how to write a discursive essay conclusion

26 Planning a Discursive Essay

Discursive essay – description.

A discursive essay is a form of critical essay that attempts to provide the reader with a balanced argument on a topic, supported by evidence. It requires critical thinking, as well as sound and valid arguments (see Chapter 25) that acknowledge and analyse arguments both for and against any given topic, plus discursive essay writing appeals to reason, not emotions or opinions. While it may draw some tentative conclusions, based on evidence, the main aim of a discursive essay is to inform the reader of the key arguments and allow them to arrive at their own conclusion.

The writer needs to research the topic thoroughly to present more than one perspective and should check their own biases and assumptions through critical reflection (see Chapter 30).

Unlike persuasive writing, the writer does not need to have knowledge of the audience, though should write using academic tone and language (see Chapter 20).

Choose Your Topic Carefully

A basic guide to choosing an assignment topic is available in Chapter 23, however choosing a topic for a discursive essay means considering more than one perspective. Not only do you need to find information about the topic via academic sources, you need to be able to construct a worthwhile discussion, moving from idea to idea. Therefore, more forward planning is required. The following are decisions that need to be considered when choosing a discursive essay topic:

These will become the controlling ideas for your three body paragraphs (some essays may require more). Each controlling idea will need arguments both for and against.
For example, if my topic is “renewable energy” and my three main (controlling) ideas are “cost”, “storage”, “environmental impact”, then I will need to consider arguments both for and against each of these three concepts. I will also need to have good academic sources with examples or evidence to support my claim and counter claim for each controlling idea (More about this in Chapter 27).
Am I able to write a thesis statement about this topic based on the available research? In other words, do my own ideas align with the available research, or am I going to be struggling to support my own ideas due to a lack of academic sources or research? You need to be smart about your topic choice. Do not make it harder than it has to be. Writing a discursive essay is challenging enough without struggling to find appropriate sources.
For example, perhaps I find a great academic journal article about the uptake of solar panel installation in suburban Australia and how this household decision is cost-effective long-term, locally stored, and has minimal, even beneficial environmental impact due to the lowering of carbon emissions. Seems too good to be true, yet it is perfect for my assignment. I would have to then find arguments AGAINST everything in the article that supports transitioning suburbs to solar power. I would have to challenge the cost-effectiveness, the storage, and the environmental impact study. Now, all of a sudden my task just became much more challenging.
There may be vast numbers of journal articles written about your topic, but consider how relevant they may be to your tentative thesis statement. It takes a great deal of time to search for appropriate academic sources. Do you have a good internet connection at home or will you need to spend some quality time at the library? Setting time aside to complete your essay research is crucial for success.

It is only through complete forward planning about the shape and content of your essay that you may be able to choose the topic that best suits your interests, academic ability and time management. Consider how you will approach the overall project, not only the next step.

Research Your Topic

When completing a library search for online peer reviewed journal articles, do not forget to use Boolean Operators to refine or narrow your search field. Standard Boolean Operators are (capitalized) AND, OR and NOT. While using OR will expand your search, AND and NOT will reduce the scope of your search. For example, if I want information on ageism and care giving, but I only want it to relate to the elderly, I might use the following to search a database: ageism AND care NOT children. Remember to keep track of your search strings (like the one just used) and then you’ll know what worked and what didn’t as you come and go from your academic research.

The UQ Library provides an excellent step-by-step guide to searching databases:

Searching in databases – Library – University of Queensland (uq.edu.au)

Did you know that you can also link the UQ Library to Google Scholar? This link tells you how:

Google Scholar – Library – University of Queensland (uq.edu.au)

Write the Thesis Statement

The concept of a thesis statement was introduced in Chapter 21. The information below relates specifically to a discursive essay thesis statement.

As noted in the introduction to this chapter, the discursive essay should not take a stance and therefore the thesis statement must also impartially indicate more than one perspective. The goal is to present both sides of an argument equally and allow the reader to make an informed and well-reasoned choice after providing supporting evidence for each side of the argument.

Sample thesis statements: Solar energy is a cost -effective solution to burning fossil fuels for electricity , however lower income families cannot afford the installation costs .

Some studies indicate that teacher comments written in red may have no effect on students’ emotions , however other studies suggest that seeing red ink on papers could cause some students unnecessary stress. [1]

According to social justice principles, education should be available to all , yet historically, the intellectually and physically impaired may have been exempt from participation due to their supposed inability to learn. [2]

This is where your pros and cons list comes into play. For each pro, or positive statement you make, about your topic, create an equivalent con, or negative statement and this will enable you to arrive at two opposing assertions – the claim and counter claim.

While there may be multiple arguments or perspectives related to your essay topic, it is important that you match each claim with a counter-claim. This applies to the thesis statement and each supporting argument within the body paragraphs of the essay.

It is not just a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. A neutral tone is crucial. Do not include positive or negative leading statements, such as “It is undeniable that…” or “One should not accept the view that…”. You are NOT attempting to persuade the reader to choose one viewpoint over another.

Leading statements / language will be discussed further, in class, within term three of the Academic English course.

Thesis Structure:

Note the two sides (indicated in green and orange)
Note the use of tentative language: “Some studies”, “may have”, “could cause”, “some students”
As the thesis is yet to be discussed in-depth, and you are not an expert in the field, do not use definitive language
The statement is also one sentence, with a “pivot point” in the middle, with a comma and signposting to indicate a contradictory perspective (in black). Other examples include, nevertheless, though, although, regardless, yet, albeit. DO NOT use the word “but” as it lacks academic tone. Some signposts (e.g., although, though, while) may be placed at the start of the two clauses rather than in the middle – just remember the comma, for example, “While some studies suggest solar energy is cost-effective, other critical research questions its affordability.”
Also note that it is based on preliminary research and not opinion: “some studies”, “other studies”, “according to social justice principles”, “critical research”.

Claims and Counter Claims

NOTE: Please do not confuse the words ‘claim’ and ‘counter-claim’ with moral or value judgements about right/wrong, good/bad, successful/unsuccessful, or the like. The term ‘claim’ simply refers to the first position or argument you put forward (whether for or against), and ‘counter-claim’ is the alternate position or argument.

In a discursive essay the goal is to present both sides equally and then draw some tentative conclusions based on the evidence presented.

To formulate your claims and counter claims, write a list of pros and cons.
For each pro there should be a corresponding con.
Three sets of pros and cons will be required for your discursive essay. One set for each body paragraph. These become your claims and counter claims.
For a longer essay, you would need further claims and counter claims.
Some instructors prefer students to keep the pros and cons in the same order across the body paragraphs. Each paragraph would then have a pro followed by a con or else a con followed by a pro. The order should align with your thesis; if the thesis gives a pro view of the topic followed by a negative view (con) then the paragraphs should also start with the pro and follow with the con, or else vice versa. If not aligned and consistent, the reader may easily become confused as the argument proceeds. Ask your teacher if this is a requirement for your assessment.

how to write a discursive essay conclusion

Use previous chapters to explore your chosen topic through concept mapping (Chapter 18) and essay outlining (Chapter 19), with one variance; you must include your proposed claims and counter claims in your proposed paragraph structures. What follows is a generic model for a discursive essay. The following Chapter 27 will examine this in further details.

Sample Discursive Essay Outline

The paragraphs are continuous; the dot-points are only meant to indicate content.

Introduction

Thesis statement
Essay outline (including 3 controlling ideas)

Body Paragraphs X 3 (Elaboration and evidence will be more than one sentence, though the topic, claim and counter claim should be succinct)

T opic sentence, including 1/3 controlling ideas (the topic remains the same throughout the entire essay; it is the controlling idea that changes)
A claim/assertion about the controlling idea
E laboration – more information about the claim
E vidence -academic research (Don’t forget to tell the reader how / why the evidence supports the claim. Be explicit in your E valuation rather than assuming the connection is obvious to the reader)
A counter claim (remember it must be COUNTER to the claim you made, not about something different)
E laboration – more information about the counter claim
E vidence – academic research (Don’t forget to tell the reader how / why the evidence supports the claim. Be explicit in your E valuation rather than assuming the connection is obvious to the reader)
Concluding sentence – L inks back to the topic and/or the next controlling idea in the following paragraph

Mirror the introduction. The essay outline should have stated the plan for the essay – “This essay will discuss…”, therefore the conclusion should identify that this has been fulfilled, “This essay has discussed…”, plus summarise the controlling ideas and key arguments. ONLY draw tentative conclusions BOTH for and against, allowing the reader to make up their own mind about the topic. Also remember to re-state the thesis in the conclusion. If it is part of the marking criteria, you should also include a recommendation or prediction about the future use or cost/benefit of the chosen topic/concept.

A word of warning, many students fall into the generic realm of stating that there should be further research on their topic or in the field of study. This is a gross statement of the obvious as all academia is ongoing. Try to be more practical with your recommendations and also think about who would instigate them and where the funding might come from.

This chapter gives an overview of what a discursive essay is and a few things to consider when choosing your topic. It also provides a generic outline for a discursive essay structure. The following chapter examines the structure in further detail.

Inez, S. M. (2018, September 10). What is a discursive essay, and how do you write a good one? Kibin. ↵
Hale, A., & Basides, H. (2013). The keys to academic English. Palgrave ↵

researched, reliable, written by academics and published by reputable publishers; often, but not always peer reviewed

assertion, maintain as fact

The term ‘claim’ simply refers to the first position or argument you put forward (whether for or against), and ‘counter-claim’ is the alternate position or argument.

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How to Write a Discursive Essay: Format, Topics & Examples

Table of contents, what is discursive essays, key features of a discursive essay, format of a discursive essay, list of discursive essay topics, example of how to write a good discursive essay.

Author : Vipul Jain

If you know how to write a critical essay it won’t be that hard for you to understand the format of a discursive essay. This is the reason every student is said to understand how to write a discursive essay. As you are here that means you have not experienced how to write a Discursive essay till now. You don’t have to worry, everything that you should know about Discursive essays you will know it here.

Definition of Discursive essay is among the most common forms of writing tasks assigned to students and it consists of the examination of the chosen subject, which is a topic that has more than one side. It is meant to make students engage their critical thinking ability and make analysis. Students face issues in the analysis part for which they look out for the best essay writing service so that they can help them.

James Joyce a famous Irish author suggests that while writing a discursive composition, a writer doesn’t have to provide a piece of biased information and present the two sides of the case arguing. Discursive essay meaning is a genre of writing in such a sense that requires proper investigation of the topic, evaluate evidence, and read all the information before writing your essay.

Here are some key features that may help you understand discursive essays more properly or you can look for Top-rates websites for academic essay writing that will help you out by providing guidance and tips.

Balanced Argument : Gives the pros and cons of an issue.

Critical Thinking : Through the use of words such as ‘it remains’, the writer tries to appeal to many possible opinions in the reader’s mind.

Objective Tone : Impartiality which means the author or speaker does not take sides in regards to the information that they are giving to an audience.

Clear Structure : Coherent and presents a progressive and comprehensible concept. If you don’t understand structure you can reach a writing service for getting services like “ Write my essays ”.

Evidence : Backs up claims with facts or statistics, or personal or other people’s opinions.

For a properly structured Discursive essay, you must follow the format to get your essay in the right structure. Make sure Arguments can be more than 2 and you have to discuss the arguments in the same manner.

Below are the suggestions of some discursive essay ideas and topics for your help in selecting the right and perfect essay discursive essay for you. Among these, you can also have topics for discursive essays in higher English as well.

Social Issues

Is euthanasia entitled to be legal?
Is the use of social media bad for one’s mental health?
Genetically modified organisms should be used in food production.
Is the use of artificial intelligence and automation helpful for society?
Should the government control the utilization of technology?
Is Technology making people less social?

Many students find it very hard to do assignments on technology-related topics or subjects, if you also feel so you can seek help from an Assignment helper , they can help you out with all types of assignments.

Should colleges and universities remove the use of standardized tests from admissions?
Should students prefer online classes or classroom-style instructions?
Should schools pay more emphasis on offering job-oriented training?
Does it mean that democracy is the best form of government?
There is one question that is always raised regarding guns: Should gun control laws be more rigorous?
What are the effects of globalization on developing countries?

Environment

Is climate change a result of human-induced?
Should people use renewable sources of energy?
Do GMOs pose a threat or hurt the environment?

Similar technology, topics, and subjects related to the environment also require proper research and proper collection of evidence in writing the proper assignment. So, you can get help from the assignment writer for this as well.

Below are some points working as examples of discursive essays that can help you understand how can you write a perfect discursive essay.

Research Thoroughly : It is necessary to gather information from reliable sources to argue for the solutions. Understand what is research methodology and use it very wisely while writing your essay.

Maintain Objectivity : Do not express oneself in a manner that is in any way prejudiced or appeals to the emotional sentiments of the concerned parties.

Use Clear and Concise Language : Writing is to be formal and academic.

Proofread Carefully : Ensure that the paper complies with various rules about writing, particularly grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Get Feedback : It is recommended to show your essay to a friend, teacher, or tutor and hear their opinion on the material.

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A discursive essay is an important piece of writing and requires proper research and collection of evidence in the right manner. Discursive essays help you in your future assignments as well by improving your basic writing skills. This blog discussed the format that you must follow for writing a discursive essay you must properly go through the format to understand the complete format. Other than this you must also know how to write an essay structure , a normal essay, and not any particular type.

The format includes an introduction, then next comes 1 argument, then you have to discuss 2nd argument, as a discursive essay can never be biased, and should talk about 2 or more arguments. After this several discursive essay topics have been mentioned for your essay, you can select any one of them for your Discursive essay. And in last to get a complete understanding of the examples of how to write a good dissertation is mentioned to give important lessons on what things you must use while writing.

Q.1 Can I get help from somewhere for writing my discursive essay?

Ans. Yes, you can surely get help from any writing service and ask them for help with essays , and discuss everything with them regarding your essay.

Q.2 Where can I find the best examples for a Discursive essay?

Q.3 Difference between argumentative essays and discursive essays?

Ans. By understanding how to write an argumentative essay you understand that the main objective of an argumentative essay is to convince the reader of a specific viewpoint. In the case of discursive essays, both sides of the story are explained and the decision is left to the reader.

Q.4 What is the definition of discursive essay?

Ans. A discursive essay is one type of essay in which a writer provides 2 arguments for the same topic after proper research and using proper evidence leaving it to the reader to decide what must be the right decision.

Q.5 If I use writing service will I be in legal trouble?

Ans. It is legal to use a service for writing until you get your work from someone who provides you with work that involves plagiarism and AI content.

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Hi, I am Vipul Jain ( Founder of Workingment). I have contributed my writing expertise and collaborated with a team of experts to support UK students in achieving higher grades. My mission is to assist students who face various challenges in completing their academic writing projects.

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