Difference b/w Discursive and Argumentative Essays:

In Discursive essays, you present a balanced argument that contains ‘for’ and ‘against’ points. You do
not state your opinion.In Argumentative, you give your opinion and convince the reader on your point of
view.

Example Argumentative Essay:

Some people say that the Internet does more harm than good. What is your view?

To majority of teenagers and working adults, the Internet has been regarded as one the most innovative
achievements of humankind. Since the invention of the internet, its pervasive and life-altering influences
can be felt in many aspects of people’s daily lives. While mostly beneficial in areas such as
communication, trade and research, the internet has also caused a proliferation of vices such as
pornography and hacking. Despite the negativity associated with the internet, I strongly believe that
Internet does more good than harm.

Communication all over the world has been considerably improved thanks to the Internet. With the
widespread availability of messengers and social networks like Yahoo and Facebook, people can easily
communicate irrespective of their geographic locations. Gone are the days when international
communication meant a delay of several days to months. Today, interaction through the Internet is not
only much cheaper and more convenient than traditional modes of communication, it also has options
to allow face to face interaction such as through the use of Skype. Now, family members and businesses
can not only have instantaneous communication, they can also have the added personal touch even if
they are in different continents or in any remote part of the world.

The Internet is one of the key contributors to the global free trade. When the transnational corporations
want to open business in the other countries, they first have to contact partners in those countries
before officially making a deal. In such case, the Internet certainly does a great job. Furthermore, the
internet is instrumental in reducing operation costs for businesses where employees can be easily hired
from developing countries and work remotely from their native land. For example, many transnational
companies set up call centres in countries like Philippines or India where workers are cheaper to
employ. The same benefits are applied to people’s daily lives. With the omnipresence of online shops,
many people are able to save their precious time shopping. Instead, they have more time to do other
important things such as helping their children do homework or having a short visit to their parents’
house.

On the other hand, objectors of the Internet argue that it spoils the young generation by spreading
pornography and violence, which is considered rampant nowadays. There is no doubt that pornographic
websites and violence videos are ubiquitous online, but whether the young is spoilt by it depends on the
young themselves. Owing to the continual warning of using the Internet on many cyber education
programs, the youths are supposed to know about all the boon and bane effect of surfing webs. Thus,
once they have heightened awareness, there is likelihood that they will not be attacked by cyber
hackers. Moreover there is a variety of information for their researches on line. Instead of spending
hours of flipping over hundreds of books in the libraries, one may easily obtain necessary
documentation within a second of mouse click.

Similar to any other technological inventions, the Internet has both pros and cons; nonetheless, its
benefits far outweigh its harms. With recent upgrading Internet security software and substantial
improvements on its use, I am firmly convinced the Internet is more a blessing than a curse.

Here are some pointers from the IGCSE Examiner Tips:

Be clear about the difference between an argumentative and a discursive essay. When asked directly to
give your own opinion you should commit yourself to a line of argument. When asked to give a range of
possible views then you are being discursive and may or may not choose to say what you personally
believe.

Mention counter arguments – and dispute them. A strong argument includes refutation of the other
point of view. This way you can show that you are not being purely ignorant or prejudiced in your
response. It is important to show balance in presenting the argument.

If you are having difficulty finding enough points to support your stance you should consider arguing the
opposite view – it might be easier!

Aim for an effective introduction which captures attention and makes the topic and context clear

You should end on the side you are arguing for structure your essay so that you deal with the other side
first and end strongly to clinch your argument with a final convincing point . Do not repeat yourself – ‘To
sum up’ and ‘In conclusion’ are not strong endings as you won’t be saying anything new to convince
your reader.

It is generally advisable to argue your own personal viewpoint as it is likely to sound more convincing. It
is however, possible, to argue effectively for or against an argument which you have never considered
before, provided that you can marshal some evidence from the media, facts, statistics and experience.
These are the areas from which you draw your supporting detail and illustration.

Do not get too passionate about the topic as this will make your essay sound too emotional and
subjective, and therefore less persuasive.

Sometimes there is a single word in the question which alters the emphasis of the argument, for
instance the word ‘compulsory’. Make sure you pay attention to the key words in questions when you
are planning and answering – it is worth underlining key words to remind you.

Try using personal pronouns – ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’ can make your argument seem more authentic and
inclusive.

Do not start each paragraph with a numbered point- firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on- as this can get
tedious for the reader and sound quite artificial if the ideas are not in fact sequential. Use other
paragraph linking words, the ones which show whether your argument is continuing in the same
direction (e.g. ‘furthermore’, ‘in addition’) or changing direction (e.g. ‘nevertheless’, ‘on the other
hand’). The key is to make sure that your argument is “building” as you go. Use your connectives to help
you take your reader with you so that they can follow your train of thought all the way through.

Three-point structures (sometimes called tricolons) can sound authoritative, e.g. ‘involving the learners,
the teachers and the parent’. More than three of anything becomes a list; fewer lacks persuasive impact
and overuse of tricolons is rarely effective.