What is a discussion text?
The following illustration will help you understand what a discussion text is.
Picture in your mind two teams of students in an English class debating about a problematic or controversial issue, an important issue that raises pros and cons, e.g. abortion. Team A is for abortion, while Team B is against it. Team A puts forward their arguments as to why they agree, and Team B also gives their arguments why they don’t agree.
One student in the audience pays attention to both teams’ arguments. He notes down all the arguments for pros and cons. This student positions himself as somebody who watches the debate. He is sided with neither of the teams. He supports neither Team A nor Team B. The student sums up all the arguments from Team A and Team B. He covers both sides, the pros and the cons.
The writer of a discussion text is like the student above. When he writes about an issue, he covers both sides of the issue. He talks about the pros and the cons, the advantages and the disadvantages, the strengths and the weaknesses, the positive and the negative. He presents his views about an issue from different perspectives. That is his purpose. He writes the text NOT to persuade the readers to believe in either side of the issue. Rather, he lets them think and decide for themselves which side they should take.
The following is an example of a discussion text.
Entrepreneurship comes with its share of ups and downs. The most obvious advantage is the opportunity to be your own boss. Being in charge and making the important decisions regarding your business can be fulfilling, but it can also be challenging. Here are more thoughts on the pros and cons that come with being a small business owner:
Being an entrepreneur means you choose the work you like to do and that makes the most of your strengths and skills. The result can be more job satisfaction. Entrepreneurship can also be exciting and many entrepreneurs consider their work highly enjoyable. Each day is filled with new opportunities to challenge your abilities, skills, and determination. Beside that, entrepreneurs can schedule their work hours around other commitments, including spending quality time with their families. This also means freedom to work whenever they want, wherever they want, and however they want draws many to entrepreneurship. Most entrepreneurs don’t consider their work actual work because they are doing something they love.
However, while making all the decisions can be a benefit, it can also be a burden. Being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of paperwork that can take up time and energy. Staying competitive is critical as a small business owner. You will need to differentiate your business from others like yours in order to build a solid customer base and be profitable. Regarding salary, being an entrepreneur often means giving up the security of a regular paycheck. If business slows down, your personal income can be at risk. The work schedule of an entrepreneur can be unpredictable. A major disadvantage to being an entrepreneur is that it requires more work and longer hours than being an employee.
The writer is not persuading te readers to be or not to be an entrepreneur. That is NOT his purpose. He presents both the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur equally. He leaves the readers to decide for himself by considering all the points he presents.
Source: http://source.southuniversity.edu/pros-and-cons-of-being-an-entrepreneur-96101.aspx#sthash.2EFWqUCi.dpuf
