A for and against/Discussion essay

The title can be a question, e.g "Should cell phones be allowed in class?"

• True

• False

What do you write in the first paragraph?

• An introduction

• Arguments for

• Arguments against

• A conclusion

What is included in the introduction?

• Thank you notes

• A joke, to lighten the mood

• Background information about the topic

• Summary of what has been discussed in the text

What phrase can be used to introduce arguments for a topic?

• Some people believe that...

• One advantage of X is...

• On the other hand...

• To sum up...

What phrase can you use to give examples?

• In contrast,

• On the other hand,

• Subsequently,

• For instance,

What phrase can you use to add new information?

• In addition,

• In short,

• In brief,

• To summarize

What phrase can you use to give arguments against a topic?

• However there are also negative aspects of X

• Another positive aspect of X is...

• There are various benefits of X...

• One advantage of X is...

What is included in the conclusion?

• Background info on the topic

• New ideas about the topic

• Anything that you forgot to mention earlier in the text

• A summary of the arguments

What phrase can you use to begin the conclusion?

• To start,

• Firstly,

• To sum up,

• On the other hand,

What does the last paragraph consist of ?

• An introduction

• Arguments for the topic

• Arguments against the topic

• A conclusion