Discussion Text

What is a discussion?

Often you will have to make decisions about things. Before you decide if something is good or bad, you usually look at both sides. Many times in life we have to decide if we are for or against something. Other times we have to decide if something is right or wrong. Judges do this when they listen to evidence in the courts. When we speak or write about a topic and include both sides of the case we are creating a discussion.

The discussion text type gives the for and against, the positive and negative, or the good points and the bad points. The purpose of a discussion is to present to the audience different options on a topic and, at the end, your opinion.

Some examples of discussions are:

• Talkback radio
• Current affairs interviews
• Essays
• Debates
• Letters to the editor
• Newspaper articles

Features of a discussion

Constructing a written discussion

The steps for constructing a written discussion are:

• an introductory paragraph that has a statement or question about the topic
• a series of paragraphs that give evidence, opinions or arguments for and against the topic
• a conclusion that gives a final point of view, either for or against the topic.

Language features in a discussion

The language features usually found in a discussion are:

• the use of generic terms related to the topic
• the use of words that show a comparison or a contrast
• the use of words that link arguments

Models of discussion

Television: The best invention of the twentieth century?

During the twentieth century the world has witnessed the invention of many amazing things. Television is a great invention, but there are arguments for and against whether it is the best invention of the twentieth century.

Television was invented in the 1920s and first came to Australia in 1956. It has played an important role in communicating news. We can learn instantly about what is happening in the world because of television. Also, television has provided people with entertainment in their own homes. People in isolated areas can still feel part of the world because of television. For these reasons I feel that television could be considered the best invention of the twentieth century.

On the other hand, there are other inventions that could be considered to be better than television. Some might argue that computer should be awarded the distinction of being the best invention because computers have made life easier. Others might argue that medical inventions such as heart pacemakers are the best inventions because they help to save lives.

It can be seen that there are reasons for and against television being considered the best invention of the twentieth century. After looking at both sides I still believe it is the best invention.

Source: Anderson, Mark and Kathy Anderson. 2003. Text Types in English 1. South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.