How do you take a clear position on a question and argue it convincingly with reasons and examples?
Write an argumentative or discursive essay with a clear stand, developed reasons, examples and balance
A focused answer to argumentative and discursive essays in O-Level Continuous Writing: taking a stand, developing each point with a reason and example, addressing the other side, and keeping a logical structure.
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What this dot point is asking
Argumentative and discursive essays answer a question by taking and defending a view. Argumentative essays argue one side strongly; discursive essays weigh several views before reaching a conclusion. Either way, the marks reward a clear stand, points developed with reasons and examples, a fair treatment of the other side, and a logical structure. This dot point is about building a convincing argument rather than listing loose opinions, the most common weakness in these essays.
The answer
Take a clear stand
The first job is to answer the question with a position. "Do you agree that...?" needs a yes, a no, or a qualified view ("yes, but only when..."). State this stand in the introduction so the reader knows your line from the start. A qualified stand is often the strongest at O-Level because it lets you use good points from more than one side while still committing to a position. Sitting on the fence with no view at all, by contrast, weakens the whole essay.
Develop each point fully
A point is not an argument until it is developed. The reliable pattern is point, reason, example:
- Point: the claim ("Practical skills prepare students for real life").
- Reason: why it is true ("because they teach abilities that exams cannot measure").
- Example: something concrete that shows it ("such as managing a budget or working in a team").
A paragraph that only asserts ("Exams are stressful. They are bad.") scores poorly; one that explains and illustrates earns the content mark. Aim for one developed point per paragraph rather than many shallow ones.
Address the other side
A fair argument acknowledges that the other view has something to it, then explains why your position still holds. This is the difference between persuasion and ranting. In a discursive essay you might give a full paragraph to each side; in an argumentative essay you might concede one point briefly before rebutting it. Either way, showing you have considered the opposing view makes your argument look balanced and considered, which markers reward.
Keep a logical structure
An argument must be ordered, not piled up at random. A clear shape is: an introduction with the stand, body paragraphs that each develop one point (often building from a weaker to a stronger point, or grouping "for" then "against"), and a conclusion that restates the position and ends with a final thought. Linking words ("furthermore", "however", "on the other hand", "therefore") signal how each paragraph relates to the last, guiding the reader through the reasoning.
Examples in context
Example 1. Assertion versus argument. Asked whether young people watch too much television, a weak response says: "Yes, young people watch too much TV. It is a waste of time and bad for health. They should do other things." Every sentence asserts but none argues. A strong response develops a point: "Excessive television viewing can harm health because hours spent sitting replace physical activity; a teenager who watches several shows back to back after school may get little exercise, which over time affects fitness and sleep." The second answers with reasons and an example, which is what the content mark rewards.
Example 2. Balance strengthening a case. In a discursive essay on whether tourism benefits a country, conceding the downside makes the argument more convincing: "Tourism does bring crowding and can strain local resources; however, the income it generates funds the very services those communities rely on, and creates jobs that would otherwise not exist." By weighing the cost before reaching the conclusion, the writer looks fair and thoughtful rather than one-sided, and the marker sees a considered argument rather than a slogan.
Try this
Q1. What three elements develop a single argumentative point? [2 marks]
- Cue. A point (the claim), a reason (why it is true), and a concrete example (something that shows it). A paragraph with all three argues; one that only asserts does not.
Q2. Explain why acknowledging the opposing view strengthens an argument. [2 marks]
- Cue. It shows you have considered the issue fairly rather than ignoring inconvenient points, so your conclusion looks balanced and reasoned; conceding a point and then rebutting it is more convincing than a one-sided rant.
Q3. Turn this assertion into a developed point: "Reading is good for you." [3 marks]
- Cue. For example: "Reading widens vocabulary and knowledge (point), because encountering new words and ideas in context teaches them more naturally than memorising lists (reason); a student who reads regularly often writes with a richer vocabulary than one who does not (example)."
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original15 marks'Schools should focus more on practical skills than on examinations.' Do you agree? Write an essay giving your view, supported by reasons and examples. [15 marks]Show worked answer →
Technique walkthrough (what a strong response does):
Stand: take a clear position in the introduction, for example a qualified one, that schools should give practical skills more weight than they currently do, without abandoning examinations.
Developed points: each body paragraph makes one point, gives a reason, and supports it with an example. For instance: practical skills prepare students for real life (reason), such as managing money or working in a team (example), which examinations alone do not test.
Balance and the other side: acknowledge the value of examinations (they measure knowledge fairly and motivate study) before explaining why the balance should still shift, so the argument looks fair and considered.
Structure: introduction with the stand, three or so developed paragraphs, and a conclusion that restates the position and ends with a final thought.
Markers reward a clear, sustained stand, points developed with reasons and examples, a sense of balance, logical organisation, and accurate, varied language. Listing opinions without development scores poorly.
Original6 marksRead this undeveloped paragraph: 'Social media is bad. It wastes time and people get addicted. So it is bad for students.' Rewrite it as one well-developed argumentative paragraph with a point, a reason and an example, and explain what you added. [6 marks]Show worked answer →
Model rewrite: "Social media can harm students by consuming the time they need for study and rest. Because feeds are designed to be endlessly scrollable, a quick check often stretches into an hour, eating into homework and sleep. A student who means to revise for twenty minutes but loses an evening to short videos is a familiar example, and the lost time shows directly in tiredness and unfinished work."
What was added and why: the rewrite states a clear point (social media harms students by consuming their time), gives a reason (feeds are designed to be endlessly scrollable), and supports it with a concrete example (the planned twenty-minute revision that becomes a lost evening). The original only asserted; the rewrite explains and illustrates, which is what development means.
Markers reward a paragraph with a clear point, a genuine reason and a relevant example, and an explanation of how development differs from bare assertion.
Related dot points
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