A discussion text is a type of text that presents a problematic issue.

This issue is discussed from different

points of view.

This type of text is commonly found in philosophical, historical, and social texts. Discussions are found in
many places, not just in books or in school. Discussions are often found in media, such as debate shows,
and can be read everywhere in newspapers, magazines, and even textbooks.

Discussion topics always have more than one side, and it is important to gather the necessary
information to present all the sides well.
 Procedure
1. Reflect on this question: Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?

2. Think of the different sides of the issue and what could possibly be the supporting
details for each side. After a minute of reflecting on this, partner up with your seatmate
and share your thoughts with each other.

A discussion presents differing opinions, perspectives, and viewpoints. It helps the reader to explore
different ideas before making an informed decision. To achieve this, information should be gathered
from different sources: primary sources and secondary sources.
Primary Sources
These are records produced by the people who have firsthand accounts and perspectives of the events
or issues. They are usually found in physical and online libraries. Written documents are just one of the
records. Here are some examples:

Suppose you are going to write a paper on the works of a certain artist. One of the artist’s works of art
may be one of the primary sources you can use.

Secondary Sources
These are records by someone who used primary sources as his or her reference. In other words, these
are secondhand information. Secondary sources describe, analyze, discuss, interpret, evaluate,
comment upon, or summarize the information in primary sources. Examples of secondary sources
include the following:

Suppose you are still looking for sources to use for you to come up with more information regarding the
works of a certain artist. A critique written by somebody is a secondary source that you may use for your
paper. Here is one example of an excerpt of a critique:
 Column A Column B

_____________ 1. This can be personal testimony of a witness. a. secondary source

_____________ 2. This can be a secondary source of information. b. statistics

_____________ 3. This can be a film or a piece of art. c. images

_____________ 4. This is usually a representation of numbers for a data. d. newspaper

_____________ 5. This can be a movie review. e. primary source

1. ________________ The transcript of an interview between a reporter and a suspect in a
burglary.

2. ________________ A news article on a recent benefit concert that happened in the local
community

3. ________________ Songs by a local artist

4. ________________ A review written by a magazine columnist regarding a popular cell phone

model

5. ________________ A textbook on basic statistics