Best Simplified Discussion Essay Outline Guide 2022
Assignments are part of a student’s life; Not only do they help students become proactive in researching, but also, they help instructors assess the learning levels of the students. Assignments range from simple questions to complex tasks. One of the assignments that a student will have to handle in their school life is to present a discussion essay. use plagiarized sources. Get Your Assignment on
In some instances, the instructor will give the students a topic for the discussion topic, while the instructor may require the student to come up with a discussion topic for their discussion essay. Whether you will be coming up with a discussion essay topic or not, you need to have a discussion essay outline if you are to deliver a quality discussion essay.
What is a Discussion Essay?
Discussions are deliberations that are backed with knowledge. For a discussion to be productive, it must consider the two viewpoints of a topic and then achieve a balanced view of the topic. Discussion essays present topic issues that are both open and debatable. Therefore, the discussion essay should contain a discussion of the two sides of the topic. Due to this reason, discussion essays are also known as argumentative essays.
When writing a discussion essay, you should give a thorough understanding of the topic issue before you can show your conclusion and share your opinion. Like persuasive essays, a quality discussion essay is one in which the author offers substantial research and solid evidence to showcase the different views of the topic.
When discussing the topic in the discussion essay, you need to follow a concrete discussion essay structure throughout the essay. You should have a single opinion and then bring up both positive and negative arguments. After discussing the topic idea, you should have your opinion on the topic idea, which will be summed in a conclusion. Usually, discussion essays have discussion questions. It is important that you read the discussion questions carefully, get time to understand the questions before going ahead to answer the questions in your essay.
How to Write a Discussion Essay
Like any writing task, there are different steps that one must follow when writing a discussion essay. There are five major steps that you should follow when writing a discussion essay. These steps are as follows:
1. Choose a Topic for the Discussion Essay
The discussion essay will be on a certain topic. Usually, when an instructor requires you to write a discussion essay as an assignment, they will give you the discussion essay topic. If the instructor does not give you the topic, they will tell you to choose a topic for your discussion topic. You should choose an appropriate discussion essay topic and one that is within your area of interest. Also, when choosing a topic for the discussion essay, choose one with debatable sides, and that has different issues for analysis.
You will be discussing the different sides of the discussion essay topic. Deep research will be helpful in getting information for your essay. Remember to note all the sources for your research.
2. Create a Discussion Essay Outline
You should create the discussion essay outline of the discussion essay using paper and pen. The goal of creating a discussion essay outline is to get all your thoughts down in writing and organize them on paper. The detailed discussion essay outline can use the format of using numbers and a traditional outline. The numbers separate the points in the essay. You can also create a discussion essay outline by writing down the various discussion points you want to include in the body.
3. Write the Introduction
The purpose of an essay introduction is to let the reader know the issues you will be discussing in the essay and their background. You should also explain the terms that you will be using in the essay. Giving a reader an overview of the issues to discuss sees that he or she understands the flow of thoughts throughout the essay. You should always conclude the introduction with a discussion essay thesis statement.
4. Write the Body
The large part of the body of a discussion essay is the details of the research sources. Since there are different issues that you need to present in the body, you should present each issue individually and without bias. First, give one side of the argument and follow with the opposing side.
It is important that the arguments be progressive. That implies that you should state the arguments from the weak ones and finish with strong arguments. Structuring your discussion essay this way will see that the reader enjoys a smooth thought process, and hence he or she gets to grasp the purpose of the discussion essay.
Each paragraph of the body should follow the following format:
- Statement of the new idea
- Explanation of the points that support the idea
- Explanation of the points that oppose the idea
- Conclusion of the idea
5. Write the Conclusion
The last part of the discussion essay is the conclusion. The conclusion serves as a summary of the content in the discussion essay. Also, the conclusion should accentuate the thesis statement of the discussion essay. A reader should review the different sides of the discussion essay topic by reading the conclusion. You should provide sufficient information for the reader to have their opinion.
The conclusion is the last provision to convince the reader, and a deep understanding of the discussion topic will deliver just that. As a writer, it is advisable that you do not take sides in your discussion essay conclusion. If you have to take a side of the argument, you should indicate your side in conclusion and the reason behind your support.
Characteristics of a Good Discussion Essay
There are different qualities that a good discussion essay possesses. The assessment criteria will dictate the manner in which the qualities will be highlighted. These qualities are:
- Appropriate identification of the task
- Formulation of the relevant task response
- Provision of clear sense and purpose
- Proper use of tense
- The correct choice of words and phrases
- Use of complex sentence structures
- Following the right academic formatting style
Frequently Asked Questions about Writing a Discussion Essay and Discussion Essay Outline
What is a Discussion Paper?
This refers to an academic document that expresses ideas and opinions about a topic in the form of a discussion.
What is a Discussion Paper Format?
A discussion paper takes a normal format like any other academic paper. The main thing that separates a discussion paper from other papers is the discussion aspect of the paper. You should provide contrasting ideas based on their point of view when you are deriving a solution for the discussion question.
What is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement refers to a condensation of the argument in a discussion essay. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of the introduction in your discussion essay.
Why Should You Have a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement serves the following purposes:
- To organize your argument
- To give a reader a guide to your discussion
- To test your ideas by compressing them to a sentence
How Do You Write a Thesis for a Discussion Essay?
When you have been assigned a discussion essay topic, you should focus on condensing the assignment to one discussion question. Once you have a question that your discussion essay will be answering, come up with a sentence that answers your discussion question. If you have not been assigned a discussion essay writing topic, the thesis statement should still answer the question that your essay will be asking. In this case, you need to know the question that you want to write about.
Characteristics of a Good Thesis Statement
A good thesis statement should have the following four characteristics:
- It should be on a subject on which people can agree or disagree on
- Expresses one idea
- Should be specific
- Asserts your conclusion on the discussion essay subject
What is the Purpose of a Discussion Essay Outline?
An outline allows you to brainstorm ideas so that you deliver an organized, focused, and supported essay. It is easier to write a discussion essay when you have an outline than when starting on a blank page.
When Should You Write a Discussion Essay Outline?
It is advisable that you create your paper’s outline before commencing on the writing. Once you finish writing your discussion essay, check your essay against your outline.
How Do You Write a Discussion Essay Outline?
Here are the steps that you will take when creating an outline:
- Identify the thesis statement
- Come up with points to highlight in the discussion
- Arrange the points in a logical manner and in a way that it connects to the main point
- Create transitions between paragraphs
What Makes a Good Discussion Essay Outline?
Your outline should contain the main idea and supporting ideas of your discussion essay. That implies that you want to include the thesis, topic sentences from supporting paragraphs, and other details.
What is the Standard Discussion Essay Outline Format?
The standard outline format is a format that helps you arrange ideas in a discussion essay according to their relevance.
Roman Numerals
These are useful in the identification of important ideas. When outlining multiple chapters, you should use the roman numerals in identifying the chapter titles. When outlining one chapter, you should use the roman numerals in identifying section headings.
Main ideas
These are identified using capital letters. In some cases, the letters should be bold and in red.
Subheadings
These are the smaller parts of the main idea and are identified using numbers. In the event that there are no subheadings, the first sentence of the paragraph serves as the subheading
Supporting details such as proper nouns and examples, are identified using lower case letters.
Example of Standard Discussion Essay Outline Format
- Main Idea
- sub-heading
- supporting detail
- supporting detail
Take note that whenever there are multiple ideas, the smaller idea is indented. Also, the use of lower case and upper-case letters, numbers, and roman numerals depend on the length of the paragraph.
How Do You Discuss a Topic?
When asked to discuss a topic, you should explore the arguments against and for the discussion argument.
Discussion Essay Vocabulary: Words to Use in a Discussion Essay
When presenting your arguments in a discussion essay, it is important that you arrange the ideas in order of their significance. Here are some of the words and phrases you can use; first, first of all, the most important, second, secondly, finally, and lastly.
When introducing your opinion in the discussion essay, you can use the following phrases; ‘I believe that,’ ‘there is no doubt,’ and ‘one of the key arguments against X is.’ Also, avoid using some words excessively. Instead, opt for the synonyms. For instance, you can use the words benefit and pro instead of typing the word advantage. Also, the words con and drawback are good replacements for the word disadvantage.
Discussion Essay Example
Here is an example of a discussion essay that follows the right discussion essay outline:
Discussion question: There has been an increase in the number of students going abroad for university education. Does studying abroad benefit students?
The Introduction
The first part of a discussion essay consists of the following parts: general statement, position, definition, and thesis. The general statement introduces the reader to the discussion essay topic. The position allows the writer to express their opinion to the reader. Definitions refer to the explanation of the technical words. The thesis statement informs the reader of the topic that will be in the discussion essay topic.
It is no doubt that people spend almost 15 years of their lives in education—pre-school, primary, secondary, and university. You will notice that most students attend school around their home and in their country. However, most students are going for university education overseas. University education is also known as tertiary education or post-secondary education. Being the level of education that qualifies most people for work-life, university education is a critical aspect of education. University education has its fair share of merits and demerits.
The Body
The body of a discussion essay consists of the arguments for and against the discussion essay topic. Every argument should have a detailed explanation to drive the point home.
First, undertaking a university education overseas gives students a good language learning environment. Students have to learn the local language in the place of study to use both in their classes and the new area of residence. Learning a new language is good for a student’s portfolio and helps one advance their language abilities.
Another significant benefit is increased employ-ability. Globalization implies that the world is a small village. Companies are setting branches and offices in different parts of the world. These companies look for employees with different skills, which include fluency in the local language. Students who have undertaken university education abroad have a high chance of obtaining job opportunities in these countries.
There are drawbacks to students undertaking university education overseas. One of the disadvantages of studying overseas is the high cost of education. The travel costs are high, and the tuition fees are considerably high as well. In addition, the living expenses in a foreign country are high. Although there are scholarship opportunities for foreign students, the sponsors do not cater for all costs.
The conclusion
The last part of the discussion essay consists of the summary, the writer’s opinion, and recommendation.
In conclusion, studying university education has advantages such as a better language environment and high chances of employment. However, the flip side is that university education overseas comes with a huge financial burden. In my opinion, a university education is a good thing and worthwhile for students from financially well-being families. Students who are from humble backgrounds should consider the high cost of university education.
The above example of the discussion essay highlights the main parts of a discussion essay; the introduction, body, and conclusion. You can also see the discussion essay outline that the essay follows.
If you have a discussion essay assignment, you know the main parts that you need to include in your discussion essay. When you need help with your discussion essay, consider contacting online essay help experts. Experts in online essay help understand the dynamics of handling different assignments, which include coming up with a discussion essay outline.
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