A discussion question asks you to explain two opposing views and then say what you think.
It is the type candidates most often half-answer. They explain the side they agree with in detail, wave at the other one for two sentences, and lose marks under Task Response for incomplete coverage.
The fix is an order, and it is counter-intuitive: put the side you disagree with first.
The structure, in short
| Paragraph 1 | Introduction — paraphrase both views, state your own position |
| Paragraph 2 | The view you disagree with, explained fairly |
| Paragraph 3 | The view you agree with, with your strongest reasoning |
| Paragraph 4 | Conclusion — both sides in a clause, your position restated |
| Words | 270–300. Minimum 250, penalised below it |
| Time | 40 minutes: 5 planning, 30 writing, 5 checking |
| Counting | The computer test shows a live word count; on paper, estimate from your line count |
Both views get real coverage. Yours gets the last word.
Is this a discussion question?
The giveaway is the word discuss:
- Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
- Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
- Some people think X. Others believe Y. Discuss both views.
Read the ending carefully, because it changes the task:
“Discuss both views and give your own opinion” — you must do both. An essay that explains the two sides beautifully and never says what you think has left half the prompt unanswered.
“Discuss both views” with no opinion clause — a neutral, balanced essay is acceptable. Adding your view does no harm, but omitting it does none either.
If the prompt instead says to what extent do you agree, it is not a discussion question at all. Read how to write an opinion essay.
Why the disagreed side goes first
Two reasons, and both are about how the essay reads.
The last paragraph before the conclusion is the one that lingers. If you finish the body with your own position, the conclusion restates something the reader has just been persuaded of. Finish with the opposing view and the conclusion has to argue backwards.
It stops you under-covering the other side. Written first, while you still have words and energy, the opposing view gets fair treatment. Written last, it gets three rushed sentences — which is exactly the incomplete coverage the descriptors penalise.
Explaining a view you reject is not conceding. You are demonstrating that you understood the debate, which is what “discuss” means.
How do you structure a discussion essay?
- Introduction, about 50 words. Paraphrase both views in one sentence, then state your own position in the next.
- Body one, about 90 words. The view you disagree with. Explain why people hold it, fairly, then close with a brief pivot.
- Body two, about 100 words. Your view. More development, your strongest reasoning, a concrete example.
- Conclusion, about 40 words. Acknowledge both, restate your position.
Explain the opposing view properly, then pivot in one sentence
The pivot is a single sentence at the end of body one, not a whole paragraph of rebuttal:
This argument carries real weight in economies where graduate employment is scarce.
Then body two opens with your side. You have been fair without surrendering the essay.
Your own paragraph earns the extra words
Not because length scores, but because the conclusion has to rest on it. If body three is the same weight as body two, the essay reads as undecided even when the introduction committed.
Where does the thesis go?
In the introduction, and it must state a position rather than announce one.
Weak: This essay will look at both sides of this issue and then give my opinion.
Strong: While both positions have merit, I believe practical experience ultimately prepares students better than further study.
The weak version is a learned template sentence. Examiners recognise it instantly, and it delays your position until the final paragraph, which reads as unclear for three quarters of the essay.
Your conclusion then confirms that position. Leaving the conclusion off caps Task Response at band 5, because an essay without one has not presented a clear position at all. Start it with In conclusion — plain signposting is correct here.
Model essay, band 8
Some people believe that children should begin formal schooling at a very early age. Others think they should not start until they are at least seven.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
My position: later start. Order: early-start view first, then mine.
Opinion is divided over whether children should enter formal education as young as four or wait until they are around seven. Although an early start offers some genuine benefits, I believe that a later beginning serves most children better.
Those who favour early schooling point to the pace at which young children acquire language and social habits. A four-year-old placed in a structured classroom absorbs vocabulary, routine and the basics of cooperation far faster than an older child would, simply because these capacities are developing most rapidly at that age. Early schooling also provides reliable childcare, which allows both parents to remain in work and reduces the financial strain on young families. In countries where nursery provision is expensive, this is a decisive practical argument.
Nevertheless, I find the case for a later start more persuasive, because the skills that matter most at that age are not taught at a desk. Children who spend their early years in unstructured play develop imagination, negotiation and physical confidence in ways that formal lessons cannot replicate. A child who settles a dispute over a game has learned something no worksheet can teach, and that capacity underpins much of what follows at school. The research also consistently shows that later starters catch up academically within a few years. Several Nordic countries begin formal instruction at seven and their pupils are among the strongest readers in the world by adolescence, which suggests that the early years are better spent elsewhere.
In conclusion, while early schooling brings real linguistic and practical advantages, I believe children benefit more from a later start, as the developmental gains from play outlast any temporary academic head start.
277 words — inside the 270 to 300 range this guide recommends.
What that essay is doing
Both views are actually explained. Body two gives the early-start case two distinct reasons — developmental speed and childcare — with a mechanism for each. It is not a straw man erected to be knocked down.
The pivot is one sentence. “In countries where nursery provision is expensive, this is a decisive practical argument” closes the paragraph fairly. No rebuttal yet.
Body three carries more weight. Slightly longer, two reasons, and a real-world case in the Nordic comparison.
The position is stated in the introduction and confirmed at the end. It never moves.
The conclusion concedes in a clause. “While early schooling brings real linguistic and practical advantages” acknowledges the other side in six words, then lands. Nothing new is introduced.
Sentence frames you can reuse
Introducing the two views
- Opinion is divided over whether [X] or [Y].
- While some argue that [view one], others maintain that [view two].
Presenting the view you disagree with
- Those who favour [view] point to [reason].
- There is a reasonable case for [view], particularly where [condition].
- Supporters of this position argue that [claim].
Pivoting to your own
- Nevertheless, I find the case for [your view] more persuasive.
- Although this argument has force, I believe [your view].
- This concern is legitimate, yet it overlooks [your counter].
Concluding
- In conclusion, while [other view] has genuine merit, I believe [your position], because [reason].
Avoid Since the dawn of time, With the development of modern science and technology and Nowadays this is a hotly debated topic. They appear in thousands of scripts and read as recitation rather than thought.
What caps a discussion essay at band 6
The Task Response ladder:
- Band 5 — “The main parts of the prompt are incompletely addressed.”
- Band 6 — “The main parts of the prompt are addressed (though some may be more fully covered than others).”
- Band 7 — “The main parts of the prompt are appropriately addressed. A clear and developed position is presented.”
Read band 6 again: though some may be more fully covered than others. That is the discussion essay’s exact failure written into the descriptor.
Under-covering one side. Three sentences for the view you reject and a paragraph and a half for your own is the single most common reason a fluent discussion essay stalls at 6.
Forgetting your opinion entirely. If the prompt asked for it, an essay that explains both views and stops has not completed the task.
A position that hedges. “Both sides have good points and it depends on the situation” is not a position. Commit.
Informal register. Kids, lots of, and contractions such as don’t cap you at band 6 on their own, regardless of how good the argument is.
Mechanical linking. Firstly, Secondly, Finally at the head of every paragraph is the most visible band 6 marker there is.
Practise it
Plan the order before you write: which side you disagree with, one sentence of pivot, then your own with the better reasoning. Two minutes of that prevents the lopsided essay that costs most people this question type.
You can practise Task 2 with AI band feedback on IELTS Studio. It marks all four criteria separately, so you can see which one is capping your band.
Related: how to write an opinion essay covers agree-or-disagree prompts, advantages and disadvantages essays covers the outweigh variant, common Task 2 topics covers what comes up, and how the writing band scale works explains each criterion.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to give my own opinion in an IELTS discussion essay?
- Only if the prompt asks for it. If it says 'and give your own opinion', omitting your view means half the task is unanswered. If it only says 'discuss both views', a neutral essay is acceptable.
- Which side should I discuss first in a discussion essay?
- Discuss the view you disagree with first, then the view you support. Ending on your own position gives it more weight and leads naturally into a conclusion that restates it.
- How many words should an IELTS discussion essay be?
- Aim for 270 to 300 words. The minimum is 250 and going under it is penalised under Task Response. Beyond about 320 words you gain nothing and risk more mistakes.
- Can I give my opinion in the introduction of a discussion essay?
- Yes, and you should. State your position in the introduction and confirm it in the conclusion. Saving it for the end reads as an unclear position for most of the essay.
- Should both body paragraphs be the same length in a discussion essay?
- They can be similar, but the paragraph carrying your own view usually deserves slightly more development, since that is the position the conclusion has to justify.
- What is the difference between a discussion essay and an opinion essay?
- An opinion essay asks whether you agree and wants one side defended. A discussion essay asks you to explain both views properly before giving yours. Treating a discussion prompt as one-sided loses marks under Task Response.