Guide on How to Write a Deductive Essay: A to Z!

Introduction

To begin with, deductive essays represent an effective method of evaluating student knowledge in different courses and reviewing their analytical skills. A deductive essay is a type of essay in which students are obliged to use deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is the logical reasoning that uses general, factual premises to reach a specific conclusion. Therefore, deductive reasoning can be explained as an application of the general rules that are narrowed down until a certain conclusion is reached. For this reason, deductive reasoning is sometimes called “bottom-down logic.” Deductive reasoning is often implemented in real life when people use the facts of the common knowledge or the ones that are already known to them in order to reach a specific conclusion. Writing an effective deductive essay requires the essay writer to implement one’s strong analytical skills into the construction of a deductive argument supported by sufficient evidence. This deductive essay writing guide will help you achieve the goal.

The Difference Between Deductive and Inductive Writing

Deductive reasoning is often contrasted with inductive reasoning because they represent opposite types of logical arguments. Deductive reasoning starts with the general facts and reaches specific conclusions. On the other hand, inductive reasoning reaches general conclusions by implementing specific observations. Unlike deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning allows the conclusion to be false. Therefore, the difference between deductive and inductive writing is that inductive writing fits the specifications of an inductive argument, whereas deductive writing follows the structure of a deductive argument.

The Construction and the Structure of a Deductive Argument

Students working on a deductive essay should learn to create a deductive argument based on deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is divided into three parts, including premise, evidence, and conclusion. The premise is the general fact that is applied in order to reach a conclusion. In a deductive argument, there could be a single premise or several premises at once. The premise provides a background for the logical argument.

The second part of a deductive argument is the evidence. The evidence is a piece of more specific information that represents the subject of the analysis. The evidence is proof that one relies upon in an argument and a logical link between the premise and the conclusion. The evidence is based on a specific fact that is observed or analyzed by a student writing an essay. The presumption stated by the author of the essay should be backed up by credible information from scholarly sources.

Finally, the conclusion is a summarized analysis of the argument that is based on combining the premises with the evidence that serves as a final proof of the premise. In deductive reasoning, the true premise is a guarantee for a true conclusion. Therefore, if the premises are not true, it is impossible for the conclusion to be true. The conclusion is supposed to be well-rounded and precise. There is a possibility for a deductive essay to have a multitude of credible conclusions. If this occurs, there is a need to choose the best possible conclusion and focus on explaining it to the reader of the essay. If the author of the essay chooses to focus on the multitude of conclusions, there is a risk for the essay to be out of the focus and not be understandable for the reader. The mathematical formula for deductive reasoning is as follows: If A = B, and B= C, then A = C.

The Example of the Deductive Argument

Premise: All humans are mortal.
Evidence: Josh is a human.
Conclusion: Josh is mortal.
This is the basic example of deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning can become more complex if more premises are used in order to reach a conclusion.

Types of Deductive Reasoning Used in Deductive Essays

The deductive essays apply various styles of deductive reasoning, with each of them just as accurate as the other. Categorical arguments and propositional arguments are among the most widely used arguments in a deductive essay. Categorical arguments are the ones that include various items. These arguments usually implement common words and phrases, including none and all. A propositional argument is the style of an argument that uses the words “are,” “and,” “or,” “I,” and others. Propositional arguments can be described as the arguments that manage the sentences in which they are used.

The Deductive Essay Writing Tips from Our Writers

A writer of a deductive essay has to make sure that the attention of the reader remains focused on the deductive argument and is not dragged away to less essential aspects of the deductive essay. The requirements for the writing style include accurate sentence structure and the use of correct grammar. While there are typical requirements for all kinds of essays and not just deductive ones, appropriate sentence structure and grammar are especially important for the deductive essays because they demonstrate the analytical skills of the writer. The deductive essay requires the writer to apply superior analytical skills because they constitute the main aspect that is checked by the instructor. The ability to express one’s analytical skills with language tools is another point that is being evaluated by the instructor.

The deductive reasoning usually follows a clear and logical structure that is easy to follow for any reader. Each of the essay paragraphs focuses on a particular aspect of the argument, using detailed evidence. The most important part of the essay is the support of the conclusion. The conclusion cannot be simply stated without the appropriate support because it is likely to be weak in such a case. The deductive essay requires the author to remain objective and logical throughout all steps of writing.

Choosing a Topic of a Deductive Essay

Picking a topic is an important preliminary step of writing the deductive essay. In case there is a possibility to pick the topic, one should choose the topic that he or she does not feel overly emotional about. The best strategy for the author is to pick the topic one is interested in but does not have a strong opinion on. The reason for this is that it is quite difficult for people to stay objective about the issues they are opinionated about. Therefore, the students should treat the writing of the deductive essay as the opportunity to learn something new about an interesting subject rather than the ability to prove a certain point that the author of the essay cares for.

In science, deductive reasoning is often applied in mathematics and physics. Among the disciplines that are considered to be humanities, deductive reasoning is more often implemented in philosophy. Therefore, it is natural for students to pick the topic of a deductive essay that is related to philosophy. However, the spectrum of deductive reasoning is quite broad; therefore, the topic of choice can be related to the variety of different disciplines. Common subjects that represent the basis for developing an effective deductive essay include political science, history, sociology, ethics (including bioethics), futurism, education, technology, and others.

The implementation of deductive reasoning in deductive essays makes it possible for the students to choose the topics that effectively analyze current and future trends related to society. Therefore, deductive reasoning is at its best when it is applied to the topical discussions of the contemporary world. Deductive essays can contrast several phenomena or investigate a single phenomenon in depth. Some of the potential topics of a deductive essay include:

• Drug Dealing in Columbia;
• The Ethical Aspects of Human Cloning;
• Democracy vs. Authoritarian State;
• Communism vs. Capitalism;
• The Impact of the Universal Basic Income on the Economy;
• The Implications of the Governmental Intervention into the Life of the Chinese Citizens;
• The Ethical and Scientific Aspects of the Genetic Engineering;
• The Politics and the Ideology Behind the Arab Spring;
• Love VS Habit;
• Should Humans Strive to End Aging-Related Diseases?
• Should Toddlers Be Exposed to Technology from the Beginning of Their Lives?
• The Implications of the South Thailand Insurgency

The Structure of a Deductive Essay

Similarly to the typical argumentative essay of any type, the deductive essay consists of an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion that reveals premises, evidence, and the conclusion of the deductive argument.

Introduction

The introduction of a deductive essay presents the basic most essential aspects of the argument that is being investigated. It is important for the effective deductive essay to avoid generalizations and to base the presentation of the topic on the facts that are thoroughly investigated. One of the most important parts of the deductive essay is the thesis statement that summarizes the major arguments that are made in the essay and wrapped up in the essay’s conclusion. Your thesis statement has to be clear and concise, without any unnecessary details added. All in all, a thesis is a short statement that reflects the conclusion of an argument and the reasoning behind it.

Supporting Paragraphs

The supporting paragraphs of the essay should investigate the facts found in the premises and the evidence of the deductive argument. For the convenience of a reader, the facts should be investigated one-by-one in each of the paragraphs. It is important not to overflow each of the paragraphs with too many arguments for the essay to keep its precise and logical structure.

Conclusion

Finally, the conclusion of the deductive essay should coincide with the conclusion of the deductive argument based on the research of the evidence and drawings from the premises of the argument. After the conclusion of the deductive argument is made, the author can expand the conclusion of the essay by offering possible directions the argument can take in the future. However, there is a need to keep the conclusion logical and concise without diving into the multitude of future possibilities that cannot be supported by evidence.

If one chooses not to dive into the future possibilities while concluding the essay, there is a possibility to end it by stating the possible implications of failing to solve the issue discussed in the deductive essay. If the writer chooses to follow this pathway, he or she should remain logical and concise in the process of ending the essay, without drawing the attention away from the conclusion of the deductive argument. The conclusion of the deductive argument has to remain an integral element of the deductive essay conclusion that cannot be overshadowed by other statements made in the final part of the essay.

The Post-Writing Steps of Working on a Deductive Essay

The post-writing peculiarities related to the writing of a deductive essay focus on the elements that are directly related to the writing process itself. Therefore, the writer should pay attention to the logical flow of the essay, the sentence structure, the use of the language, the adherence to the basic grammar rules, and, first and foremost, the effectiveness of the argument that demonstrates one’s analytical ability. The proofreading of the deductive essay should begin with analyzing the flow of the argument since the argument is the central part of the essay. The effective and correct premises, evidence, and conclusion form the basis of an excellent deductive essay. Even though the linguistic elements of such essay are considered important, the flow, structure, and support for the argument are superior. Therefore, the author should begin proofreading with analyzing the argument and conclude it with the analysis of grammar, sentence structure, and the additional elements of the writing.

The referencing of the paper is an essential final step of working on a deductive essay. The writer should strive to use peer-reviewed credible sources that back up one’s evidence, including books and scientific sources. News articles and other sources can sometimes be used sparingly if they fit the context and the topic of a particular deductive essay. It is important for the writer to distinguish between one’s patterns of thinking and the sources that support this pattern. Original thinking is an integral part of the deductive essay, and the author cannot simply rely on the sources regardless of their credibility.

Apart from the specific characteristics that one should draw attention to while working on the deductive essay, the process of editing and proofreading of such essay is similar to editing and proofreading of an analytical essay. The author should analyze every paragraph of the essay and look for grammatical mistakes, mechanical errors, and the issues related to the sentence structure. If one selects an appropriate topic, constructs an effective deductive argument, supports it with the proper evidence, reaches the logical conclusion, follows the requirements for the structure of an essay, and effectively proofreads it, he or she is likely to create a deductive essay that will secure the student with an excellent academic score.

References
Bradford, A. (2017). Deductive Reasoning vs. Inductive Reasoning. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/21569-deduction-vs-induction.html
Deductive essay writing help, ideas, topics, examples. (2018). Retrieved from https://essayinfo.com/essays/deductive-essay/
How to Write a Deductive Essay?. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.writeawriting.com/essay/how-to-write-deductive-essay/
What is deductive reasoning? (2018). Retrieved from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/deductive-reasoning/