OUTLINE FOR A DISCUSSION ESSAY

OUTLINE FOR A DISCUSSION ESSAY

A discussion essay includes advantages and disadvantages of a topic, for example, Advantages and disadvantages of single-sex schools, Advantages and disadvantages of being a celebrity.

You must divide the essay into four paragraphs.

Paragraph 1: A general argument to introduce the topic. Explain that there are arguments for and against this topic.

Paragraph 2:  Arguments for the topic.

Paragraph 3:  Arguments against the topic.

Paragraph 4:  Your own opinion and conclusion.

Examples of discussion essay outlines

A) Paragraph 1:

Most people agree that …   Some people think that ….. However, there are also disadvantages to…

Paragraph 2:

One advantage of … is that …    For this reason,… What’s more,…

Paragraph 3:

On the other hand, …  Moreover,…

Paragraph 4:

On balance, I feel that…

B) Paragraph 1:

Nearly everyone thinks that …There is not a clear answer and we must look at both sides of the question.

Paragraph 2:

Firstly,…   Secondly,… In addition to this,…

Paragraph 3:

On the other hand,…   A major disadvantage is that …   What’s more,…

Paragraph 4 :

In conclusion, I think that…

OUTLINE FOR AN OPINION ESSAY

In an opinion essay, we give our opinion about a topic, that is, we only express our opinion and we do not talk about other points of view. You should include simple facts and examples to support your ideas. You must not write about advantages and disadvantages.

How to organize the essay

Paragraph 1: Introduce the topic with a general fact and decide if you agree or disagree with the statement.

Paragraphs 2 and 3 : Give arguments to support your ideas.

Paragraph 4: Summarize your opinion

Examples of opinion essay outlines

A) Paragraph 1:

Many people believe that… Personally, I think that…

Paragraph 2 and 3:

It is a fact that …  This is because … Moreover,…

Paragraph 4:

In conclusion,…  To my mind,…

B) Paragraph 1 :

Some people think that… It seems to me that …

Paragraph 2 and 3:

It is widely known that …It is clear that this… Also,… Furthermore,…Another reason is that …

Paragraph 4:

To conclude, … From my point of view,…