Argumentative OR Descriptive? Please help.........

[AshWINNER]

Okay.........Heres my situation
I am a student of EFL extended......and I have not problems with paper 2 or question 1 in paper 3...just Question 2 in paper 3 is what can decide my grade

I write satisfactory argumentative pieces according to my teacher but i have a better style and fluency when writing descriptive pieces.......

However, many people write good descriptive pieces and I feel that the examiners there at Cambridge would be more pleased with my argumentative pieces.....because I have a good GK and plenty of points come to my mind on a particular topic PLUS i can organise them well. Despite all this, my teacher gives me more marks for descriptive than argumentative.

Please help.....which writing piece should I attempt...Argumentative/discursive or Descriptive

[Deadly_king]

Okay.........Heres my situation
I am a student of EFL extended......and I have not problems with paper 2 or question 1 in paper 3...just Question 2 in paper 3 is what can decide my grade

I write satisfactory argumentative pieces according to my teacher but i have a better style and fluency when writing descriptive pieces.......

However, many people write good descriptive pieces and I feel that the examiners there at Cambridge would be more pleased with my argumentative pieces.....because I have a good GK and plenty of points come to my mind on a particular topic PLUS i can organise them well. Despite all this, my teacher gives me more marks for descriptive than argumentative.

Please help.....which writing piece should I attempt...Argumentative/discursive or Descriptive

It seems you like argumentative essays more that descriptive ones.

Descriptive has always been easier..........and more scoring but if you feel that you have performed better in you argumentative essay.....then keep on the good work.

Forget about cambridge............just do the one you feel more at ease.

Try to impress your teacher with some argumentative essays..............i mean try to add some recent facts. Ask him what you are missing in your essay for it to be of best quality and heeding his advice try to improve your essays

[Arthur Bon Zavi]

Okay.........Heres my situation
I am a student of EFL extended......and I have not problems with paper 2 or question 1 in paper 3...just Question 2 in paper 3 is what can decide my grade

I write satisfactory argumentative pieces according to my teacher but i have a better style and fluency when writing descriptive pieces.......

However, many people write good descriptive pieces and I feel that the examiners there at Cambridge would be more pleased with my argumentative pieces.....because I have a good GK and plenty of points come to my mind on a particular topic PLUS i can organise them well. Despite all this, my teacher gives me more marks for descriptive than argumentative.

Please help.....which writing piece should I attempt...Argumentative/discursive or Descriptive

Don't think that your teacher's gonna check the paper, think what can be done to please and engage the reader and in what criteareas will the examiner work on!!

the next thing........u can't decide the choice from first.....but u can only do that when the question paper's in your hands because u never know the topics.......u might write excellently, the narrative one too that time!!

[Dibss]

i have a better style and fluency when writing descriptive pieces.......

my teacher gives me more marks for descriptive than argumentative.

Go for descriptive!

u can't decide the choice from first.....but u can only do that when the question paper's in your hands because u never know the topics.......u might write excellently, the narrative one too that time!!

^Point to be noted. (:

[elemis]

CIE did carried out some research and found that students who wrote Argumentative/Discursive essays got LOWER marks than those who chose Descriptive or Narrative Essays.

In my opinon Descriptive or Narrative Essays are the best because you can really show off your vocabulary and you have a degree of freedom.

With Argumentative/Discursive essays you MUST use some data to get the best grades.

I find that ludicrous since you dont know/have the chance to carry out research on the topic - after all you wont know what they are prior to the exam.

[@d!_†oX!©]

Well, if you really want a good response, simply post a paragraph each for both descriptive and narrative piece that you have written. We've got lots of people here, A* and A's of FLE(me being one of them  ) who could judge for you. 

[AshWINNER]

Thanks guys......
Heres my introduction for a discursive piece I did last assessment.
The topic was:"Prejudice is one of the most destructive forces in society today."Discuss what you think and feel about this statement.

Prejudice was one of the bugs which escaped Pandora's box. Since then it has flourished. It has probably made the most progress out of all of the bugs;causing death,wars and division; and it has been eating away mankind for ages. However, the situation has been improving. With an increase in globalisation, slavery on the basis of skin color, religious wars, and gender inequality are less severe as compared to the past.
I got 18/25 for this one

Here's my introduction for a descriptive piece i did the assessment before that. I had to describe the situation that occurred when my neighbor asked me to look after her young baby when she went to the grocery store.

He was no more than three. His toothy grin and his slant eyebrows were enough to make him look the sort which Santa keeps on "The Bad List". he had a fluorescent green Post-it stuck on his forehead which made his entry look similar to the great Harry Potter's. I instantly felt sympathy for poor Aunt Petunia.

[adrian1993]

For you, definitely descriptive.

No offense, but your argumentative introduction comes across as abit disjointed. It doesn't quite flow well. Introductions to argumentative essays should be concise, strong and accurate with your stand stated early in your introduction.

I am not trying to demean you or anything, but I did argumentative writing through Year 10 and Yr 11 since I was a debater and find descriptive texts a tad difficult to write. I got A* for EFL recently. =D

[@d!_†oX!©]

For you, definitely descriptive.

No offense, but your argumentative introduction comes across as abit disjointed. It doesn't quite flow well. Introductions to argumentative essays should be concise, strong and accurate with your stand stated early in your introduction.

I am not trying to demean you or anything, but I did argumentative writing through Year 10 and Yr 11 since I was a debater and find descriptive texts a tad difficult to write. I got A* for EFL recently. =D

Every word so true.
I agree with adrian, you are definitely in for descriptive mate. I think that should be your preferred choice.

[Dibss]

^Agreed.
Your descriptive could use a little work too though :/ Instead of being content with your current standard, continue practicing (:

[AshWINNER]

Thanks adrian....that helped a lot.....

By the way any tips on efl preparation.....I mean how can we effectively improve our current standard. Plain practice doesnt seem to help. Like should we consult the mark scheme after every write up.....or should we build up our vocabulary.....whats best?

[elemis]

Read the examiner's report - they give examples for the Langauge Analysis bit.

[Alpha]

Thanks guys......
Heres my introduction for a discursive piece I did last assessment.
The topic was:"Prejudice is one of the most destructive forces in society today."Discuss what you think and feel about this statement.

Prejudice was one of the bugs which escaped Pandora's box. Since then it has flourished. It has probably made the most progress out of all of the bugs;causing death,wars and division; and it has been eating away mankind for ages. However, the situation has been improving. With an increase in globalisation, slavery on the basis of skin color, religious wars, and gender inequality are less severe as compared to the past.
I got 18/25 for this one

Here's my introduction for a descriptive piece i did the assessment before that. I had to describe the situation that occurred when my neighbor asked me to look after her young baby when she went to the grocery store.

He was no more than three. His toothy grin and his slant eyebrows were enough to make him look the sort which Santa keeps on "The Bad List". he had a fluorescent green Post-it stuck on his forehead which made his entry look similar to the great Harry Potter's. I instantly felt sympathy for poor Aunt Petunia.

of all of the bugs--causing death,wars and division-- and***

You need to work on the argumentative a bit... Avoid including too many "it looked like", "similar to"... It makes a sort of repetition-- a recitation.