Five Minutes to Pick Discursive or Narrative — or Reject the Question

Sec 3 discursive or narrative tonight is a five-minute choice, not a personality test. Underline the task verb. Fill a short list. If the list is empty, reject that question. A weaker genre with a full list beats “I am a narrative person” with nothing to say. Write a four-line plan. Write the full essay only if homework demands it.

What each genre owes the reader

School labels vary. Some papers say expository or argumentative. Match the debt, not the brand name.

Genre	What you owe	What is not enough
Narrative	A character, a turning point, and an ending that the turning point causes.	A diary list of what happened, with no choice and no cost.
Discursive	At least two developed views, each with an example, and a controlled close.	A story in disguise, or one opinion repeated in three paragraphs.

Secondary continuous-writing guides tell you to pick the prompt you can develop. Markers read the task. They do not mark your favourite identity.

A five-minute choose-or-reject test

1. Underline the task verb: discuss, argue, recount, describe, “write a story about”.
2. If the verb wants views, list two examples you could explain in four sentences each.
3. If the verb wants a story, list three plot beats: start, turn, end.
4. If either list has a blank, reject that question and try the next one.
5. Write a four-line plan from the fuller list. Do not write two openings.

Do not start a story and switch to discussion halfway. That usually produces an irrelevant second half. The reject rule exists so you spend the hour on a question you can finish.

The weaker genre is allowed if the list is full

Students protect a favourite genre and then force it onto an unsuitable prompt. A thin narrative about “the importance of teamwork” is still a failed discursive task. A discursive piece that happens to include a short anecdote is fine if the anecdote is evidence, not the whole essay. Practise the weaker genre on other weeks. Tonight, pick the fuller list.

Stop after the plan unless the homework demands a full draft

If the teacher asked for a full piece, write it. If this is extra practice, the plan plus one body paragraph is enough to train the choice. This page is not a substitute for the school's deadline. It is also not the Sec 3 “write the whole essay in one sitting” session. That is a different night.

FAQ

Is a personal recount the same as narrative?

Only if the task wants a story with a turning point. A diary-like list of Saturday is not enough. If the task says “discuss”, a recount is the wrong genre even if it is true.

What if the question lets me choose either?

Run both lists. Pick the fuller one. Do not write both openings. The unused list can become next week's practice.