1. DISCUSSION ESSAY
Discussion vocabulary
When summarising the stages in a discussion or in presenting your arguments, it can
be useful to mark the order of the items or degrees of importance.
The following words and phrases can be used.
● First..., First of all..., The most important...
● Second..., In the second place...
● Finally..., Lastly...
The following can be used when introducing your opinion.
● There is no doubt that...
● I believe that...
● One of the main arguments in favour of/against X is that...
It is important in English writing, including academic writing, to use synonyms rather
than repeating the same word.
The following are useful synonyms for 'advantage' and 'disadvantage'.
2. ● advantage: benefit, a positive aspect/feature, pro (informal)
● disadvantage: drawback, a negative aspect/feature, con (informal)
