Beginning And Ending Discursive Essays

In the first paragraph, you should state the topic and/or your opinion, and you may include one or more of the following techniques.

Make reference to an unusual or striking idea/scene/situation e.g. Imagine millions of people coming home from school or work every day to sit staring at a wall for four hours.
Address the reader directly e.g. You may think this is an exaggeration. and/or ask a rhetorical question. e.g. Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without cars?
Start with a quotation or thought-provoking statement, e.g. "Television is an invention that
permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home." David Frost once said.
In the last paragraph, you should state your opinion and/or give a balanced consideration of the topic, and you may include one or more of the following techniques.
Finish with a quotation
Ask a rhetorical question
Give the reader something to consider e.g. Perhaps then people will re-discover what It is like to actually communicate with each other.

Works consulted:
Taken from "Successful Writing Proficiency" by Virginia Evans

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License