Advanced English 2 / Unit 8B

Writing a Discursive Essay

ANA EMILIA DELGADO LOPEZ

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PART 1: PLANNING WHAT TO WRITE:

Essay Prompt Questions:

1. Should cellphones be allowed in college classrooms?

2. Is our lifestyle more or less healthy than our parents’?

Choose one of the questions above and write it in the textbox below.

Is our lifestyle more or less healthy than our parents?

Answer the question in a full sentence (Thesis statement)

Our lifestyle is different from our parents. Today's life is based on addictions, whether it be on
cell phones, social media, etc. And we live in a different social environment.

Think of three arguments/reasons that support your position; these will be the topic sentences of each
of the three supporting paragraphs of the essay you will write below. Think of an example to illustrate
each argument.

Argument 1

The creation of the Internet makes living together more difficult

Example

A worker who wants to spend time with his family and get away from work on the weekend, but
his clients are constantly talking to him on his cell phone or via email, making it difficult to get
away from work and enjoy life.

Argument 2

Food is becoming more and more processed with lower quality, which causes addiction, as it is a
quick and easy way to stay satisfied without much effort.

FPC / March 2023-24 / I declare that the text submitted is my own and that I have not submitted text generated
by a Generative AI tool.
 Example

Instant/fast food is easier to prepare for people working in offices, as it requires little effort and
is much more economical than preparing any other food.

Argument 3

Social media cause you to compare yourself with others, which is a big problem because it can
cause anxiety.

Example

It is normal for teenagers to compare with other people (models, actresses, etc.), however
nowadays it is much more common for people to upload a completely fake and unattainable
lifestyle, which causes other people to feel insecure about their body or life decisions, and that
comparison causes anxiety.

Now think of a possible argument against your position and rebut/refute it (respond to it)

Counterargument

The internet has caused an evolution in our society. Knowledge has become more accessible to
many people, and it is easier to search for information and opportunities.

Social media has also caused a stir in the world, today we can connect with many people through
them. We can see our friends who are in different countries, what they are doing and their
different lifestyles. It has also caused many people to meet and form romantic, friendship or work
bonds.

Fast food and processed food has helped people to feed faster and make better use of their time.
Also, fast food has been a very important niche market that has helped the economy around the
world, as well as business. .

Rebuttal (your response to the opposing position)

FPC / March 2023-24 / I declare that the text submitted is my own and that I have not submitted text generated
by a Generative AI tool.
 The internet has led to evolution but also to decline and self-destruction. Not everything found on
the internet is true, as there are many people who are responsible for sabotaging the pages of lies,
conspiracies and hackers who steal information.

Social media help us connect with people who promote positivism and health. But also there is
people who are dedicated to selling a completely false image, causing illusions and unattainable
goals. It also causes a lot of cyber bullying, as it is very easy to post a comment or picture
anonymously for others to make fun of.

Fast food is easy to prepare, and that's why it is highly toxic, as its percentage of trans fats is very
high, as well as chemicals of dubious origin. Although it causes an economic spill, it is also causing
an increase in obesity and heart attacks due to cholesterol in veins.

PART 2: TASK WRITING THE ESSAY

In no more than 300 words, write a 6-paragraph essay organized as follows:

● Paragraph 1: Introduction: Introduce the topic and give your opinion (Context + Thesis Statement)

● Paragraph 2: Supporting argument 1 (Transition + Topic sentence) + example.

● Paragraph 3: Supporting argument 2 (Transition + Topic sentence) + example.

● Paragraph 4: Supporting argument 3 (Transition + Topic sentence) + example.

● Paragraph 5: Counterargument + rebuttal

● Paragraph 6: Conclusion (What you have shown + final thoughts)

As you write:
● Make sure that your paragraphs are visibly clear (space between them)

● Start each paragraph with a transition word-phrase that gives unity and fluency to the paragraphs
(Firstly, In the first place, Secondly, Moreover, Finally, In conclusion, To sum up, etc.)
● Make sure that the first sentence of each of the paragraphs matches your supporting argument.

Essay title (chosen prompt question): Is our lifestyle more or less healthy than our parents?

Our parents lived in the 80s. It was an era without internet and social media. Whenever I talk to my
parents about their teenage and adulthood, they tell me that they lived in a world where privacy
and anonymity existed. Where the concept of play was not synonymous of watching tv, but going
out into the streets and libraries. Food was fresher, the environment cleaner and life expectancy
longer.

The Internet has been created to make people's existence easier. Now the acquisition of
information is much easier and faster. The creation of robots and artificial intelligence has brought
us closer to an evolution. However, not everything is as wonderful as it sounds. The internet has also

FPC / March 2023-24 / I declare that the text submitted is my own and that I have not submitted text generated
by a Generative AI tool.
led to workaholism and a source of information harassment and vulnerability. While our parents
research in books by renowned authors, our generation studies pages with untruthful and even
unreliable information.

Social media, just as they help us connect with people who promote positivity and health, there are
also people who dedicated to selling a completely false image, causing illusions and unattainable
goals. It also causes a lot of cyber bullying, as it is very easy to post a comment or a picture
anonymously for others to make fun of. Our parents enjoyed spending time with their friends,
without the pressure of uploading anything to social networks, and even, without being bothered
since the only way to look for you was by visiting their parent´s house.

Also, our parents ate fresher food with less chemicals that make it quicker to prepare. Our
generation is being affected by obesity and major cholesterol problems, as processed food causes
addiction and health problems. We seek to eat the most satisfying food in a short period of time,
because the life we live today does not allow us to stop and take a break, because with technology
and social media, people are constantly on top of you, pressuring you about work, school and social
life.

While all these tools have led to a much easier lifestyle, they also have done us a great harm by
seeking to achieve things in the shortest time and effort. This causes a sedentary lifestyle and an
addiction not only to social media, but also to everything around us, from work to self-sabotage by
constantly comparing ourselves with figures that the social media presents to us.

In conclusion, the life of our parents was built on effort and perseverance to achieve goals, as well
as a different social environment, healthier in every way. Technology has made many things easier
for us, however, it has also done great damage to our health and the way we respond to life's
problems.

FPC / March 2023-24 / I declare that the text submitted is my own and that I have not submitted text generated
by a Generative AI tool.
PART 3:
EDITING: Make sure you’ve covered the main points of the task, cut out irrelevant information, and
check the word count complies with the required limit.
PROOFREADING: Check for mistakes, in grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

PART 4: SUBMIT

FPC / March 2023-24 / I declare that the text submitted is my own and that I have not submitted text generated
by a Generative AI tool.