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2. Sixpence (click to get to the text in the digital book) 

Discuss ”The Difference Between Childrearing Now Versus 100 years Ago”, and compare it with personal knowledge or experiences. Use references from the text to support your arguments.

skrivna text:

Childrearing  is the process to raise up a child from birth through adulthood, the parents should dedicating a quilted time to make them independent persons. The childrearing´s requirement in general  is the love, care and interest.

But in Sixpence story that describing for us how the parents behaved their children before 100 years ago. How the difficulties and  the manner of raising  up a child can affect us as a parent and a child. It´s event telling us about the whipping to be  them more fast and doing according to what parents command. Whipping is when a child suffering of a punishment from someone . Is that a good method to raise up children comparing the modern child raising? is it helpful to employ this manner or helpless?. The child rearing has changed over the years until our present time. I will discuss the difference between childrearing now versus 100 years ago, there are advantages and disadvantages with those aspects.

The modern child  rearing has several advantages than in the past, is more affective and encouraging to get the best outcomes in children. In the current time the most of  parents follows this kind of raising witch is the understanding and care, because when parents building a good relationship with trust and love, children will fells respected and protective of their parents. These kind of parents called authoritative parents the opposite of authoritarian parents, the instance that resenting in Sixpence story .

 There author says that “children are unaccountable little creatures” , in Katherine Mansfield´s text speaks about a boy who is called “Dicky”. Dicky has cold hearted and authoritarian parents, he has suffered always of corporal punishment like whipping, beating  and aggression to raise him. When Dicky did some mistake like that he broke a great big plate, his mother Mrs Bendall heard what he did , and she said “very well Dicky” I shall have to think of some way of punishing you”. Dicky´s mother have not thought of a gentle manner to discipline him. Dicky has not cried or shouted, why?  I think he had assorted of feelings that like frightened and surrendered. Because the corporal punishment is not good way of childrearing, that way is possible to detriment the child outcomes through negative emotions and cognition. They should living  and growing up in a safety environment as possible and to have an enough freedom to understand, and live as happy creatures.

The second advantage with the modern child rearing  is the whipping and beating are not allowed else in the parenting thoughts. They believe and helping their children to believe in themselves as well. When children being stumbled from the most important persons who is the parents, they should obviously achieve their goals with high self- awareness.  With parents understanding and protecting, there is opportunity to make children an obedient creatures and in contrast they showing respect and trusting for their parents.

There are still many people  in society who do not agree and interacting with the modern raising aspect, because they think this way can damaging theirs morals through the unlimited freedom. That’s opinion can be considered for some cases , no respect and no real relationships between parents and children because there are no strong family bonding. This itself can contributing also to failure in parenting progress.  For instance, I have spend a good upbringing  in a healthy family environment , my Mother and father took care of us physically and mentally even when we, I and my brother made us dirty while we playing outside in nature, they have not got any aggression reaction and I think this way of raising has develop our personality skills, that’s way we have full respect and understanding in difficult situations. It happens that we do not agree with them  always but we can to  overcome that through taking a discussion with them.

In summary, modern child rearing has clear advantages, empowering the child personality and the belief as parents on their child ability. In addition to the drawback, the unlimited freedom can  leads occasionally  to a cold, fainty and boundless relationship between the parents and children.

"the parents should dedicating", det ska vara the parents should dedicate :)

"But in Sixpence story that describing",  But in Sixpence story, it described for us.. (jag tycker att detta låter bättre)

 " about the whipping to be   them more  fast"  make  (tycker jag)

" doing according to what parents command" det finns något fel med doing, jag förstår inte riktigt vad du menar där. 

"Whipping is when a child suffering "  Suffers. 

"comparing the modern child " Comparing  to  the modern... 

"is more affective and encouraging .."   it is more effective and encourages

"In the current time the most of  parents follow s  (eftersom parents är fler då behöver man inte s:et.)

"when parents building a good..."  Build

"children will fells respected" jag tror du menar  feel ( känner ) 

"These kind of parents  are called " 

"of  the authoritarian parents" 

" There author says that"  The 

" in Katherine Mansfield´s text speaks about a boy"  it talks 

" When Dicky did some mistake "  mistakes

"like that he broke a great big plate" like when he broke..

 "Dicky´s mother have not thought "  has

"Dicky has not cried or shout ed "  did  not  cry  or  shout. 

"I think he had assorted of feelings that like frightened and surrendered" 

"They should living and growing "  be living and growing /live and grow. 

"to have an enough freedom"

 "is the whipping and beating are not allowed else in the parenting s thoughts." that 

"help ing their children to believe in"

"When children are being stumbled" 

 "most important persons who is the parents"  which are 

"they should obviously achieve their goals with high self-awareness."  would 

"With parents '  "

"there is opportunity to make children an obedient creatures"  an opportunity. 

" in contrast , they showing respect and trusting for their parents."   show respect and trust  for their parents.

"many people  in society" in the society  /  our  society 

" interacting with the modern"  interact. 

"think this way can damaging theirs morals"  that this way can damage their 

"That ’s opinion"  That

"there are no strong"  is

"can contributing "  contribute 

" to failure in"  fail 

"we playing outside"  we play

"made us dirty" alt. came back home with dirty clothes. 

" has develop"  developed. 

"that’s way we have"  in that way, we have../  that's WHY.. 

" can to  overcome" 

" through taking a discussion "

"the child personality"  child's 

"child ability."  child's 

" can   leads occasionally"  lead

Din text är bra, du har bra åsikter och du tar upp viktiga grejer när det gäller ämnet. En tips är att du lär dig när man använder ING-form t.ex play ing. 

Jag är ingen lärare, jag går på gymnasiet andra år (natur), men jag rättade det som lät fel när jag läste den. Det finns fler fel i din text men jag kan inte riktigt sätta fingret på det så det blir bra om du läser den högt för dig själv, för att då kommer du veta vad som låter fel. Och det är också lite svårt att förstå vad du menar i vissa meningar och det är pga att meningen är fel strukturerat och kolla gärna om du sätter in punkt och komma på rätt ställe. 

Tänker att jag skriver dubbla citeringar, en där jag visar vad jag redigerar och en där jag ger förslag på ändring. Vissa delar kommer jag uppmana att du själv kommer på lämplig rättning men skriver detta isåfall!

Childrearing  is the process of raising a child from birth to young adulthood, the parents should dedicate a _____ time to make them independent persons. The childrearing´s requirements in general  is to provide love, care and interest.

Bra introduktion så läsaren vet vad du menar med childrearing. Vet inte vad du menar med "quilted" då detta betyder typ "ihopsydd/ihoplappad" så tror du valt fel ord.

But in Sixpence story that describing for us how the parents behaved their children before 100 years ago. How the difficulties and  the manner of raising  up a child can affect us as a parent and a child. It´s event telling us about the whipping to be  them more fast and doing according to what parents command . Whipping is when a child suffering of a punishment from someone . Is that a good method to raise up children comparing the modern child raising? is it helpful to employ this manner or helpless?. The child rearing has changed over the years until our present time. I will discuss the difference between childrearing now versus 100 years ago, there are advantages and disadvantages with those aspects.

But in Sixpence's story that describes how the parents raised their children a 100 years ago. It explains the difficulties with raising, and the manner of raising, up a child which can affect us as a parent and as a child. It even tells us about the whipping of children to make them hurry and follow their parents' command. Whipping is __________. Is that a good method to raise children compared to the modern method of child raising? Is it helpful to employ this manner or is it harmful?. The child rearing has changed over the years leading up to our present time. I will discuss the difference between childrearing now versus 100 years ago, and the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods.

Bra stycke med intressant inledning till din diskussion som lägger bra grund för essän. En del grammatiska fel som jag rättat till men annars är det bara meningen "Whipping is when a child suffering of a punishment from someone" som jag tycker är lite för bred då "suffering of a punishment from someone" täcker mer än bara "whipping". Det blir då oklart om du menar att barnet piskas, får en rejäl avhyvling eller blir utskälld; vilket alla kan  beskrivas med "whipping" beroende på sammanhang. Skriv en ny beskrivning som är lite mer utförlig så blir det bra!

The modern child  rearing has several advantages than in the past, is more affective and encouraging to get the best outcomes in children. In the current time the most of  parents follows this kind of raising witch is the understanding and care , because when parents building a good relationship with trust and love, children will fells respected and protective of their parents. These kind of parents called authoritative parents the opposite of authoritarian parents, the instance that resenting in Sixpence story .

The modern child  rearing has several advantages over the old method. It is more effective and encouraging in getting the best outcomes for children. In the current time most parents follow this method which focuses on understanding and caring, because when parents build a good relationship with trust and love, children feel respected and protected by their parents. These kinds of parents are called authoritative parents, the opposite of authoritarian parents, the instance that resenting in Sixpence story .

Fint formulerat stycke! Jag förstår inte vad du menar precis i slutet (fetmarkerat i första citeringen) och föreslår att du tar bort det eller formulerar om det!

There author says that “children are unaccountable little creatures” , in Katherine Mansfield´s text speaks about a boy who is called “Dicky”. Dicky has cold hearted and authoritarian parents, he has suffered always of corporal punishment like whipping, beating  and aggression to raise h im. When Dicky did some mistake like that he broke a great big plate, his mother Mrs Bendall heard what he did , and she said “very well Dicky” I shall have to think of some way of punishing you”. Dicky´s mother have not thought of a gentle manner to discipline him. Dicky has not cried or shouted , why?  I think he had assorted of feelings that like frightened and surrendered . Because the corporal punishment is not good way of childrearing, that way is possible to detriment the child outcomes through negative emotions and _____ cognition. They should living  and growing up in a safety environment as possible and to have an enough freedom to understand, and live as happy creatures .

Katherine Mansfield says that “children are unaccountable little creatures”  in her text where speaks about a boy who is called “Dicky”. Dicky has cold-hearted and authoritarian parents. He has suffered corporal punishment like whipping, beating  and aggression as tools to raise him. When Dicky did some mistake, like when he broke a big plate and his mother Mrs Bendall heard what he did , she said “very well Dicky. I shall have to think of some way of punishing you”. Dicky´s mother was not thinking of a gentle manner to discipline him. Dicky did not cry or shout; why?  I think he had a mix of feelings, like fright and the feeling that he should surrender. Corporal punishment is not good way of childrearing, that way is detrimental to the child's outcomes through negative emotions and ______ cognition. They should be living  and growing up in a as safe environment as possible and should have enough freedom to live as happy ____.

Bra stycke! Behövde inte rätts speciellt mycket och du har fint ordval som gör din text beskrivande! Två små saker du får göra själv. 1. "...through negative emotions and cognition" låter lite konstigt då negativ kognition är rätt luddigt begrepp. Skulle föreslå "hämmad kognition" eller något annat beskrivande adjektiv framför "cognition" så läsaren förstår vad du menar att sådan bestraffning har för konsekvenser på barnets kognition! 2. "...happy creatures" låter lite som att du avhumaniserar barnen då "creature" översätts till "varelse"; kan tolkas något underligt. "Beings" eller "individuals" är mer passande i sammanhanget.

The second advantage with the modern childrearing is that the whipping and beating is eliminated from the parents' thoughts. They instead believe in helping their children to believe in themselves as well. When children are treated poorly by the most important persons, their parents, they obviously can't achieve their goals with high self- awareness.  With parents understanding and protecting them, there is opportunity to make children obedient and in contrast they show respect and trust for their parents.

Detta stycket tycker jag var väldigt svårt att förstå och jag har försökt mitt bästa att tolka och rätta. Den fetstilade meningen förstår jag inte vad du försöker förmedla så jag gjorde en egen tolkning så finns en risk att jag ändrat så att den inte representerar vad du ville säga. Om det verkar konstigt kan du försöka skriva om meningen igen så kan jag kika!

There are still many people  in society who do not agree and interacting with the modern raising aspect , because they think this way can damaging theirs morals through the unlimited freedom. That’s opinion can be considered for some cases , no respect and no real relationships between parents and children because there are no strong family bonding. This itself can contributing also to failure in parenting progress.  For instance, I have spend a good upbringing  in a healthy family environment , my Mother and father took care of us physically and mentally even when we, I and my brother made us dirty while we playing outside in nature, they have not got any aggression reaction and I think this way of raising has develop our personality skills, that’s way we have full respect and understanding in difficult situations. It happens that we do not agree with them   always but we can to  overcome that through taking a discussion with them.

There are still many people  in society who do not agree with the modern childraising methods, because they think this can damage their morals through the unlimited freedom. That opinion can be considered for some cases. No respect and no real relationships between parents and children because there are no strong family bonding. This itself can contribute also to failure in parenting progress.  For instance, I have had a good upbringing  in a healthy family environment. My mother and father took care of us physically and mentally even when we, my brother and I, made ourselves dirty while we playing outside in nature. They did not get any aggressive reaction and I think this way of raising us has developed our personality skills. That way we have full respect and understanding of difficult situations. It happens that we do not always agree with them  but we can to  overcome that through having a discussion with them.

Bästa stycket grammatiskt! Några få böjningar och omkastningar bara men annars en väldigt bra prestation språkmässigt! Snyggt!

In summary, modern childrearing has clear advantages, empowering the child personality and the belief as parents on their child ability . In addition to the drawback, the unlimited freedom can   leads occasionally  to a cold, fainty and boundless relationship between the parents and children.

In summary, modern childrearing has clear advantages, empowering the child's personality and the belief as parents in their child abilities. However, the drawback of unlimited freedom can occasionally lead to a cold, fainty and boundless relationship between parents and children.

Bra sammanfattning! "Fainty" är ett väldigt intressant ordval jag inte stött på tidigare tror jag men går att förstå i sammanhanget, häftig detalj! "Boundless" tycker jag dock passar lite sämre då jag förstår vad du men kan också tolkas som att relationen inte har några gränser och kan därför utforma sig på massa positiva sätt, snarare än att det saknas gränser för vad som är tillåtet vilket är det jag tolkar att du menar egentligen. "Boundaryless" är en synonym som lägger vikt på just gränser i auktoritär mening och kanske passar bättre, men det gör du som du vill då det bara är en liten detalj!

Bra jobbat med texten och av att jämföra med dina tidigare texter jag läst igenom så tycker jag att du blir bättre och bättre på grammatiken och att ditt ordförråd, som var bra redan från början, har växt ännu mer! Kul att se!

hej Anticap, du hade helt rätt med första stycket vilket är : The second advantage with the modern childrearing is that the whipping and beating is eliminated from the parents' thoughts. They instead believe in helping their children to believe in themselves as well. When children are treated poorly by the most important persons, their parents, they obviously can't achieve their goals with high self- awareness.  With parents understanding and protecting them, there is opportunity to make children obedient and in contrast they show respect and trust for their parents. 

men i andra stycket menade jag att : When children are supported by the most important persons who is the parents, they should obviously achieve their goals with high self- awareness.  

så vad tycker du ska jag använda den , låter det lämpligt?

best regards and thanks for supporting !

Anticap, vad tycker du om detta stycke som mina åsikter och rekommendationer:

I believe that learning by doing, and it explain how children can be if we behave them with positive or negative behaviours and methods. We can´t  to produce a good new generation of young people without merciful and wise parents.

men i andra stycket menade jag att : When children are supported by the most important persons who is the parents, they should obviously achieve their goals with high self- awareness.   så vad tycker du ska jag använda den , låter det lämpligt?

Den är lite felaktig grammatiskt men främst förstår jag inte innebörden? Att uppnå sina mål med hög nivå av självinsikt är inte för mig något bekant eller något som folk nödvändigtvis eftersträvar? Men om det är det du vill säga så är "When children are supported by the most important persons, their parents, it is obvious that they will achieve their goals with high self-awareness"  mer korrekt grammatiskt!

I believe that learning by doing, and it explain how children can be if we behave them with positive or negative behaviours and methods. We can´t   to produce a good new generation of young people without merciful and wise parents.

I believe in learning by doing, and it explains to children how they should act when we ourselves express positive or negative behaviours and methods. We can´t  produce a good, new generation of young people without merciful and wise parents.

Bra tillägg men förstod inte riktigt om du hade någon speciell plats i texten du tänkte lägga till den i, jag skulle föreslå i slutet om det inte redan var det du hade tänkt.

ja , exkat jag vill lägga de i sluttet av texten som egna åsikter och rekommendationer

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Discussion essays Considering both sides of the argument

Discussion essays are a common form of academic writing. This page gives information on what a discussion essay is and how to structure this type of essay. Some vocabulary for discussion essays is also given, and there is an example discussion essay on the topic of studying overseas.

What are discussion essays?

Many essay titles require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour. These are known as discussion or for and against essays. In this sense, the academic meaning of the word discuss is similar to its everyday meaning, of two people talking about a topic from different sides. For a discussion essay, a balanced view is normally essential. This makes discussion essays distinct from persuasion essays , for which only one side of the argument is given. When writing a discussion essay, it is important to ensure that facts and opinions are clearly separated. Often you will examine what other people have already said on the same subject and include this information using paraphrasing and summarising skills, as well as correct citations .

The following are examples of discussion essay topics.

• Examine the arguments for and against capital punishment.
• Schools should teach children not only academic subjects but also important life skills. Discuss.
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom?

Although the structure of a discussion essay may vary according to length and subject, there are several components which most discussion essays have in common. In addition to general statements and thesis statement which all good essay introductions contain, the position of the writer will often be stated, along with relevant definitions . The main body will examine arguments for (in one or more paragraphs) and arguments against (also in one or more paragraphs). The conclusion will contain a summary of the main points, and will often conclude with recommendations , based on what you think are the most important ideas in the essay. The conclusion may also contain your opinion on the topic, also based on the preceding evidence.

An overview of this structure is given in the diagram below.

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'.

• advantage: benefit, a positive aspect/feature, pro (informal)
• disadvantage: drawback, a negative aspect/feature, con (informal)

Example essay

Below is an example discussion essay. Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes to the right) to highlight the different structural aspects in this essay.

Title: An increasing number of students are going overseas for tertiary education. To what extent does this overseas study benefit the students?

Most people spend around fifteen years of their life in education, from primary school to university study. In the past, students only had the opportunity to study in their own country. Nowadays, however, it is increasingly easy to study overseas, especially at tertiary level. Tertiary education, also called post-secondary education, is the period of study spent at university. As the final aspect of schooling before a person begins their working life, it is arguably the most important stage of their education. While there are some undoubted benefits of this trend, such as the language environment and improved employment prospects , there is also a significant disadvantage, namely the high cost . The first and most important advantage of overseas study is the language learning environment. Students studying overseas will not only have to cope with the local language for their study, but will also have to use it outside the classroom for their everyday life. These factors should make it relatively easy for such students to advance their language abilities. Another important benefit is employability. Increasing globalisation means that there are more multinational companies setting up offices in all major countries. These companies will need employees who have a variety of skills, including the fluency in more than one language. Students who have studied abroad should find it much easier to obtain a job in this kind of company. There are, however, some disadvantages to overseas study which must be considered, the most notable of which is the expense. In addition to the cost of travel, which in itself is not inconsiderable, overseas students are required to pay tuition fees which are usually much higher than those of local students. Added to this is the cost of living, which is often much higher than in the students' own country. Although scholarships may be available for overseas students, there are usually very few of these, most of which will only cover a fraction of the cost. Overseas study therefore constitutes a considerable expense. In summary, studying abroad has some clear advantages, including the language environment and increased chances of employment , in addition to the main drawback, the heavy financial burden . I believe that this experience is worthwhile for those students whose families can readily afford the expense. Students without such strong financial support should consider carefully whether the high cost outweighs the benefits to be gained.

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Below is a checklist for discussion essays. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

Bailey, S. (2000). Academic Writing. Abingdon: RoutledgeFalmer

Cox, K. and D. Hill (2004). EAP now! Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia

Jordan, R.R. (1999). Academic Writing Course. Cambridge: CUP

Roberts R., J. Gokanda, & A. Preshous (2004). IELTS Foundation. Oxford: Macmillian

Next section

Find out how to write persuasion essays in the next section.

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Go back to the previous section about different essay types .

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 16 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

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IELTS Discussion Essays [Discuss Both Views/Sides]

Posted by David S. Wills | Jun 14, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 3

In this lesson, I’m going to explain what an IELTS discussion essay is and how you can write a good one. I will talk about structure and content, as well as looking briefly at discussion essay thesis statements, which many people find tricky. I’ve also written a sample essay, which you can find at the bottom of this page.

What is a Discussion Essay?

As the name suggests, a discussion essay is an essay that discusses things! More specifically, it is a type of IELTS writing task 2 essay that requires you to look at two different points of view . You can easily recognise these essays by the following phrase:

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Sometimes it is phrased a little differently. It might say:

Discuss both sides and give your opinion

Discuss both points view and give your opinion

The important thing is that these all mean the same. When you see any of these, you know that you need to write a discussion essay. Importantly, this instruction tells you that you need to do two things:

• Discuss both views (there will have been 2 views mentioned in the previous sentence(s))
• Give your opinion (i.e. state which view you agree with)

If you failed to do either of these things, you would not have satisfied the basic criteria for Task Achievement .

Example Discussion Essay Questions

Here is a list of 5 discussion essay questions either from the IELTS exam, reportedly from the IELTS exam, or from reputable publications that have copied the IELTS question style. (Not that you absolutely should avoid fake IELTS questions when practising.)

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time. Others say that is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people feel that manufacturers and supermarkets have the responsibility to reduce the amount of packaging of goods. Others argue that customers should avoid buying goods with a lot of packaging. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people believe that higher education should be funded by the government. Others, however, argue that it is the responsibility of individuals to fund their higher education. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people believe that it is important for children to attend extra classes outside school, while others believe that they should be allowed to play after school. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

You can see in these questions that there is a similar pattern. In each case, the question phrase (“Discuss both views and give your own opinion”) is the same and in the previous sentence or sentences, there are two opposing views. This, then, makes “discuss both views” questions a sort of opinion essay .

How to Answer IELTS Discussion Questions

First of all, it is important when answering any IELTS task 2 question that you read the question carefully so that you understand it, then provide an answer that directly responds to the question, following its instructions carefully.

As discussed above, you are required to do two things: 1) Discuss both views, and 2) Give your own opinion. You absolutely must do both of those. It doesn’t really matter what your opinion is or whether you give equal weighting to both sides of the argument. Instead, you must cover both sides and also give some sort of opinion. (It is important, though, according to the marking rubric , that you are consistent in your opinion.)

Your answer of course should be structured carefully so as to present your ideas in a thoroughly logical way that is easy for your reader to interpret. I almost always use a four-paragraph structure in my essays, but some people prefer to use five paragraphs in this sort of essay. The difference would look like this:

You might be wondering why I have given my opinion in the body of the five-paragraph essay but not in the four-paragraph essay. Well, actually I would give my opinion in the body of both. However, my opinion would be more subtly woven into the text of the four-paragraph essay. I personally find this to be a better method, but it is equally possible that you could write an amazing five-paragraph essay. That issue is discussed further in this video:

Discussion Essay Thesis Statement

In academic writing, a thesis statement (sometimes called an essay outline ) is the part of the essay where you insert your opinion. It typically comes at the end of the introduction and guides the reader by explaining your opinion on the issues that have been introduced.

But do you really need to provide one in such a short essay? Well, a 2018 study into successful IELTS essays concluded that thesis statements were “obligatory” – i.e. you absolutely do need one. In fact, that study found that thesis statements appeared in 100% of successful IELTS discussion essays! Therefore, we can conclude they are very important.

Because a discussion essay will tell you to “Discuss both views and give your opinion,” you must introduce the two views and then give your opinion in the introduction. Here is an example:

Introductory paragraph:

In some parts of the world, children are forced to go to cram schools and other facilities of extracurricular learning, but many people believe that this is unfair and that they should be allowed to enjoy their free time instead. This essay will look at both perspectives and then conclude that it is indeed unfair.

My first sentence clearly introduces two different ideas:

• Children should do extra classes
• Children should not do extra classes

Note how I have successfully used synonyms to avoid repeating anything from the question. I have also framed the issue in a new way so that I am not just paraphrasing. (You can learn why paraphrasing is not always helpful here .)

My second sentence is the thesis statement. In this sentence, I outline what the essay will do (“look at both perspectives”) and then give my opinion (“it is unfair”). This is a simple but effective thesis statement.

Thesis Statement Advice

Your IELTS discussion essay thesis statement should do two things:

• Tell the reader what the essay will do
• Present your opinion

Because this is a formal essay, it is best not to be too personal. Instead of saying “I will…” or “I think…” it is better to say “This essay will…” Here are some simple templates that you can follow most of the time:

• This essay will look at both sides and then argue that…
• This essay will discuss both views but ultimately side with…

Just make sure to avoid being overly vague. You are required to give your opinion consistently throughout the essay, so don’t say “This essay will look at both sides and then give my opinion .” It is not really the best approach because the examiner wants to see that you can be consistent in presenting an opinion. That is clearly stated in the marking rubric. For band 7, it says:

• presents a clear position throughout the response

It could be concluded, then, that your opinion is not clear from the start and so you have not done enough to warrant a band 7 for Task Achievement.

Body Paragraphs

As I mentioned above, there are really two main approaches you could take to the body paragraphs:

• Discuss one view per paragraph and incorporate your opinion into each.
• Discuss one view per paragraph and then have another for your opinion.

I suppose there is also a third option:

• Compare and contrast the two viewpoints in each paragraph.

This last one may be a little harder to do successfully without jeopardising your score for Task Achievement or Coherence and Cohesion , but advanced candidates may find it useful.

Remember that there is no single perfect formula for an IELTS essay. That’s not how languages work and that’s not how IELTS works. Different people could come up with different ways to present a successful essay. The most common essay structures are mere guidelines for particularly useful methods of approaching an essay.

Does a Discussion Essay Have to be Balanced?

Because the question says “Discuss both views,” it is quite logical to think that you must provide some degree of balance, but you certainly don’t need to give equal weighting to both sides. Remember that you are also going to give your opinion, so if you come down strongly on one side of the issue, it might be odd to give equal attention to both.

If you do feel very strongly about one side, you might want to present your discussion of the other side as quite negative. However, IELTS is a thinking exam as well as an English exam and an intelligent person can always look at both sides of an issue and explain – at the very least – why someone might believe a thing that is different to his own view. This seems quite important, but there is nothing explicitly mentioned in the marking rubric.

I would suggest that if you think a two-sided issue is basically one-sided (i.e. you strongly disagree with the other view), you should still write one or two sentences about why people believe that and then devote the rest of your essay to disputing their view.

Another approach is to write BP1 as a very short paragraph that explains why people might think one thing, but then have BP2 as a very long paragraph that debunks the opposing view and then explains why the other is correct.

(You can read more about IELTS essays and balance here .)

Sample Answer

Here is my full sample answer to the above question about whether or not children should be made to do extracurricular activities:

In some parts of the world, children are forced to go to cram schools and other facilities of extracurricular learning, but many people believe that this is unfair and that they should be allowed to enjoy their free time instead. This essay will look at both perspectives and then conclude that it is indeed unfair. In countries like South Korea, most children are made to go to an array of cram schools outside of regular school hours. Their parents do this in order to give their child a better future because it helps the child to learn more and thus gives them the academic advantages needed to apply to the best universities or jobs in future. These schools often provide children with an advantage over their peers because they improve their foreign language or math skills more quickly, and thus the children who do not attend these schools might have comparatively poor grades. However, whilst this attitude may result in better academic performance, it is certainly not good for the mental health of these children. It is no coincidence that places like South Korea have the highest rates of suicide among their young populations. The fact is that children are not equipped to spend fourteen or sixteen hours per day in classrooms, memorising facts and figures. In a sense, it is a form of child abuse. Children should be allowed to go home and spend time with friends and family to build social skills. They should be allowed to occupy themselves in order to become more creative and learn how to understand their own mind instead of being trained to repeat what they are told. In conclusion, it is understandable that some parents want their children to go to extra classes, but this is damaging to children and they should be given the freedom to play and socialise outside of regular school hours.

In BP1, I have looked at the topic of cram schools (ie the side of the argument in favour of extra lessons). I explored why parents might want their kids to do this and show the supposed benefits. Note that I never embraced any of these benefits. I was careful to use language that distanced these ideas from my own opinion, which was the opposite, so I said “Their parents do this in order to…”

In BP2, I looked at the opposite side. I was careful to make sure that my first sentence linked to the previous paragraph, highlighting that the benefits are quite minor compared to the drawbacks. All of my sentences here justify my position, which is that it is cruel to force these extra lessons on children.

My conclusion ties all of this together. The first clause references BP1 and the second summarises the main argument in BP2.

You can find two more sample essays here:

• A discussion essay about sports facilities
• A discussion essay about sports abilities

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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It is sometimes debatable whether asking children to get extra education after school or letting them play that is actually beneficial for them. Even though both viewpoints have benefits and drawbacks but I believe ,in the childhood age, children have to take rough and discipline education after school to be succeed in the future.

To begin with, many educational experts believe that playing is one of the essential aspects that have to be gotten by children to grow and happy. By using the playing approach, children can have a good mental and psychic health. Besides, letting children play after school can also support them to increase their emotional stimuli and get a positive social interaction. With this way, experts believe children can grow as a better adult in the future and have a freedom to get a better life in the upcoming times.

However, I completely contra with the first idea because I believe childhood is a better time to train children about academic or other skills that benefits them in the future. Based on scientific journal that I read, the ability of children in learning new things are more spectacular compared to adults. A lot of artists, scientist, and even football player who currently becoming a superstar in this era is a string of process that is began since their in the childhood. For instance, nowadays, I am working in the field of election supervision, it because since in my childhood my father love to force me learning about social and political issues by getting additional class. Thus, making children to get extra class after school is an appropriate preference if parents desire to see their son getting a good future.

To conclude, based on experts children have to get a freedom to play after schools but in my viewpoint it will be more advantages if they utilize the playing time with joining additional class after school.

VERY GOOD MR DIRWAN But actually you mixed both of the ideas , you need to take one side for this sort of essay writting, as it is mentioned in the above instruction. By the way WELL DONE . love from Pakistan to my sweet brother.

I have not checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are really great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend. ??

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Here you’ll find (almost) everything you need connected to the English 7 course.

Cambridge certificate in advanced english (cae).

You might wonder why we’re focusing on the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) in the English 7 course. It’s mainly due to the following reasons:

• The CAE is accepted globally as proof of high achievement.  More than 3,000 educational institutions, businesses and government departments around the world accept CAE as proof of high-level achievement.
• The CAE is a certificate with endless opportunities.  Helps you develop the language skills you need for success, and can be used for your university and student visa applications in the UK and Australia.
• The CAE provides high-level English skills for academic and professional success.  Preparing for the CAE helps learners develop the skills to make the most of studying, working and living in English-speaking countries.

Certificate in Advanced English  (CAE) – a high-level qualification that is officially recognized by universities, employers and governments around the world. Read more about the  exam overview here.

Click here to download a paper-based sample paper . If you prefer doing the exams online –  follow this link.

WHAT PARTS TO PRACTICE?

All exams are divided into separate parts (shown below). When working with exercises connected to the exams during the course it might be a good idea to know where in the CAE Result Workbook you’ll find exercises connected to each part in the exams. Please consult the document ”What parts to practice” if you wish to practice different parts of the exams.

PAPER 1 READING 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

Below is an example of the reading exam from  Flo-Joe  – the place on the web for Cambridge exam preparation.

• Reading   Part 1 (Multiple Choice)
• Reading   Part 2 (Gapped Text)
• Reading   Part 3 (Multiple Choice)
• Reading   Part 4 (Multiple Matching)
• Reading Part 1 (Multiple Choice)
• Reading Part 2 (Gapped Text)
• Reading Part 3 (Multiple Choice)
• Reading Part 4 (Multiple Matching)

In the book there is also lot of reading exercises and you’re obviously more than welcome to work with them on your own. Do you need the key to the reading exercises?  It’s right here.

More about the reading paper:

PAPER 2  WRITING 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

More about the writing paper:

The video below will give you the chance to practice spotting key information in the Formal Letter question. This is vital if you want to score well in 2 of the CAE Writing Assessment Criteria – ’Content’ and ’Communicative Achievement’. This is the first of four video clips – make sure to watch them all on FloJoeEnglish’s channel on YouTube . On the same channel you also find more information about the updated CAE Exam (2015).

PAPER 3 USE OF ENGLISH 1 HOUR

The course will start off with a  Use of English exam , which will serve as a diagnostic test. The Use of English exam tests your use of English with different types of exercise that show how well you can control your grammar and vocabulary.

How to prepare for the CAE Use of English test

• The Use of English paper tests your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
• Read as much as possible, and use a dictionary to help you learn new words
• Use a grammar book to help you understand sentence structure
• Read the instructions carefully before you start each section
• Look at the example question at the beginning of each section
• Correct spelling is necessary. Get into the habit of checking the spelling of words
• Read the surrounding context before giving an answer
• Don’t give alternative answers for any questions

Soem Use of English exercises from Exam English :

• Part 1 –  Multiple-choice cloze 
• Part 2  –  Open cloze
• Part 3  –  Word formation
• Part 4  –  Gapped sentences
• Part 5  –  Key word transformations

Use the step-by-step approach below from Flo-Joe  to discover which key language areas you need to know. Click each part for more information, dos and don’ts, how to improve and exercises.

• Part 1 Multiple Choice Cloze
• Part 2 Open Cloze
• Part 3 Word Formation
• Part 4 Gapped Sentences
• Part 5 Key Word Transformations

Below you’ll find a few examples of the Use of English exam from  Flo-Joe  – the place on the web for Cambridge exam preparation.

• Use of English Test 1   Part 1 (Multiple Choice Cloze)
• Use of English Test 1   Part 2 (Open Cloze)
• Use of English Test 1   Part 3 (Word Formation)
• Use of English Test 1   Part 4 (Gapped Sentences)
• Use of English Test 1  Part 5 (Key Word Transformations)
• Use of English Test 2   Part 1 (Multiple Choice Cloze)
• Use of English Test 2   Part 2 (Open Cloze)
• Use of English Test 2   Part 3 (Word Formation)
• Use of English Test 2   Part 4 (Gapped Sentences)
• Use of English Test 2   Part 5 (Key Word Transformations)
• Use of English Test 3   Part 1 (Multiple Choice Cloze)
• Use of English Test 3   Part 2 (Open Cloze)
• Use of English Test 3   Part 3 (Word Formation)
• Use of English Test 3   Part 4 (Gapped Sentences)
• Use of English Test 3   Part 5 (Key Word Transformations)
• Use of English Test 4   Part 1 (Multiple Choice Cloze)
• Use of English Test 4  Part 2 (Open Cloze)
• Use of English Test 4   Part 3 (Word Formation)
• Use of English Test 4   Part 4 (Gapped Sentences)
• Use of English Test 4   Part 5 (Key Word Transformation)

The video below explains how to analyze and answer the questions in the Use of English paper.

PAPER 4 LISTENING 40 MINUTES

In the book there is a lot of listening exercises. Follow this link to  ALL THE AUDIO FILES  if you want to work with them on your own. Do you need the key to the listening exercises?  It’s right here.

Below you’ll find listening exercises from  Exam English .

• Listening Part 1  (Multiple Choice)
• Listening Part 2  Sentence Completion 1  +  Sentence Completion 2
• Listening Part 3  (Multiple Choice)
• Listening Part 4  (Multiple Matching)

More about the listening paper:

PAPER 5 SPEAKING 15 MINUTES

More about the speaking paper:

For those of you that use the CAE Result workbook to prepare for the CAE exam, follow  this link  for grammar and vocabulary, listening exercises, speaking, words and phrases – everything is connected to the book!

Do you still feel that you need to practice? Here you’ll find even more CAE tests:

Check out  this space  for CAE info and practice!

More CAE practice tests , this time from English Online.

Even more practice tests  from Exam English.

To improve your academic writing – use this site: phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk

Can’t get enough of grammar and vocabulary practice? Please visit the ”Grammar and Vocabulary” section for more exercises .

SPEAKING + RECEPTION AND USAGE

Example task for English 7 from University of Gothenburg

Dela detta:

• Ebooks & Courses
• Practice Tests

How To Plan & Write IELTS Discussion Essays

Students can find it difficult to identify IELTS discussion essays and often confuse them with either opinion essays or advantage and disadvantage essays.

This is one of the issues I’ll be covering in this lesson. I’m also going to show you how to plan and write discussion essays step-by-step.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• Identifying IELTS discussion essays 
• 3 Common mistakes
• Essay structure
• How to plan
• How to write an introduction
• How to write main body paragraphs
• How to write a conclusion

Want to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics. 

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

The first part of the question for an IELTS discussion essay will be a statement containing two opposing views.

You will then be asked to discuss both sides of the argument and give your own opinion. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

• Discuss both views and give your opinion. 
• Discuss both these views and then give your own opinion. 
• Discuss both sides of this argument and give your own opinion.

Here's a question from a past test paper.

Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

I’ll be using this question to guide you through the process of planning and writing an IELTS discussion essay.

The key to identifying this type of question is the fact that you are required to discuss BOTH views. This is different to opinion questions where you must decide between two opposing views and make an argument to support your own opinion.

Opinion essays , also known as ‘agree or disagree’ essays, a generally worded in one of these ways:

What is your opinion? / Do you agree or disagree? / To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The other essay type that students mistake for discussion essays is advantages and disadvantages essays . With these, the statement will contain just one view and the question will typically be written as shown in this sample question.

School children are using computers in school more than ever.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and give your own opinion.

The consequence of incorrectly identifying the question type is that you will use the wrong structure for your essay. This is a major reason why people make the mistakes we’ll now look at.

3 Common Mistakes

These three errors are common in IELTS discussion essays.

• Not stating your opinion.
• Not giving arguments for both views.
• Not developing both sides of the argument equally.

The most common mistake that students make is not giving their opinion. The question will clearly state that you must choose one side of the argument to agree with. If you fail to do this, you will get a low score for task achievement.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you take or even, that you actually agree with it.

However, you must give equal attention to both sides. A common error is to provide a stronger argument for the view you favour. This leads to an unbalanced essay and a low score for task achievement. 

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write IELTS discussion essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1)  Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• State two supporting reasons
• Give your opinion

  2)  Main body paragraph 1

• Topic sentence – outline the view you don’t agree with
• Explanation – explain why this view is held by some people
• Example – give an example

 3 )  Main body paragraph 2

• Topic sentence – outline the view you do agree with

  4)  Conclusion

• Summarise the key points and state your opinion

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

We now need some ideas to add into the structure and we’ll have everything we need for our essay.

How To Plan IELTS Discussion Essays

# 1  analyse the question.

This is an essential step in the planning process and will ensure that you answer the question fully. It’s quick and easy to do. You just need to identify 3 different types of words:

1. Topic words

2.  Other keywords

3.  Instruction words

We’ve already considered the instruction words (the actual question) so we’ll focus on the first two.

Topics words are the ones that identify the general subject of the question.

Some people think that zoos  are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that  zoos  can be useful in protecting wild animals.

So, this question is about ‘ zoos ’.

Many people do this first step of the process and then write about the topic in general. This is a serious mistake and leads to low marks for task achievement.

What we need to do now that we know the general topic, is to understand exactly what aspect of zoos we're being asked to write about.

The other keywords in the question tell you the specific topic you must write about. They define the opinions stated in the statement.

Some people think tha t zoos are cruel and should be closed down . Others, however, believe that zoos c an be useful in protecting wild animals .

By highlighting these words, it’s easy to see that you are being asked to write about the opposing views that zoos are cruel and should be closed down and that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals. Your essay must only include ideas relevant to these ideas.

# 2  Decide on your opinion

As already mentioned, it doesn’t matter if you genuinely agree with the view you take in your essay or not. IELTS discussion essays are about your ability to write a well-structured essay in the English language and you will not be assessed on any opinion you might hold.

So, choose one view and make sure that your opinion is clear throughout the essay.

For this model essay, I’m going to agree with the statement that zoos are cruel and should be closed down.

# 3  Generate ideas

The next task is to generate some ideas to write about.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the  IELTS Essay Planning  page.

We’re going to use the ‘friends technique’. This is my preferred method as it allows you to take a step back from the stress of the exam situation and think more calmly.

Here’s how it works. Imagine you are chatting with a friend and they ask you the question in a casual conversation. What answers would you give them off the top of your head? Plan your essay around these ideas.

Doing this will help you to come up with simple answers in everyday language rather than straining your brain to think of amazing ideas using high level-language, which isn’t necessary.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my ideas:

Cruel  – closed down:

• Cramped cages – animals distressed
• Unnatural environments
• Most animals not endangered
• Animals become a public spectacle for entertainment

Useful – protect wild animals:

• Research work to learn more about wild animals
• Breeding programmes for endangered species
• Some species saved from extinction
• Seeing wild animals close up inspires people to want to help protect them

I’ve got more ideas here than I need so I’m going to pick two to develop in the essay – one for each of the main body paragraphs.

Idea 1  –  Cramped cages & unnatural environments, animals distressed.

Idea 2  –  Breeding programmes for endangered species, some species saved from extinction.

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS discussion essay but first, we have one other small task to do.

# 4  Vocabulary

In an IELTS essay, it’s important to be able to say the same things in different ways, either by paraphrasing and/or using synonyms. During the planning stage, quickly jot down a few synonyms of key words you could use to save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing.

For example:

zoos  – animals in captivity, collections of wild animals, menagerie, wildlife park

cruel  – to cause suffering, inhumane

protect  – safeguard, preserve

animals  – creatures, species

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

Good introductions to IELTS discussion essays have a simple 3 part structure:

1)  Paraphrase the question

2)  State two supporting reasons (outline statement)

3)  Give your opinion (thesis statement)

• Have 2-3 sentences
• Be 40-60 words long
• Take 5 minutes to write

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Question:   Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals.

There are various phrases you can use to do this. Here are three examples. They all say the same thing using different language.

• Some people argue that… while others say that…
• It is considered by some…. while there are others who think….
• It is often argued that... whilst others disagree and think...

Choose one and add the details in the question statement in a paraphrased form. I recommend putting the view you don’t agree with first.

Paraphrased question:  

Some people argue that zoos help to preserve wild creatures, while others say that they are inhumane and should be abolished.

Note my use of synonyms. You don’t have to replace every key word but do so where possible whilst ensuring that your language sounds natural. There aren’t any suitable synonyms of ‘zoo’ that I can think of, so I've repeated this word from the statement.

2)  Thesis and outline statements

Now we need to add an  outline statement  where you outline the two main points that you’ll cover in the rest of the essay (ideas 1 and 2 above) and a  thesis statement  where you state your opinion.

Outline & thesis statements:

While the development of breeding programmes contributes to the preservation of endangered species, I believe that the poor conditions that many animals held in captivity are kept in make the existence of zoos unacceptable. 

So, let’s bring the three elements of our introduction together.

     Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

• It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
• It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
• It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1  – Breeding programmes for endangered species, some species saved from extinction.

Main body paragraph 2  – Cramped cages & unnatural environments, animals distressed.

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main body paragraphs in IELTS discussion essays should contain 3 things:

It is easier to begin by discussing the opinion you don’t agree with and then present the reasons for the opposing view that you support. So, we’ll start with idea 1.

Main Body Paragraph 1

The  topic sentence  summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Topic sentence:  

On the one hand, there are many projects in existence in zoological parks around the world where species facing extinction have been successfully bred in captivity and their numbers increased substantially.

Next, we must write an  explanation sentence that expands on the idea. This explains to the examiner what we mean or why this is the case.

Explanation sentence: 

This is important for ensuring the survival of animals under threat from poaching and the destruction of their natural environments.

Finally, we add an  example  to support our main point. If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts.

Example sentence:

A good example of this is the golden lion tamarin from Brazil which nearly died out because of logging and mining activities which are destroying its habitat. Today, a third of wild golden lion tamarins were raised in captivity.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2  – Cramped cages & unnatural environments, animals distressed.

First, we write the  topic sentence  to summarise the main idea. I started main body paragraph 1 with the phrase ‘On the one hand...’, so main body paragraph 2 will naturally begin, ‘On the other hand... .

These are great cohesive devices to use when making a direct contrast between two opposing views and they link the ideas together well. They can be used in most IELTS discussion essays and will help to earn you a good score for cohesion and coherence.

Topic sentence:

On the other hand, a significant percentage of zoos house their animals in cramped cages with very little space to move around or behave naturally.

Now for the  explanation sentence  where we expand on this idea.

Explanation sentence:

This can lead to them becoming distressed and depressed as well as suffering physically through lack of exercise.

Finally, an  example  to support this point.

A friend of mine recently visited a wildlife park while on holiday abroad and was very upset to see the lions pacing up and down in a narrow, bare pen and eagles in enclosures so small that they were unable to fly.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS discussion essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

Conclusions to IELTS discussion essays should do two things:

• Summarise the main points
• State your opinion

This can generally be done in a single sentence.

If you're below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add a prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay currently has 231 words so we’re on target and don’t need this extra sentence but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS discussion essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

• Neatly end the essay
• Link all your ideas together
• Sum up your argument or opinion
• Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS discussion essay with the words:

• In conclusion

        or

• To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a great conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. Let’s give it a go.

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion:

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Finished IELTS discussion essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS discussion essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

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More help with ielts discussion essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2  – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay   – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay  – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction  – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs  – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid. 

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions  – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria  – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test  – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

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IELTS discussion essay: model answer and analysis

Updated : February 2024

Below is an IELTS question for writing task 2 and my model answer. It is on the topic of Education. After analysing the question, I can see that it’s about whether homework is a good idea or not in helping kids in their educational development . It asks me to discuss both views and also asks for my opinion .

In this case, you must state your opinion in the introduction, the body and conclusion.

In this essay I will need to do 3 things:

• Write about why some people think school children should not be given homework by their teachers.
• Write about why other people think homework plays an important role in the education of children.
• Give my opinion on the issue and explain.

Task Question

Some people believe that school children should not be given homework by their teachers, whereas others argue that homework plays an important role in the education of children. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Model Answer

Some people think it is not a good idea for teachers to assign home study tasks to school children, while others say it is an essential part of learning. I believe pupils need homework to achieve better exam results as it gives them a chance of entering higher education.

On the one hand, some believe that homework is of no benefit and becomes a burden to school children. This is because pupils spend their whole day studying, taking part in after school clubs and feel exhausted after returning home. For instance, in Japan, the majority of minors are under pressure to complete vast amounts of homework along with extracurricular activities. If they fail to finish their assignments they may not do well in exams, meaning they would be unable to get into a good high school. I think home assignments are beneficial but children should not be put under this kind of pressure.

On the other hand, it is widely believed that homework plays a vital role in the development of knowledge for students and I agree with this. In other words, home study tasks help pupils understand school subjects better which allows them to attain higher grades. For example, according to extensive research, children aged between 10 and 16 who are given a large amount of mathematics homework do far better in tests than those who are not given any home assignments. I believe that home study tasks improve a child’s chances of entering tertiary education which leads to a rewarding career.

To conclude, although views differ concerning children being assigned homework, I would argue that home assignments are necessary to help pupils get high grades, enabling them to secure a place at university and improve their career chances.

Click this blue button to see an analysis of the model answer.

Word count is 290 words. I advise keeping it under 300 words as you may not have the time to write a long essay in the exam and it is not necessary to write a very long essay.

The structure is:

• Introduction: Paraphrased task question with a thesis statement (opinion)
• Main body 1:  Discussed first view, explained and gave an example with my opinion.
• Main body 2:  Discussed second view, agreed,  explained and gave an example.
• Conclusion:  Referred to the differing views, opinion rephrased

Make sure to check the task question again before writing your essay. you could lose a band score if it goes off-topic.

Planning time is crucial here, allow 10 minutes to plan an essay and make sure you have some good supporting points to back up your topic sentences.

With a discussion essay, you have to state others views and give supporting sentences with detail and specific examples. Discussion essays often ask your opinion. Click here to see this lesson  about stating an opinion.

When we state others views, especially in IELTS Discussion essays, there is specific language that should be used. For more detail on this, click here to see this lesson.

There is a lot of confusion about whether to use personal pronouns in IELTS essays (I, me, my, our, etc..) but if the question asks to ‘what extent do you agree?’  or ‘give your own opinion’ then you need to write personal pronouns… click here to see a lesson on this .

Note on paraphrasing: I have paraphrased the word ‘ homework’ in this essay with the phrases ‘ home study tasks ‘ and ‘ home assignments’ . Sometimes there is no way to avoid repetition but if you have a good understanding of synonyms and referencing you can avoid too much repetition. There are often words that are hard to paraphrase such as ‘people’ or ‘children’.

Not every word from the task question needs paraphrasing and you can repeat words as long as you can demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary. Be very careful not to over paraphrase.

Any Comments? leave them below

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Sample discussion essay

Discuss the best way for a supermarket or a store to become successful and to expand its business, and make a large profit. You may refer to examples of a supermarket or a store known to you.

by Miao Wang (Vanessa)

Copied with permission of the author

Everyone needs to buy things in order to live, and everyone likes to get things as conveniently and cheaply as possible. For this reason, there are many supermarkets or stores appearing. However, getting into the supermarket business can be difficult, so I have written some ideas to make a supermarket become successful and make a large profit. [ Comment 1 ]

The first aspect to be discussed is that of good service. Firstly, the correct attitude in attending to customers is very important. Attendants should always smile to customers, no matter whether the customer is right or wrong. When customers ask where they can find things, attendants should not only show the way, but also they should go and get things for the customers. Secondly, a supermarket needs to provide good after-sales service. For example, when customers buy big and heavy items, they cannot carry them by themselves; the supermarket should thus help them take the items to the right places free of charge. If the place is too far away, the supermarket could ask the customer to contribute some money. [ Comment 2 ]

A further aspect to be considered is the need for good products. In my opinion, when a supermarket is stocked with goods, it should check the sell-by date of goods, and make sure all of them are fresh and have good quality. What is more, a successful supermarket has many different kinds of goods, and its prices are balanced. For instance, TESCO, which is a successful supermarket in Britain, has balanced prices. In the supermarket, items have different prices on one price tag: one referring to TESCO, the others from other supermarkets. When customers buy items, they can thus compare prices, in order to choose the best ones to buy. Moreover, a supermarket should update goods quickly in order to make sure they are fresh. [ Comment 3 ]

While a supermarket needs to do things for customers, it also needs to expand its business and make a large profit. In my opinion, first of all, the store should learn about the customers that it wants to provide goods to. The supermarket should check whether customers look for low prices or a certain type of good. Secondly, a supermarket should be well situated, and have pleasant surroundings. For example, a supermarket can be built in a place with a park nearby, and with many trees. This kind of location could make customers feel comfortable. Moreover, it should have a car park which is big enough, and the car parking should be free. When customers get into the supermarket there should be soft music, and all goods should be divided into different kinds to put in order. Customers can pick up things that they want very easily. A supermarket may also use good IT systems. For instance, customers might find things on the internet and know where they are, then pick them up quickly. Thirdly, a successful supermarket should know other supermarkets well. It can send its own employees to research the others’ information, such as price, types of advertisement, discounts and sales ploys. Fourthly, a supermarket can have its own brand products and diversify in order to expand its business. For example, TESCO is not only a supermarket, but has its own mobile. Furthermore, it can have its own club to attract customers to join in. [ Comment 4 ]

In a nutshell, a successful supermarket is difficult to manage. It needs good service, good products, and good ideas to expand its business and make a large profit. [ Comment 5 ]

[ Comment 1 ]In this paragraph, the writer has indicated the importance of the topic and has given a statement, using the first person pronoun, of what she will be doing in the essay.

[ Comment 2 ]This is the first main paragraph. Here the student focuses on the aspect of customer service. Notice the use of the topic sentence: “The first aspect to be discussed is that of good service”. This provides a key to the content of the paragraph.

[ Comment 3 ]This second main paragraph concerns the need for supermarkets to have good quality products. Notice again that here, the student groups all the ideas into a single paragraph, and that she writes a topic sentence at the start of the paragraph: "A further aspect to be considered is the need for good products." The writer is not afraid to show her own personality: “In my opinion….”, etc.

[ Comment 4 ] This paragraph now moves on to consider how a supermarket can make a profit. Several ideas are given. Notice how sequencers are used: “firstly…”, “secondly…”, thirdly...”, etc.

[ Comment 5 ] This paragraph provides a brief conclusion to the writing. Notice the idiomatic use of the expression “In a nutshell”. The conclusion only needs to be brief – there is no need to restate everything that has been said before.

Planeringar

Engelska 6 - Module 7: War on Crime

Vuxenutbildningen, Ockelbo, Ockelbo · Senast uppdaterad: 22 april 2024

In this unit you will read and work with a chapter in your textbook, Echo 6. You will also learn more about essay writing and how to write your own discussion essay.

1. Work with chapter 5, “War on Crime”, in your coursebook, Echo 6:

a. Read the text on pp. 129-135

b. Do the following exercises:

❒ “1. Get it right” (p. 136)

❒ “2. True or false or both?” (p. 136-137)

❒ “3. Word work” (p. 137)

❒ “7. Focus on listening” (p. 139-140). The audio file is available here .

c. Correct your own work with the document “ Answer key to exercises in chapter 5 in Echo 6 ” in the module on Unikum. You don’t have to submit any answers to your teacher. You do these exercises to improve your English skills and to be more prepared for final and future assignments.

2.  Watch “ Discussion Essay (recorded lecture) ”.

3.  Read the document “ Discussion Essay – Examples ”.

4.  Do the assignment “ En6, Module 7 - Discussion Essay – Drug Politics ” below.

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IELTS Discussion Essay Sample Questions

Below is a list of IELTS discussion essay sample questions for IELTS writing task 2. These are also known as two sided essays.

Discussion Essay Tips

• identify both sides
• find supporting points for both side
• only give your opinion if the task asks for it
• use discussion essay language
• follow a safe discussion essay model

Discussion Essay Questions

Some people think that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

All parents want the best opportunities for their children. There are some people who think that schools should teach children skills but others think having a range of subjects is better for a children’s future. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

There seems to be an increasing number of serious crimes committed each year. While some think the best way is to use the death penalty as a deterrent, many people believe that other measures will be needed. Discuss both sides.

Some people think that getting a degree from university is the best way to guarantee a good job, others believe that it would be better to go straight into work and get experience instead. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Some people think that exercise is the key to health while others feel that having a balanced diet is more important. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

It is thought by some that its is better to live in a city while others  believe that life is better in the countryside. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Some people think that the internet has brought people closer together while others think that people and communities are become more isolated. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Other IELTS Essay Questions

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