, can we classify problematic questions as a separate group? (a problem). Note that the prompt question should have no more and no less than two opposite answers, so that you can make your opinion either in favor or against the claim. This is necessary when you don’t have a ready-made prompt and the assignment requires you to compose it by yourself.Here is a prompt randomly taken from EssayDB.net
  2. Research the topic. Define the unfamiliar terms in your prompt. Find out how they are related to each other and some other concepts. Try to find the comments from different parties with different interests and opinions.
  3. Make up your mind about the issue and… put it aside. You will need to be objective, but also decisive. It’s the best practice to mind your stance but remain open to new perspectives.
  4. Organise your problematic questions around the heart of the matter. This may take up the form of a table. The left column is for the issues that may incline the reader to your position. The right column is for the points that stand in the way of your claim.
  5. Build an outline. That is to say, organize your supporting material according to the accepted requirements to the structure of a discussion essay. Basically, you need:
    • an introduction where you introduce the issue and present your viewpoint in a thesis statement
    • a paragraph for the arguments for your position (the left column)
    • one more for the arguments against your position (the right column)
    • a conclusion where you make a synthesis of the arguments given and affirm your own claim.
    1. In our case, you may tell why the question about Baudrillard’s theory is formulated this way. Then, you proceed to advocate that photography is, say, a mechanism of simulation rather than its casualty. You give the counter-arguments, refute them if possible and synthesize what you’ve learned in a conclusion.
    2. You may want to make the structure more complicated by discussing one issue after another, so that each of your paragraphs contains the arguments both for and against your claim.
  6. Add the supporting material to develop your outline. Rely on credible sources only. Cite the primary source if possible (in our case, cite Baudrillard). Try to remain neutral and present the opposing viewpoints in equally detailed way.
  7. Re-read your essay to correct possible mistakes and check out whether you remain neutral and supportive towards both of the opinions presented. If possible, do this a day/a night after you finished the work. This way, your mind is refreshed, and you can notice more.

Tips

  • Imagine that you’re talking to a very important person but not a very close one (not your best friend or significant). This will help you be empathetic while remaining formal
  • At some point (especially when you deal with a ready-made prompt), it will appear that no topic can be restricted to just two opposing claims. Don’t panic: you need to master another form of writing, not discover the ultimate truth. Try to focus on logical oppositions or controversial questions and you will find out necessary points

Warnings

  • Remember to stop researching before the deadline. Quite often, the research stage absorbs a student so fully that the upcoming submission date seems unimportant. The material seems too complicated to be organised in a simple discussion essay structure. There’s a simple hint for you: stop where the questions you ask start resembling what you’ve already searched for. Or even better: stop when you have at least two days before the deadline
  • Common pitfalls listed by Grammarly are boring plot, irrelevant thesis, weak or unclear supporting points, and wordiness
  • Your counter-claims should match what you claim. Sometimes, your arguments are related to one side of the issue while your opponents’ arguments touch entirely different aspects. Try to avoid the instance when the two discussing voices of your essay don’t reach each other
  • Mind the issue of credibility of your sources. First-hand evidence is the best. Also, research is better to rely on than creative writing (unless your essay is not focused on creative writing)

Sources and Citations

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