LECTURE NOTES

ENGLISH PROFESSIONAL
Week 7

Discussion Essay
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

LO 4: demonstrate the upper intermediate English writing skills both academically and
professionally.

OUTLINE:

INTRODUCTION

DISCUSSION

A. Grammar: Present vs Past Tenses

B. Writing Skill: Writing a discussion essay (recommendation)

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
 INTRODUCTION

In addition, to prepare the writing foundation, especially in creating sentences, a specific

part of grammar point will be discussed in this lesson. The grammar points will talk about
present vs past tense. This grammar section will be equipped with the example and function.
Related to the discussion essay topic, the definition, types, and essay writing theory will also be
presented part by part. Together with the essay theory, the organization and example of the
discussion essay especially the recommendation essay will be shown as follows.

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 DISCUSSION

A. Grammar: Present vs past tenses

1. Present simple
The Present Simple tense is a tense which says about something that was true in the past,
is true in the present, and will be true in the future. It is used for general statements of facts.
Example:
a. Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
b. The sun rises in the east.
c. Tiger kills other animals for food.
Another use of Present Simple is to express habitual or everyday activity.
Example:
a. He plays tennis most weekends.
b. I study for two hours every night.
c. Maya goes to school on foot every morning.
2. Present continuous tense
The Present Continuous tense is a tense which expresses an activity that is in progress at
the moment of speaking. It began in the past but still continuing in the present and will probably
end at future.
Example:
a. John is sleeping right now.
b. Billy is taking a shortcut to school because he thinks he’s late.
c. A: What are you doing with that book?
d. B: Oh, I’m reading it. It’s quite interesting.

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Another use of Present Continuous is to tell about an activity or plan for the future.
Example:
a. We're looking for a new flat for next month.
b. I am taking four courses this semester.
c. Lydia is trying to write another book this year.
Note how, in all these examples, we use the present continuous to talk about events which
are temporary/ limited in time. The present simple to talk about events which are
habits/permanent. For “Lydia is trying to write another book this year.”, it means that writing a
book is a general activity she is engaged in at present, but it does not mean she is sitting and
writing at the moment.
3. Future simple
The Future Simple tense is a tense which says about something or an activity that will
happen or not happen in the future. Besides that, the future simple tense can also be used to
express prediction, a prior plan, and willingness. For the usage of expressing prediction, we can
make a sentence using will or be going to.
Example:
a. According to the weather report, it will be sunny tomorrow.
b. According to the weather report, it is going to be sunny tomorrow.
c. Look at that car! It will hit someone.
d. Look at that car! It is going to hit someone.
From the examples above, both (a) and (b) has no different meaning. The examples (c) and (d)
also has no difference in meaning.
Another use of Future Simple tense is to express a prior plan. When the speaker is
expressing a prior plan (something the speaker intends to do in the future because in the past s/he
has made a plan or decision to do it), only be going to is used.

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Example:
a. A: Why did you buy this stairs?
B: I’m going to fix my roof tomorrow.
b. I talked to Ennie yesterday. She lost her keys and almost couldn’t enter her home. She is
going to buy a new key chain for her new keys.
Another use of Future Simple tense is also to express willingness. When the speaker volunteers
to do something, the speaker uses will to show his/her willingness. This is different because there
is no prediction or prior plan. It shows about the spontaneous action and willingness from the
heart.
Example:
a. A: Why is it so cold here?
B: Ah, the AC temperature shows 18 degrees of celcius. I’ll turn it off for you.
b. A: I hate these mathematic problems.
B: What’s the matter? You don’t know the answer? Here, I’ll help you.
c. A: Oh, no! The copying machine is broken and I still need to make another copy.
B: Quick, call Adrian. He’ll fix it. He’s the best.
4. Present perfect
The Present Perfect tense is a tense which expresses the idea that something happened
(or never happened) before now, at an unspecified time in the past but still have some impact
or effect in the present. The exact time it happened is not important which is different in past
smiple tense. If the exact time is mentioned, then we can’t use the present perfect tense. We have
to use the past simple tense.
Example:
a. I have already seen that movie.
b. Have you ever visited Singapore?
c. I have never eaten pizza in my whole life.
The present perfect tense also expresses the repetition of an activity before now. The
exact time of each repetition is not important.

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Example:
a. We have had five tests so far and there’s still more.
b. She has met her boyfriend every other day for the last three months.
c. I have flown to Makassar for many times.
5. Past simple
The Past Simple tense is a tense which says about something or an activity that began in
the past and also ended at a particular time in the past.
Example:
a. I walked from my home to the school yesterday.
b. He lived in Bandung for two years, but now he lives in Jakarta.
c. Two days ago, I lost my wallet around here.
Another use of Past Simple is to express past activities in sequence. This applies if there is a
sentence using “when” and has both past simple in each clauses. For this type of sentence, the
activity in the “when” happens first.
Example:
a. I stood under the tree when it began to rain. (The rain began first)
b. When she heard the noise, she got up. (She heard the noise first)
c. When I walked on my way home, the car accident happened beside me. (I walked first)
6. Past continuous tense
The Past Continuous tense is a tense which expresses an activity which began earlier and was
in progress when the other action occured. Sometimes the past continuous tense is used as a
background detail in story-telling.
Example:
a. John was sleeping when the thief broke into the house.
b. I was attending the math class last night at 6 p.m.
c. A: What’s wrong? Why is everybody seems to panic?
B: Tommy was climbing the tree to get a boy’s kite but he slipped and fell unconscious!

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As we can see, there is a slight difference in example A from past continuous and past simple. If
there is a past continuous tense and a “when clause”, the activity in past continuous tense
happens first.

B. Writing Skill: Writing a discussion essay (recommendation)

1. Discussion essays

Many essay titles require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by
saying which side you favour. These are known as discussion or for and against essays. In this
sense, the academic meaning of the word discuss is similar to its everyday meaning, of two
people talking about a topic from different sides. For a discussion essay, a balanced view is
normally essential. This makes discussion essays distinct from persuasion essays, for which only
one side of the argument is given. When writing a discussion essay, it is important to ensure that
facts and opinions are clearly separated. Often you will examine what other people have already
said on the same subject and include this information using paraphrasing and summarising skills,
as well as correct citations.

2. Discussion essay organization

Although the organization of a discussion essay may vary according to length and
subject, there are several components which most discussion essays have in common. In addition
to general statements and thesis statement which all good essay introductions contain,
the position of the writer will often be stated, along with relevant definitions. The main body will
examine arguments for (in one or more paragraphs) and arguments against (also in one or more
paragraphs). The conclusion will contain a summary of the main points, and will often conclude
with recommendations, based on what you think are the most important ideas in the essay. The
conclusion may also contain your opinion on the topic, also based on the preceding evidence. An
overview of the organization of the essay is given in the table below.

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 Table 2.1. Discussion essay organization

Structural Purpose Stage of

component essay

General To introduce the reader to the subject of the essay. Introductio

statements n

Position To give the opinion of the writer (not always possible).

Definition(s) To explain any important technical words to the reader.

(optional)

Thesis To tell the reader what parts of the topic will be included in the
essay.

Arguments for To explain to the reader the evidence for the positive side of the Main body
issue, with support. The most important ideas usually come first.
This may be covered in one or more paragraphs.

Arguments To explain to the reader the evidence for the negative side of the
against issue, with support. The most important ideas usually come first.
This may be covered in one or more paragraphs.

Summary To give the reader a brief reminder of the main ideas, while Conclusion
restating the issue. Sometimes also says which ideas the writer
believes have the strongest evidence.

Opinion & To give your opinion and tell the reader what the writer believes is
Recommendati the best action to take, considering the evidence in the essay.
on

Moreover, a discussion essay presents and discusses issues about a specific topic. The
topic should be debatable and open to argument. A good discussion essay requires
comprehensive analysis on both sides of the topic. When writing a discussion essay, you are

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required to provide a comprehensive explanation of the issues you are discussing before
presenting your personal opinions and conclusions. The quality of a discussion essay is based on
the writer’s ability to provide research as well as enough evidence to support their views on the
topic.

The following is another discussion essay outline. In creating your discussion essay, the
composition of course should be structured carefully to present your ideas in a completely logical
way that is easy for your reader to interpret. Commonly, a four-paragraph structure is used in
composing an essay but some people prefer to use five paragraphs in this sort of essay. The
difference would look like this:

Table 2.2. Four and Five Paragraphs Discussion Essay Outlines

Aspects Four-paragraph essay Five-paragraph essay

Introduction Introduce the main idea State your Introduce the main idea State your
opinion opinion

Body paragraph 1 Discuss the first point of view Discuss the first point of view

Body paragraph 2 Discuss the second point of view Discuss the second point of view

Body paragraph 3 – Give your opinion

Conclusion Summarise the issue and reaffirm Summarise the issue and reaffirm
position position

In a longer scientific discussion essay, there are six aspects that should be considered
starting from the introduction until the references. In details, the discussion of each aspect can be
seen here:

a. Introduction

Discussion essay’s introduction should set up and state your claim. Your introduction
should include the following:

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 • An interesting hook in order to grab the reader’s attention.

• A brief explanation of your theory if you are discussing a theory.

• The author’s name and title when discussing a literary work.

• The director, year and title when discussing a film.

• Some background information that will help the reader understand your claim.

• State your claim at the end of your paragraph.

b. Background paragraph

Write a background paragraph after the introduction. It could be one to two paragraphs
long. The purpose of the background paragraph is to lay a foundation for proving your argument.
It should include:

• Summary of the work being discussed.

• Definition of key terms

• Explanation of key theories.

c. Supporting evidence paragraphs

These can be three or four paragraphs that are used for proving your argument. They
include:

Topic sentence. This could be facts or details that you can tell your readers to help them
understand your essay’s topic better.

• An explanation of the topic sentence.

• Evidence. Introduce your evidence in a few words or in a full sentence.

• An explanation of the evidence. Show how the evidence you have provided proves your
arguments.

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 • Concluding sentence. Finish off your last paragraph with a concluding sentence that
explains how the topic sentence helps the readers understand your essay’s overall claim.

d. Counterargument paragraph

This paragraph should help you sound more objective and reasonable. It helps to prepare
you for your reader’s objections. Include discussions that your readers might bring up against
your discussion and argue against them. End the paragraph with a concluding sentence that
restates your essay’s claim.

e. Conclusion

The conclusion should restate your essay’s overall claim and supporting evidence. Your
conclusion should:

• Restate your thesis statement.

• Restate your introduction paragraph. However, it should not talk about the same exact
thing as your introduction.

• Serve as your essay’s climax.

• Explain to your readers why they should care about your essay.

• Create a sense of movement to a more complex understanding of your essay’s topic.

• Have concrete language to avoid leaving the readers with the impression that your
argument was vague and unsure.

f. References

Provide a list of sources that you have borrowed ideas from to support your topic
sentences.

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 3. Discussion essay common vocabulary
a. Mark the order
When summarising the stages in a discussion or in presenting your
arguments, it can be useful to mark the order of the items or degrees of
importance. The following words and phrases can be used.
• First..., First of all..., The most important...
• Second..., In the second place...
• Finally..., Lastly...
b. Opinion introduction
The following can be used when introducing your opinion.
• There is no doubt that...
• I believe that...
• One of the main arguments in favour of/against X is that...
c. Synonym

It is important in English writing, including academic writing, to use synonyms rather

than repeating the same word. The following are useful synonyms for 'advantage' and
'disadvantage'.

• advantage: benefit, a positive aspect/feature, pro (informal)

• disadvantage: drawback, a negative aspect/feature, con (informal)

4. Discussion essay example

Below is an example discussion essay entitled “An increasing number of students are
going overseas for tertiary education. To what extent does this overseas study benefit the
students?”

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 Most people spend around fifteen years of their life in education, from primary school to
university study. In the past, students only had the opportunity to study in their own country.
Nowadays, however, it is increasingly easy to study overseas, especially at tertiary
level. Tertiary education, also called post-secondary education, is the period of study spent at
university. As the final aspect of schooling before a person begins their working life, it is
arguably the most important stage of their education. While there are some undoubted benefits
of this trend, such as the language environment and improved employment prospects, there is
also a significant disadvantage, namely the high cost.
The first and most important advantage of overseas study is the language learning
environment. Students studying overseas will not only have to cope with the local language for
their study but will also have to use it outside the classroom for their everyday life. These
factors should make it relatively easy for such students to advance their language abilities.
Another important benefit is employability. Increasing globalisation means that there are
more multinational companies setting up offices in all major countries. These companies will
need employees who have a variety of skills, including the fluency in more than one language.
Students who have studied abroad should find it much easier to obtain a job in this kind of
company.
There are, however, some disadvantages to overseas study which must be considered,
the most notable of which is the expense. In addition to the cost of travel, which in itself is not
inconsiderable, overseas students are required to pay tuition fees which are usually much higher
than those of local students. Added to this is the cost of living, which is often much higher than
in the students' own country. Although scholarships may be available for overseas students,
there are usually very few of these, most of which will only cover a fraction of the cost.
Overseas study therefore constitutes a considerable expense.
In summary, studying abroad has some clear advantages, including the language
environment and increased chances of employment, in addition to the main drawback, the heavy
financial burden. I believe that this experience is worthwhile for those students whose families
can readily afford the expense. Students without such strong financial support should consider
carefully whether the high cost outweighs the benefits to be gained.

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 CONCLUSION

The present and past tenses are basic grammar to be mastered. Overall, we have
discussed simple, continuous, perfect, and future present and past tenses with the function and
examples. That knowledge will be useful in writing paragraph or composition. In addition,
discussion essays are a common form of academic writing. This section has given information
on what a discussion essay is and how to organize this type of essay. Some vocabulary for
discussion essays is also given, and there is an example of discussion essay on the topic of
studying overseas.

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 REFERENCES

1. Mable Chan. (2020). English for Business Communication. 1st Routledge, Taylor et
Francis Group. London. ISBN: 97811384816881. Mable Chan. (2020). English for
Business Communication. 1st Routledge, Taylor et Francis Group. London. ISBN:
9781138481688

2. https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-discussion-essay-model-answer/

3. https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/essays/discussion/

4. https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/2015/03/18/writing-task-2-discussion-essay-lesson/

5. https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-
resources/grammar/present-vs-past-tense

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7sVe5z1qIY

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1LKzp2ozVM

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