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.

 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.

 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.