Joy English
Joy English

C2 Writing

C2Argumentative essays40 min

A discursive essay on efficiency and public life

Build a balanced, hedged argument in a discursive essay: concede, qualify and conclude with a measured judgement.

At this level a discursive essay does more than list points for and against. It develops a position through concession, qualification and careful stance: the writer concedes what is reasonable in the opposing view, shows precisely where it falls short, and reaches a judgement that is measured rather than absolute. The register is formal and impersonal, the paragraphs are linked by logic rather than by listing words, and the final paragraph returns to the opening idea with a sharper edge.

Model text

Efficiency and the quiet erosion of public life

It is a commonplace of contemporary life that time saved is time gained. Yet the relentless pursuit of efficiency, so often presented as an unqualified good, may be quietly eroding the unplanned encounters on which a healthy public life depends.

The case for efficiency is, admittedly, not easily dismissed. Automated ticket machines, self-service checkouts and online appointment systems spare us queues and paperwork, and the hours they release can be spent on pursuits we value more highly. Nor should we romanticise inefficiency: a slow bureaucracy has seldom enriched anyone's existence, least of all those with the least time to spare.

Nevertheless, what is gained in speed is frequently lost in incidental contact. The conversation with a pharmacist, the passing remark of a neighbour in a queue, the shared grumble about a delayed train: none of these appears on any balance sheet, yet together they weave the loose fabric of trust that binds strangers. Remove the occasions for such exchanges and one is left with a society that functions smoothly but knows itself less well.

It would be mistaken, however, to conclude that technology is the culprit. The fault lies less in the machines than in the assumption that every transaction is merely a means to an end, to be completed at the lowest possible cost in minutes. Where institutions deliberately preserve a human option, as some libraries and post offices have done, people appear to value the choice even when they seldom exercise it. That reluctance to see the option disappear suggests that we sense, if only dimly, what is at stake.

On balance, then, efficiency deserves to be treated as a servant rather than a master. Planners and employers would do well to ask not only how quickly a process can be completed but also what, if anything, will be lost along the way. A public life stripped of friction may prove, paradoxically, a good deal poorer for it.

Useful language

StageLanguage at C2 levelEffect
OpeningIt is a commonplace that ... Yet ...Names a received idea, then questions it
Concession... is, admittedly, not easily dismissed. / Nor should we romanticise ...Shows fairness before the counter-argument
Counter-argumentNevertheless, ... / It would be mistaken, however, to conclude that ...Qualifies without sounding aggressive
Hedgingmay be eroding / appears to / it could be argued that / one suspectsKeeps claims proportionate to the evidence
EmphasisThe fault lies less in ... than in ...Redirects blame precisely
ConclusionOn balance, then, ... / would do well to ...Gives a measured judgement and a recommendation

Exercise 1 of 2

Stance, hedging and register

Choose the option that is best in a formal discursive essay.

  1. Which sentence hedges most appropriately?

  2. _____ its undeniable convenience, the system carries costs that are easily overlooked.

  3. Which linker signals that the writer is about to qualify their own argument?

  4. Which is the most suitable way to open a final paragraph?

  5. Which sentence is the most appropriately impersonal and cautious?

  6. Efficiency, _____ valuable it may be, should not be pursued at any cost.

  7. Which sentence rejects an opposing view without overstating?

0 of 7 answered

Exercise 2 of 2

Complete the essay language

Type one word, or the form in brackets, to complete each sentence.

  1. The case for efficiency is, , not easily dismissed. (a concession adverb)

  2. None of these appears on any balance sheet, together they weave the loose fabric of trust.

  3. Planners would do well ask what will be lost along the way.

  4. The fault lies less in the machines in the assumption behind them.

  5. It would be mistaken, , to conclude that technology is the culprit. (a contrast word)

  6. Remove those occasions and one is left a society that functions smoothly.

  7. A public life stripped friction may prove a good deal poorer.

0 of 7 answered

Your turn

Writing task

Some people argue that cities should be redesigned entirely around convenience and speed. Write a discursive essay on the extent to which you agree. Concede at least one point to the opposing view, use hedging, and finish with a measured judgement.

0 words

The check runs on your device with Harper, an open-source checker, so your text is not sent anywhere. It finds many common mistakes, but not all, and it does not judge your ideas. Harper licence

Check your writing
Show a sample answer

Your text

You have not written anything yet.

Sample answer

Few would deny that a city in which every journey is swift and every service immediate has its attractions. Yet a city designed solely for convenience may turn out to be one that nobody much wants to linger in.

The argument in favour of speed is a serious one. Congestion costs time and health, and those who depend on public transport are the first to suffer when it fails. Wide, fast routes and well-timed connections can therefore be defended as a form of fairness as much as of comfort, and it would be perverse to romanticise the delays that the poorest commuters endure.

Even so, convenience is a narrow measure of what a city is for. Streets built to move people as quickly as possible tend to treat them as freight, to be delivered rather than to be met. The pavement café, the market stall and the bench beside a fountain all slow the pedestrian down, and it is precisely this slowness that gives a neighbourhood its character. Where such features have been removed in the name of flow, residents often report that the place has become easier to cross but harder to belong to.

There is, moreover, a practical objection. A city that is optimised for one purpose is seldom robust. Roads widened for peak traffic invite more vehicles; the extra capacity is absorbed within a few years, and the congestion returns, now accompanied by noise and pollution. Planners who pursue speed alone may thus end up with neither speed nor pleasure.

The sensible course lies between the extremes. Rapid, reliable transport for those who need it should coexist with streets that reward the unhurried, and decisions about each should be tested against a broader question: not merely how quickly can people move, but what kind of life does the movement serve? A city that can answer that question has little to fear from the stopwatch.

Your writing is saved in this browser and, if you are signed in, in your account. No one marks it: use the check, the checklist and the sample answer.

Source

Original lesson by Joy English.

Levels are suggestions. Found a mistake? Tell us through the Contact page.