DISCUSSION ESSAY

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson, you will learn:
 The format of a Discussion essay.
 Useful language for the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion

IN CLASS PRACTICE
THE INTRODUCTION

ANALYSING MODEL INTRODUCTION

Read the model introduction for the prompt below and discuss the following questions with your
partner.
1. How many parts are there in the introduction? What is the function of each part?
2. Which phrases/grammatical structures are used to introduce each part?
3. Based on the context of the model introduction, can you guess what bolded phrases mean?
MODEL PROMPT:
Space exploration costs tax payers an exorbitant amount of money each year. Some people rationalise
that this is necessary for the future of our planet and our very existence. Others doubt the benefits of space
exploration, claiming that this sum of money should be used to address immediate problems on Earth.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
MODEL INTRODUCTION
Over the past decades, there has been a lot of controversy over government funding of space programs.
Many believe that this is necessary for the future of our species, but others argue that this resource should
be allocated to other more vital priorities instead. While there are compelling arguments for the second
viewpoint, from my own perspective, the former one makes more sense.

TIPS FOR THE INTRODUCTION

1. A good introduction usually consists of 2 parts
a. Topic paraphrase: express the topic of the prompt in your own words
b. Thesis: address the task (i.e. state the viewpoint you prefer)
2. Some useful expressions for the introduction of Discussion Essay
a. Topic Paraphrase
* There has been lots of controversy over Noun phrase/Noun clause ( how /whether ...or..).
* There is growing concern over Noun phrase/ Noun clause.
* People have different views on Noun phrase/ Noun clause.
b. Thesis
* While/Although there are good arguments in favor of View 1, I personally believe that View 2.
* While some people argue that View 1, I believe that View 2.
* While there are compelling arguments for View 1, from my own perspective, View 2 makes more sense.
WRITING THE INTRODUCTION
In pairs, read the main prompt below. Discuss to decide on the view you and your partner support.
Then write the introduction.
MAIN PROMPT
Some people think the government funding should not be used for supporting art and culture, while others
think supporting cultural activities may be beneficial for the population and the culture. Discuss both views
and give your own opinion.
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THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

ANALYSING MODEL BODY PARAGRAPHS

Below are the body paragraphs of a response to the MODEL PROMPT.

Critics of space exploration argue that such costly endeavours are highly wasteful especially when not
enough is being spent on helping the poor. For example, many African children are still dying from
starvation and poor nutrition. What’s more, poor access to clean water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and
sanitation means that diseases spread rapidly in many parts of the developing world, killing millions of
lives every year. All of these problems would be alleviated if just a fraction of the state budget devoted
to space research were redirected to them. Another argument against spending public money on space
research is that this resource should be used to battle the environmental degradation that threatens to
make the Earth inhabitable. Particularly, many think that saving the earth is more urgently important than
exploring the unknown since the ongoing ecological disasters are jeopardizing the livelihood of millions
while the rewards of outer space research are unlikely to materialize in the near future.
However, I believe that these critics have failed to take many factors into account. First and foremost,
funding for space research in the past 5 decades has proven to be crucial for technological advances.
Many technologies that were developed for the space race are now are widely used in civilian lives. Some
examples include freeze-dried food, LEDs and GPS, all of which are highly beneficial for the general public.
In addition, there is some truth in the idea that in the far future when the Earth inevitably becomes
uninhabitable due to overpopulation or environmental destruction, finding an extra-terrestrial alternative
habitat could be the answer for the continuation of our species. Such an ambitious task would not be
possible without massive, continuous financial support from the government.
Read the body paragraphs above and discuss the following questions with your partner:
1. Which opinion is argued in the first body paragraph - the opinion the writer supports or the other one?
2. Which opinion is argued in the second body paragraph - the opinion the writer supports or the other
one?
3. How many key arguments are there in the first body paragraph? How about the second paragraph?
4. What phrases are used to introduce the key arguments?
5. Based on the context of the model body paragraphs, can you guess what the bolded phrases mean?

TEMPLATE FOR BODY PARAGRAPHS

Body 1 - Discussion of the view you DON’T support

 Sentence 1 - Argument 1 for this viewpoint
 Sentence 2 + 3 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)
 Sentence 4 - Argument 2 for this viewpoint
 Sentence 5 + 6 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)

Body 2 - Discussion of the view you DO support

 Sentence 1 - Argument 1 for this viewpoint
 Sentence 2 + 3 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)
 Sentence 4 - Argument 2 for this viewpoint
 Sentence 5 + 6 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)
 USEFUL LANGUAGE

1. INTRODUCING ARGUMENTS

Opponents/Critics of (noun phrase) argue that ....

Supporters/Advocates of (noun phrase) assert that....

One convincing arguments in favor of/against (noun phrase) is that.....

Those who support/opppose this view contend that......

2. PRESENTING REASONS/EXAMPLES

There are a number of reasons why...clause.../ for ... phrase

One of the main reasons why....................

For this reason, .....................

For instance, /example.......................

WRITING BODY PARAGRAPHS

BRAINSTORMING
Below are a few arguments for the two views mentioned in the main prompt. With you partner,

a. sort them into the right columns of TABLE A.

b. pick two arguments for each view to expand and create the outlines for the body paragraphs.
See the expansion example below.

1. arts and cultural works strengthen national identity.

EXPANSION EXAMPLE
2. public funding for arts/cultures usually results in useless, low quality works.
* public funding helps
3. there are more important priorities for the government to deal with. uphold the population of
artists
4. there are other sources of funding available.
+ very few artists can
5. arts and cultural works cater for human’s aesthetic needs. make a decent living
selling their works
6. arts and cultural works can benefit tourism.
+ no government
7. artists should earn their own money by selling their works. sponsor  fewer artists
 fewer artworks for
8. public funding helps uphold the population of artists. public usage
TABLE A
View 1: Government funding should not be used View 2: Government funding should be used for
for supporting art and culture. supporting art and culture.
2

OUTLINE

BODY 1 BODY 2
WRITING PRACTICE
In pairs, use the ideas in the outline above to write the body paragraphs. Each student should write ONE
body paragraph.

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

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BODY PARAGRAPH 2

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THE CONCLUSION

ANALYSING MODEL CONCLUSION

Read the conclusion for the model prompt below and discuss these questions with your partner.
1. How does the conclusion relate to the introduction?
2. What phrase is used to signal the conclusion?
3. Based on the context of the model conclusion, can you guess what the bolded phrases mean?
MODEL CONCLUSION
In conclusion, while there are many pressing issues that need immediate attention such as starvation,
epidemics and environmental destruction, from my perspective, government expenditure in space
technology is worthwhile because our daily life and our future depend on it.

TIPS FOR THE CONCLUSION

A good conclusion should meet the following requirements:
 It restates the opinion put forward in the thesis statement.
 It summarizes the main arguments presented in body paragraphs. (optional)
Common conclusion signals:
 To conclude/In conclusion/In short/ In summary, .................
 All in all, /Overall, ...................

WRITING THE CONCLUSION

Work in pairs to write the conclusion for the main prompt.

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summary
SUGGESTED OUTLINE FOR A DISCUSSION ESSAY
Paragraph 1 - Introduction

 Sentence 1 - Paraphrase the essay prompt

 Sentence 2 - Thesis statement

Paragraph 2 - Body 1 - Discussion of the view you DON’T support

 Sentence 1 - Argument 1 for this viewpoint

 Sentence 2 + 3 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)

 Sentence 4 - Argument 2 for this viewpoint

 Sentence 5 + 6 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)

Paragraph 3 - Body 2 - Discussion of the second view you DO support

 Sentence 1 - Argument 1 for this viewpoint

 Sentence 2 + 3 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)

 Sentence 4 - Argument 2 for this viewpoint

 Sentence 5 + 6 - Supporting ideas (example, explanation)

Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

Sentence 1 - Paraphrase the thesis statement with a summary of two body paragraphs .

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