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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.
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.
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.
Structural component | Purpose | Stage of essay |
To introduce the reader to the subject of the essay. | ||
Position | To give the opinion of the writer (not always possible). | |
Definition(s) (optional) | To explain any important technical words to the reader. | |
To tell the reader what parts of the topic will be included in the essay. | ||
Arguments for | To explain to the reader the evidence for the positive side of the issue, with support. The most important ideas usually come first. This may be covered in one or more paragraphs. | |
Arguments against | To explain to the reader the evidence for the negative side of the issue, with support. The most important ideas usually come first. This may be covered in one or more paragraphs. | |
Summary | To give the reader a brief reminder of the main ideas, while restating the issue. Sometimes also says which ideas the writer believes have the strongest evidence. | |
Opinion & Recommendation | To give your opinion, and tell the reader what the writer believes is the best action to take, considering the evidence in the essay. |
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.
The following can be used when introducing your opinion.
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'.
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.
The essay begins with | ||
There is a clear | ||
are given if needed | ||
The essay has clear | ||
One or more are included (including clear ) | ||
One or more are included (including clear ) | ||
The conclusion includes a of the main points | ||
The writer's is given | ||
There is a , which relates to the points in the essay |
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
Find out how to write persuasion essays in the next section.
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.
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:
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 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:
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.
These three errors are common in IELTS discussion essays.
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.
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
2) Main body paragraph 1
3 ) Main body paragraph 2
4) Conclusion
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.
# 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.
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.
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:
Useful – protect wild animals:
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.
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.
Good introductions to IELTS discussion essays have a simple 3 part structure:
2) State two supporting reasons (outline statement)
3) Give your opinion (thesis statement)
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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 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.
Conclusions to IELTS discussion essays should do two things:
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:
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:
or
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
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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To write a discussion essay, start by taking a side on the issue you're writing about, like "Immigration is good for the country." Then, outline the main points that made you decide to take that position and do research to find evidence that backs them up. Look for credible sources that can help you make your argument, and don't forget to cite them. Then, when you're writing your essay, devote 1 paragraph to each main point and include your evidence. For help writing the introduction and conclusion to your essay, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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The next big thing after learning about IELTS discuss both views essays is – How do you structure them?
Please be aware though, the perfect structure alone will not make you a band 7+ achiever. Your vocabulary and English proficiency still plays a key role in IELTS writing task – 2.
But the good news is… Here we’ve outlined an easily comprehensible step-by-step format to logically present a discussion essay and give your opinion effectively.
This post will clear your doubts over:
Discuss both views – essay structure.
There are hundreds of ways to structure a Discuss both views essay in the writing part . However, we’ll use this 4-paragraph foolproof band 7+ structure:
INTRODUCTION
BODY PARAGRAPH 1
BODY PARAGRAPH 2
RELATED: IELTS Writing Task-1 Formal Letters With Sample Answers
Now that you’ve understood the discussion essay structure, let’s look at some recently asked topics to give you an idea of how the ‘discuss both views and give your opinion’ essay looks like.
Discuss both viewpoints and give your opinion. Support your answer with the help of relevant examples. |
Some companies offer their employees subsidized membership in sports clubs and fitness centres, believing that this will and thus enhance productivity at work. Other employers see no benefit in doing so. Consider both sides of the argument and reach a conclusion. |
It is sometimes said that the villages offer a high quality of life, especially for families. What are the arguments for and against families opting to live and work in the countryside? What is your opinion about this trend? |
Some observers say that police officers should be recruited from local communities, so that they have knowledge about the place. Other people say that this is unnecessary, or even undesirable. Discuss both views. What is your opinion on this debate? |
Completing University is considered by some to be the best way to get a good job, while others think that gaining experience and developing soft skills is more important. Discuss both sides of the argument and give your opinion. |
Some people believe that children should spend all of their leisure time with their families. Others believe that this is not required and a negative development. Discuss both viewpoints and give your opinion. Support your answer with the help of relevant examples.
Explanation of the Task
This is Opinion>Discussion type essay. Hence, You should introduce the topic, provide relevant ideas explaining arguments on both sides of the discussion, and then write your opinion in the conclusion. Always remember that these Opinion>Discussion tasks might be expressed differently; look for keyword ‘discuss’ and its synonyms like ‘debate’, ‘consider’ and ‘review’.
No one can deny that parental influence is of paramount importance for children, especially in cases where children live with their parents, foster parents or guardians. However, it is by no means clear that children should spend time exclusively with their family. This essay will examine both viewpoints and provide rationale behind my opinion on this. On the one hand, proponents of this theory claim that it is advisable for parents to act as role models and to establish ground rules for behaviour by spending as much time as possible with their children. This allows the youngsters to absorb conventions and codes of conduct which they can then follow themselves, hopefully leading to an absence of problems such as bullying, truancy and delinquency later on. In addition to this, being with the family should reduce the risk of children falling victim to crimes such as abduction, stealing etc. On the other hand, opponents of this theory claim that it is not a practical proposition. In modern society where many families rely on dual-income, children cannot spend all of their time with the family. As such, child-minding and after-school childcare are often used in these cases. Equally, it seems that children can gain considerable knowledge from their peers. Therefore, allowing children to play without direct supervision may be an added advantage. In conclusion, it appears that, while family time is quintessential for bonding and absorbing behavioural patterns, there are definite advantages when children are outside the family eco-system too. Given this situation, it can be said that they are in safe, well behaved environment with peers who are themselves reasonably well brought up. (287 words) |
Topic Vocabulary
We hope that understanding this ‘Discuss both views essay structure’ will help you organize your writing task – 2 better and ultimately fetch you a high band score. And, don’t forget to download the IDP IELTS Writing answer sheets !
Very good guidance. Could include one more sample answer.
Thanks! Yeah…sure. More stuff lined up 🙂
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One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes.
If you would like to purchase a 34 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >
TIP >> It is very important that spend a full 40 minutes on this task as the score you get for writing task 2 is two-thirds of your total writing score. You also need to write a minimum of 250 words and use your own ideas.
This is the introduction to the essay and where you should start off by paraphrasing the question.
This means that you rewrite the question in your own words using synonyms. You can’t just copy the question again or use the same words in the question. Paraphrase and show off your vocabulary knowledge by using synonyms. When practising your essay writing, use an online thesaurus to help you. This is a great tool and can help you to learn many new words.
The last sentence in the introduction should outline for the examiner exactly what you will discuss in the main body paragraphs. For example, ‘ this essay will discuss both views and state my own position’.
There are three sentences you need in the introduction >>
The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study to support your view.
Sequencing ideas >>, sample discuss both points of view and give your own opinion essay >>.
Thirdly, in my opinion, I believe that the internet can bring people closer together, as it can make both socialising and work much easier for those who travel. Communities can speak freely at any time, in groups, asking for help or advice, though it is up to the individuals to acknowledge how much time they are spending online and whether this is a cause for concern. Isolation cannot be blamed on the internet, as it is just a tool to use, the individual must be in charge of their own time. For example, a person who works from home online for many hours in the day should make sure they have adequate breaks and make time for socialising, as to not feel isolated or removed from their own community.
Related posts, society: ielts discussion essay model answer., ielts discussion essay sample 4 – family and children, leave a comment cancel reply.
2. outline your essay, outline your points, 3. draft your introduction, 4. good discussion in the body of your essay, 5. conclude your essay, how to write a discussion essay.
A discussion essay presents and discusses issues surrounding a particular topic--usually one that is debatable and open to argument. A good argumentative essay must include a thorough discussion of both sides of the issue, including main points to support your argument and its counterargument. It should also provide a well-rounded understanding of the issues before the writer presents their personal own opinions and conclusions.
What is an IELTS Discussion Essay?
The International English Language Testing System is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers.
Example of an IELTS Discussion essay
Some believe language provides cohesion to a country, while others believe diverse languages bring diversity and vibrancy. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
As with most persuasive essay formats, the essay's quality relies primarily on the writer's ability to provide solid research and evidence to present different views of the topic.
Practicing your writing skills as you write a discussion essay is a great way to grow as a writer. Let’s dive into the essay structure and components of a successful discussion essay.
Choose your discussion essay topic. When choosing this topic, make sure it is one that you're interested in personally since this will be easier for you to write. You'll need to discuss both sides of the argument surrounding the discussion essay topic, so ensure that you have access to good research that provides pertinent information. Writing only one side of the argument will result in an undeveloped discussion essay, which probably won’t receive a good score.
Outline your discussion essay. This outline should include a rough draft of your thesis statement, main argument, opposing argument, other main points and a rough draft of your conclusion. Your goal at this point is to get your thoughts on the discussion essay topic organized and in writing.
You can write a detailed outline for your discussion essay, using traditional outline format--letters and numbers to separate key points--or you can simply jot down a list of the main discussion points you plan to cover in order to answer the essay question or address the essay topic.
Next, write your introduction. According to the Open University, your goal in the introduction of your discussion essay is to introduce the issues relating to the topic and to provide your reader with important background information. Your introduction is essentially setting the scene for your reader so they are prepared to digest the argument you’ll be presenting. Providing your reader with a simple overview of how your discussion essay is organized will ensure that she understands your flow of thought throughout the body of the essay.
Most importantly, at the end of your introductory paragraph you must include a well developed thesis statement. One of the most common mistakes made when writing introduction paragraphs is leaving out the thesis statement, which is one sentence that firmly asserts what side of the argument you will be arguing throughout the work. Be specific in your points and make sure it is a strong closing to this first paragraph, as it will set the tone for the rest of your essay.
Write the body paragraphs of your discussion essay using any research sources that you have collected. Typically, you should present each issue individually and impartially, discussing first one side of the argument and then the other side of each argument that relates to your topic. Ensuring that each paragraph is roughly the same size as the other will make the presentation of facts seem balanced to the reader as well. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that smoothly transitions from the previous paragraph while simultaneously introducing the new topic covered in the upcoming one.
Progress through your body arguments in order, starting with your weakest argument or issue and progressing to the strongest. This structure allows your reader to follow your flow of thought easily without getting distracted. When deciding how to use sources, try to use the same number of quotes and sources for each argument. If you use three quotes to support your main argument, strive to use three quotes to present the opposing view as well.
Write your discussion essay conclusion. Your goal with your conclusion is to summarize the overall information from the body of the discussion essay, leading the reader to mentally review the pros and cons of the topic argument. Although you don't technically have to be in favor of one side of the discussion yourself, if you are, be sure to present your own conclusions in this paragraph rather than earlier in the essay.
Once you have finished your conclusion, part of wrapping up your essay is going back through it and checking for grammatical errors. Check to make sure you have not copied any quotes directly from other sources, as this would result in a plagiarism charge, especially if your professor screens your essay through a writing service that checks for plagiarized work. Always write using your own words. Using your own words not only saves you from plagiarism issues, but also helps with essay coherence since the rest of the work has been written in your tone of voice.
On the final page of your discussion essay you will also include all of the citations for sources you quoted or summarized information from. Whether citing in MLA or APA format, double check the style and order of your citations for accuracy before turning it in.
Regan Hennessy has been writing professionally for 11 years. A copywriter and certified teacher, Hennessy specializes in the areas of parenting, health, education, agriculture and personal finance. She has produced content for various websites and graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
When an essay title includes the word ‘Discuss’, this means that you are being asked to debate the subject of the essay. In other words, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have understood and evaluated both sides of the topic, problem, or opposing views in a theoretical perspective. At the same time, you need to be able to show, through rational evaluation of the evidence why you favour a particular view.
From this definition, it is clear that a ‘discuss’ essay is looking for balance, not bias or persuasion. In other words, the essay is not starting from one perspective and aiming to confirm this. Rather the intent of a ‘discuss’ essay is to deliver a work that clearly separates facts and opinions. The skills required for this include paraphrasing, summation, and the clear evaluation of different viewpoints. Common titles for a discuss essay include the format “AI is killing natural innovation from engineers. Discuss”, “Highlight and examine the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling for toddlers”, “Examine the arguments for and against the widespread mandatory delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine”. All of these titles require a discuss essay to be produced.
Introduction.
In all essays the best introductions are those which draw in the reader with a strong statement from the outset. The remainder of the introduction should give a brief indication of the subject being covered, the key points that will be discussed, and if you wish, anticipated conclusions. You should also incorporate any acronyms, or industry specific terms that will be covered in the essay.
The main body (or the meat of the essay) should be divided into separate paragraphs that each cover one distinct point or statement. A discuss essay requires presentation of evidence, so each paragraph should be focused on one point with both for and against perspectives, before a final summary point identifying one or the other as being justified. In all cases, any points made should be backed up by evidence, correctly cited and referenced at the end of your work.
Important point: The evidence provided, and references cited should only come from valid, credible sources, preferably peer-reviewed articles, and fully referenced. It is vital to ensure that the views expressed are not opinions but have been delivered based on evidence of wider reading in the field.
To ensure a logical flow, you should raise the main or key points of an arguments first, and then move onto sub-arguments, ensuring that all the paragraphs are well linked to deliver a cohesive, essay that flows in a logical way.
A discuss essay conclusion should contain two elements. Firstly, a summary of the core ideas, returning to the evidence presented and the points made, along with an indication of which you believe delivered the strongest arguments for or against the statement in the title.
Secondly, a discuss essay should give your opinion, which should be grounded in the presented evidence, to demonstrate your ability to draw a conclusion from the data considered. In other words, following an internal debate with yourself, evaluating the information available, you should demonstrate that you have an informed opinion on the subject under discussion.
To help you in the construction of your discussion essay, we have put together a list of key words and phrases that can be used to ensure you deliver a first-class piece of work.
When presenting evidence:.
Published by Carmen Troy at September 19th, 2023 , Revised On January 5, 2024
Writing an essay often involves more than just relaying information or expressing an opinion. For many academic and professional purposes, you are required to critically discuss topics, demonstrate an understanding of various perspectives and showcase your analytical skills.
So, what does it mean to critically discuss something in an essay? And more importantly, how can you do it effectively?
Before diving into the how-to, grasping what critical discussion entails is essential. Essay writing help often emphasises the importance of this step. Critical discussion requires a deeper level of analysis where you explain a topic and evaluate and dissect its various facets.
Imagine an object in the middle of a room, with observers standing at different points around it. Each person sees the object from a unique angle. Similarly, when you critically discuss a topic, you are trying to view it from multiple angles, considering various perspectives and arguments and avoiding biases where certain perspectives might be overlooked.
Consider the following steps to critically discuss an essay.
To critically discuss a topic, you need to understand its nuances. This requires in-depth research:
Begin by brainstorming. Jot down the key points, arguments, counterarguments, and evidence you have gathered. Categorise them and try to identify connections or patterns.
Critical discussion typically follows this essay structure :
When critically discussing, you are essentially playing the devil’s advocate. Some questions to pose include:
While it is challenging to be entirely free from biases, strive for objectivity. Remember, a critical discussion is not about what you believe; it’s about presenting a rounded view of the topic.
Complex topics demand clear writing. Avoid jargon unless it is essential, and ensure your sentences are concise and straightforward. Each paragraph should have a clear focus, and the flow from one paragraph to another should be logical.
Once you have written your essay, share it with peers, mentors, or tutors. Their feedback will provide fresh perspectives and highlight areas requiring more clarity or depth.
Like any essay, the first draft might not be perfect. Dedicate time to revising your work, refining your arguments, and ensuring the essay flows smoothly.
A hallmark of an excellent critical discussion is leaving the reader with something to ponder. Highlight areas where research is still ongoing, or propose questions that have not been addressed adequately.
Critical discussion is essential for deepening understanding, stimulating creative thought, and promoting a collaborative environment. However, certain behaviors and attitudes are not conducive to critical discussion. Here is what critical discussion is not:
A critical discussion does not involve attacking a person’s character, motives, or other personal attributes. The focus should be on the content of the argument, not on the person making it.
While emotions can be involved, a critical discussion should not be based solely on emotional appeals, nor should it be used to manipulate participants.
Misrepresenting or oversimplifying an opponent’s argument to make it easier to attack is not genuine discussion.
Dodging questions, changing the topic abruptly, or not addressing the central issues is not a part of critical discussion.
A true critical discussion requires participants to be open to new ideas and willing to change their minds if presented with compelling evidence.
Dominating the conversation, interrupting, or not allowing others to speak does not foster a healthy discussion.
Only seeking out or acknowledging information that confirms one’s pre-existing beliefs is not the essence of critical discussion.
Simply stating that an authority figure believes something does not make it true or end the discussion.
Making broad statements without sufficient evidence or specifics undermines a constructive dialogue.
Presenting issues as if there are only two sides or solutions when there might be a spectrum of possibilities, in reality, is not conducive to critical exploration.
Arguing a point by merely restating it in different words does not add depth or clarity to a discussion.
Entering a discussion with the intent to lecture rather than also to listen, learn, and potentially adjust your views stifles genuine discourse.
Get the best custom essay writing service from Reasearch Prospect.
let’s set up a scenario for a critical discussion:
Topic: The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
Participants: Alex and Jamie
Alex: I have read a lot of articles recently that suggest social media has a negative impact on the mental health of users, particularly young people. There’s a correlation between increased social media use and increased rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Jamie: That is a valid point, Alex. There have been studies that suggest that. However, correlation does not imply causation. People who are already feeling lonely or depressed may be simply more likely to spend time on social media. How do we know that social media is the cause and not just a symptom?
Alex: That is a fair point. Some studies have shown that excessive use of social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy, especially when people compare their lives to others. The constant barrage of highlight reels from other people’s lives can make users feel like they’re not doing enough or not leading fulfilling lives.
Jamie: True, comparison can be detrimental. But social media also has its benefits. It is a way for people to connect, especially those who might feel isolated in their real lives. For some, it offers a community and a sense of belonging. Shouldn’t we consider these positive aspects as well?
Alex: Absolutely, I agree that social media can provide vital connections for many. But there is also the element of screen time. Being constantly connected can disrupt sleep patterns and reduce face-to-face social interactions, which are crucial for emotional and social development.
Jamie: Yes, moderation is key. Users need to be self-aware and ensure that their online interactions enhance their lives rather than detract from them. Healthy social media use education might be more beneficial than demonising the platforms.
This is a simplified example, but it highlights some features of critical discussion, similar to what you would find in a discursive essay :
Seeking Understanding: Instead of trying to “win” the argument, they aimed for a clearer understanding of the topic.
What does critically discuss mean.
“Critically discuss” means analysing and evaluating a topic or argument thoroughly, considering its strengths and weaknesses. It involves a detailed assessment rather than a mere description, often requiring one to question assumptions, recognise biases, and provide evidence to support the analysis. It is a deep, balanced examination of a subject.
To answer a “critically discuss” question:
To critically discuss a theory:
To critically discuss a topic:
No sure what are the types of persuasive essay? This article presents the similarities and differences between the most common types of persuasive essays.
Narrative essays let the authors provide an account of their personal experience in the form of a story. In a narrative essay, you can let your creativity and ideas flow freely.
The following article will discuss the five elements that are essential to report writing. These components should be considered when beginning any report.
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Discussion essays are a common type of IELTS writing task 2 essay question where you are given two sides of an argument to discuss and give your opinion. This guide is full of writing tips, useful language and a sample essay to help you produce a high-level IELTS writing task 2 discussion essay. Read on to learn more!
1.1 understanding the question, 1.2 example discussion essay questions, 2.1 essay structure 1.
3.3 identify vocabulary, 4.1 introduction, 4.2 main body paragraphs, 4.3 conclusion.
1. discussion essay overview.
As with all IELTS writing task 2 essay questions, you will have 40 minutes to produce a formal essay ( at least 250 words in length).
With a discussion essay, you will be presented with two sides of an argument and then asked to give your opinion .
Remember, there are five main types of writing task 2 questions:
A discussion question should be easy to identify: You will first be given an IELTS statement and then a question that will usually be worded something like:
With this type of essay question, you can choose to either take a thesis-led approach where you give your opinion in the i ntroduction and conclusion , or an evidence-led approach where you give your opinion in the conclusion .
We will show you both structures later in this guide and a sample essay that takes an evidence-led approach.
Here are some example discussion essay questions. Pay attention to the question words so you quickly identify a discussion essay question:
Some people say that governments are responsible for dealing with environmental issues. Other people believe that it is the individual’s responsibility to take action to protect the environment.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Some people think that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally.
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 feel that it is better to live in a city while others believe that life is better in the countryside.
Also, read the following IELTS Essay Writing Guides
Many people think governments should fund art, while others believe that artists should be responsible for funding their work.
Discuss both views.
Introduction | |
---|---|
Main body paragraph 1 | |
Main body paragraph 2 | |
Conclusion |
Evidence-led
Note that we have suggested giving two topic sentences per body paragraph . However, it is perfectly fine to spend more time writing one topic sentence and developing that idea fully .
The best way to see what structure works best is to complete an essay under timed conditions.
Planning your essay should only take 5 minutes but could make a real difference to your overall score.
We’ve put together some useful tips to plan a discussion essay.
You should always make sure you understand exactly what topic you have been asked to write about by locating the topic words in the IELTS statement.
Take a look at the statement for our model answer. We’ve underlined the topic words for you:
Some people think that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally .
The topic of this essay is environmental problems . We have also put some other keywords in bold that give more information about the topic, in this case, the question is not just about environmental problems but about dealing with these problems on a global scale or nationally .
If you want to score well in Coherence and Cohesion, then you need to create a logical and well organised essay. You could organise your ideas using notes, bullet points, columns, or whatever method you like. For a discussion essay, you could consider arranging your ideas by argument and supporting examples:
Argument 1:
Argument 2:
Although it is not essential, it is a great idea to note down any unusual or useful vocabulary during the planning process to increase your score in Lexical resource .
Here are some ideas we came up with for our sample essay linked to the topic of environmental problems :
The first thing you need to do is rewrite the given IELTS statement in your own words. This is called paraphrasing and it is a key skill needed for the writing section of the IELTS exam.
Look at the example of our paraphrase statement, can you see what’s changed?
Some people think that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally.
| There is no doubt that the modern world is facing many serious environmental problems, such as climate change, an increase in natural disasters and air pollution. It is often argued that these environmental issues should be tackled globally. However, there are also those that argue that these problems can only be dealt with at a regional level. |
Notice that we have taken an evidence-led approach where we do not give our opinion in the introduction and instead put this in the conclusion.
We suggest also adding an outline sentence to briefly explain what our easy will do:
This essay will examine both points of view .
For both of your main body paragraphs, you will need language to introduce the two discussion points given in the statement.
Each body paragraph should focus on one side of the argument .
Here’s a reminder of our recommended essay structure for the body paragraphs (remember, you do not have to write about two points in each paragraph, you can stick to one ):
Main body paragraph 1 | |
---|---|
Main body paragraph 2 |
Impersonal Passive: The impersonal passive is useful for this type of essay when introducing ideas. Here are some example sentence starters:
Here is another example taken from our sample essay:
It is often argued that these environmental issues should be tackled globally.
Relative clauses: Relative clauses are an efficient way of providing more information about the main idea of your sentence as well as a way of increasing your Grammatical range and accuracy .
Here is a reminder of the relative pronouns needed to form a relative clause:
And here are some example relative clauses linked to the topic of our sample essay:
Your conclusion is an essential part of your writing tasks 2 essay and you will find it difficult to score over a band score 6.0 in Task achievement if you do not include one .
There are two main things you need to do for a successful conclusion:
Take a look at our conclusion for the sample answer and identify the opinion:
In conclusion, although it is clear that environmental issues need to be addressed at a global level, it is my view that national efforts can make the biggest difference. Communities can work together to implement policies quickly and effectively and enact meaningful environmental change.
Here is the discussion essay that we have been using in this guide.
We have removed some keywords so you can test your knowledge on discussion essays by selecting the correct missing word.
that the modern world is facing many serious problems, such as climate change, an increase in natural and air pollution. It is often that these environmental issues should be tackled globally. , there are also those that argue that these problems can only be dealt with at a regional level. This essay will examine both points of . One that people believe environmental issues should be addressed at a global level is that richer, more developed nations have the financial ability and power to do so. World leaders make laws to promote the use of renewable energy and reduce the use of finite resources. , they also have the resources to develop and invest in green technology that could drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Another that can be put forward is that, to make major environmental changes, international cooperation is necessary worldwide. For instance, different nations need to work in unison to agree on their reduction in carbon emissions. On the other , there are many people who believe that environmental change is only possible at a more local level and that only individual nations can make the biggest difference. It is that there should be national laws that rules such as recycling quotas and waste reduction. Additionally, it is argued that regional and community action is more effective than global efforts. , communities can coordinate direct action such as litter picking campaigns. In , although it is clear that environmental issues need to be addressed at a global level, it is my that national efforts can make the biggest difference. Communities can work together to implement policies quickly and effectively and enact meaningful environmental change. / 16 |
There is no doubt that the modern world is facing many serious environmental problems, such as climate change, an increase in natural disasters and air pollution. It is often argued that these environmental issues should be tackled globally. However, there are also those that argue that these problems can only be dealt with at a regional level. This essay will examine both points of view.
One reason that people believe environmental issues should be addressed at a global level is that richer, more developed nations have the financial ability and power to do so. World leaders can make laws to promote the use of renewable energy and reduce the use of finite resources. Furthermore, they also have the resources to develop and invest in green technology that could drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Another argument that can be put forward is that, to make major environmental changes, international cooperation is necessary worldwide. For instance, different nations need to work in unison to agree on their reduction in carbon emissions.
On the other hand, there are many people who believe that environmental change is only possible at a more local level and that only individual nations can make the biggest difference. It is believed that there should be national laws that impose rules such as recycling quotas and waste reduction. Additionally, it is argued that regional and community action is more effective than global efforts. For example, communities can coordinate direct action such as litter picking campaigns.
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Overview | Abstract | Introduction | Literature Review | Materials & Methods | Results & Discussion | Conclusion & Future Work | Acknowledgements & Appendix
The results and discussion sections are one of the challenging sections to write. It is important to plan this section carefully as it may contain a large amount of scientific data that needs to be presented in a clear and concise fashion. The purpose of a Results section is to present the key results of your research. Results and discussions can either be combined into one section or organized as separate sections depending on the requirements of the journal to which you are submitting your research paper. Use subsections and subheadings to improve readability and clarity. Number all tables and figures with descriptive titles. Present your results as figures and tables and point the reader to relevant items while discussing the results. This section should highlight significant or interesting findings along with P values for statistical tests. Be sure to include negative results and highlight potential limitations of the paper. You will be criticised by the reviewers if you don’t discuss the shortcomings of your research. This often makes up for a great discussion section, so do not be afraid to highlight them.
The results and discussion section of your research paper should include the following:
From the short review above, key findings emerge: __ We describe the results of __, which show __ This suggests that __ We showed that __ Our findings on __ at least hint that __ This is an important finding in the understanding of the __ The present study confirmed the findings about __ Another promising finding was that __ Our results demonstrated that __ This result highlights that little is known about the __ A further novel finding is that __ Together, the present findings confirm __ The implications of these findings are discussed in __ The results demonstrate two things. First, __. Second, __ The results of the experiment found clear support for the __ This analysis found evidence for __ Planned comparisons revealed that __ Our results casts a new light on __ This section summarises the findings and contributions made. It performs well, giving good results. This gives clearly better results than __ The results confirm that this a good choice for __ From the results, it is clear that __ In this section, we will illustrate some experimental results. This delivers significantly better results due to __ The result now provides evidence to __ It leads to good results, even if the improvement is negligible. This yields increasingly good results on data. The result of this analysis is then compared with the __ The applicability of these new results are then tested on __ This is important to correctly interpret the results. The results are substantially better than __ The results lead to similar conclusion where __ Superior results are seen for __ From these results it is clear that __ Extensive results carried out show that this method improves __ We obtain good results with this simple method. However, even better results are achieved when using our algorithm. It is worth discussing these interesting facts revealed by the results of __ Overall, our method was the one that obtained the most robust results. Slightly superior results are achieved with our algorithm. The result is equal to or better than a result that is currently accepted.
The results demonstrated in this chapter match state of the art methods. Here we compare the results of the proposed method with those of the traditional methods. These results go beyond previous reports, showing that __ In line with previous studies __ This result ties well with previous studies wherein __ Contrary to the findings of __ we did not find __ They have demonstrated that __ Others have shown that __ improves __ By comparing the results from __, we hope to determine __ However, in line with the ideas of __, it can be concluded that __ When comparing our results to those of older studies, it must be pointed out that __ We have verified that using __ produces similar results Overall these findings are in accordance with findings reported by __ Even though we did not replicate the previously reported __, our results suggest that __ A similar conclusion was reached by __ However, when comparing our results to those of older studies, it must be pointed out __ This is consistent with what has been found in previous __ A similar pattern of results was obtained in __ The findings are directly in line with previous findings These basic findings are consistent with research showing that __ Other results were broadly in line with __
Because of the lack of __ we decided to not investigate __ One concern about the findings of __ was that __ Because of this potential limitation, we treat __ The limitations of the present studies naturally include __ Regarding the limitations of __, it could be argued that __ Another limitation of this __ This limitation is apparent in many __ Another limitation in __ involves the issue of __ The main limitation is the lack of __ One limitation is found in this case. One limitation of these methods however is that they __ It presents some limitations such as __ Although widely accepted, it suffers from some limitations due to __ An apparent limitation of the method is __ There are several limitations to this approach. One limitation of our implementation is that it is __ A major source of limitation is due to __ The approach utilised suffers from the limitation that __ The limitations are becoming clear __ It suffers from the same limitations associated with a __
A popular explanation of __ is that __ It is by now generally accepted that __ A popular explanation is that __ As it is not generally agreed that __ These are very small and difficult to observe. It is important to highlight the fact that __ It is notable that __ An important question associated with __ is __ This did not impair the __ This is important because there is __ This implies that __ is associated with __ This is indicative for lack of __ This will not be biased by __ There were also some important differences in __ It is interesting to note that, __ It is unlikely that __ This may alter or improve aspects of __ In contrast, this makes it possible to __ This is particularly important when investigating __ This has been used to successfully account for __ This introduces a possible confound in __ This was included to verify that __
However, we acknowledge that there are considerable discussions among researchers as to __ We speculate that this might be due to __ There are reasons to doubt this explanation of __ It remains unclear to which degree __ are attributed to __ However, __ does seem to improve __ This does seem to depend on __ It is important to note, that the present evidence relies on __ The results show that __ does not seem to impact the __ However, the extent to which it is possible to __ is unknown Alternatively, it could simply mean that __ It is difficult to explain such results within the context of __ It is unclear whether this is a suitable for __ This appears to be a case of __ From this standpoint, __ can be considered as __ To date, __remain unknown Under certain assumptions, this can be construed as __ Because of this potential limitation, we treat __ In addition, several questions remain unanswered. At this stage of understanding, we believe__ Therefore, it remains unclear whether __ This may explain why __
A difference between these __ can only be attributable to __ Nonetheless, we believe that it is well justified to __ This may raise concerns about __ which can be addressed by __ As discussed, this is due to the fact that __ Results demonstrate that this is not necessarily true. These findings support the notion that __ is not influenced by __ This may be the reason why we did not find __ In order to test whether this is equivalent across __, we __ Therefore, __ can be considered to be equivalent for __
In this blog, we discuss phrases related to conclusion section such as summary of results and future work.
This blog explains how to write a research paper and provides writing ideas in the form of academic phrases.
In this blog, we discuss phrases related to literature review such as summary of previous literature, research gap and research questions.
In this blog, we discuss phrases related to thanking colleagues, acknowledging funders and writing the appendix section.
In this blog, we discuss phrases related to the abstract section. An abstract is a self-contained and short synopsis that describes a larger work.
In this blog, we review various academic writing resources such as academic phrasebank, academic wordlists, academic vocabulary training sites.
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Just as the names suggest, discuss both views or discussion essays in IELTS Writing task 2 expects you to discuss both sides of an argument, and then to give your own opinion on the matter.
You get 40 minutes to complete this discussion essay IELTS Writing task and you have to write at least 250 words on the topic given. So gear up, let us learn how to write a perfect band 8+ task 2 discuss both views and essays in no time in this blog!
There are a few key things to keep in mind when writing a discussion essay:
First, read the statement carefully and find the two opposing views. Then, think about how to support each one.
Once you know what the two opposing views are, you need to gather evidence to support each one.
This evidence can come from your own knowledge, experience, or research.
Your essay should have a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
Begin your essay with a clear introduction that tells the reader what the topic is and what your main points will be. Keep it simple and to the point.
Break your essay into two paragraphs, with each one focusing on a different point. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
Use examples to support your points. This could be something you’ve read about, something you’ve seen, or something from your own experience.
Get your hands on 2024’s latest IELTS Writing Task 2 test papers!
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Let us look at the three errors that are usually common in IELTS discussion essays.
Focusing too much on one viewpoint and neglecting the other, or failing to discuss both views equally.
Using irrelevant examples, statistics, or facts to support your points in the body paragraphs.
Making broad statements without providing specific examples or evidence to back them up.
Never repeat these errors in your next IELTS discussion essay!
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Since we’ve had a look at the three most common errors that might occur while you write an IELTS discussion essay, now let’s learn a few expert tips you can use to practice while writing them!
When discussing two opposing views, use neutral language that expresses your opinion presenting both sides of the argument fairly and without bias.
Take a few minutes to think about what points you want to make and how you’ll organize them. Try to jot down some notes before you start writing.
Transition words and phrases can help to make your essay flow smoothly and signal to the reader when you are moving from one point to another.
We’ve collected a list of connectors to present in your IELTS discussion essays. Have a look at them in the following table:
Firstly | Additionally | In conclusion |
To begin with | Moreover | To sum up |
Initially | Furthermore | To conclude |
Nowadays | In addition | In summary |
On the one hand | On the other hand | Finally |
When writing supporting points in your body paragraphs, be sure to provide evidence as an example to support it. This can come from your knowledge, experience, or research.
Before you finish, take a few minutes to read over your essay and make sure there are no mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Here are a few sample questions and their answers for IELTS Writing Task 2 discussion essays with a proper breakdown of them.
Some people believe that it is essential to learn a foreign language in school, while others believe that it is not necessary. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for the essay by presenting the topic and highlighting the opposing viewpoints.
Body Paragraph 1: This paragraph discusses the advantages of learning a foreign language, including cognitive, cultural, and practical benefits.
Body Paragraph 2: The second paragraph presents the counterargument that learning a foreign language is unnecessary due to technology and the prominence of English.
Conclusion: The conclusion provides a clear personal opinion that acknowledges the counterarguments but asserts that the benefits of foreign language learning are more significant.
Final Compilation
Learning a foreign language has been a topic of debate in educational circles, with proponents arguing its importance and opponents asserting its insignificance. Those who advocate for learning a foreign language in school argue that it has numerous cognitive, cultural, and practical benefits. Firstly, mastering another language enhances cognitive abilities, as it requires learners to think critically and adapt to different linguistic structures. Moreover, it promotes cultural understanding by allowing individuals to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, fostering tolerance and open-mindedness. From a practical standpoint, in today’s globalized world, proficiency in a foreign language can boost job prospects and facilitate international interactions.
On the other hand, there are those who contend that learning a foreign language is unnecessary in the modern age due to the prevalence of translation tools and the predominance of English as a global lingua franca. They argue that the time spent on language acquisition could be better utilized for other subjects that are more directly applicable to students’ future careers. Additionally, some assert that the difficulty of becoming truly proficient in a foreign language often discourages students and leads to frustration.
To conclude, while the concerns raised against learning a foreign language hold some validity, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. The cognitive and cultural benefits of language learning are substantial and contribute not only to personal growth but also to building a more interconnected and harmonious society. Moreover, even though technology can aid in translation, it cannot replace the nuanced understanding and genuine human connections that result from speaking someone’s native language. Therefore, incorporating foreign language learning into the curriculum remains a valuable investment in students’ holistic development.
Some people believe that it is better to live in a city, while others believe that it is better to live in the countryside. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Introduction: Introduces the topic and mentions the opposing views regarding city and countryside living.
Body Paragraph 1: Discusses the advantages of living in a city, including access to amenities, job opportunities, and cultural activities.
Body Paragraph 2: Presents the benefits of living in the countryside, such as tranquillity, connection to nature, and strong communities.
Conclusion: Offers a personal perspective that acknowledges the strengths of both options and suggests that the choice should be based on individual preferences.
Living preferences between urban and rural areas have long been a subject of debate. Supporters of city living argue that it offers greater access to amenities, career opportunities, and cultural activities. Cities are often hubs of economic activity, providing a wide range of job options and higher earning potential. Additionally, urban dwellers can enjoy a plethora of entertainment choices, from theatres and museums to restaurants and shopping centres.
On the other hand, proponents of rural living emphasize the tranquillity and connection to nature that the countryside provides. They contend that life in the countryside is less stressful, offering cleaner air, less noise pollution, and a slower pace of life. Moreover, the close-knit communities in rural areas foster a sense of belonging and interpersonal relationships that can be harder to find in bustling cities.
To conclude, in my opinion, both living environments have their merits, and the choice depends on individual preferences and priorities. While cities offer convenience and a vibrant social scene, they can also be overwhelming and stressful. On the contrary, the countryside provides a peaceful and close-to-nature existence, but it might lack the opportunities and amenities that cities offer. Therefore, the ideal choice should be based on a person’s lifestyle, values, and career aspirations.
Some people believe that social media has a negative impact on society, while others believe that it has a positive effect. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Introduction: Introduces the topic and states that social media’s impact on society is debated.
Body Paragraph 1: Discusses the negative effects of social media, including impacts on mental health, privacy, and interpersonal relationships.
Body Paragraph 2: Presents the positive aspects of social media, focusing on connectivity, activism, information sharing, and education.
Conclusion: Offers a personal perspective that acknowledges both sides of the argument but emphasizes the potential positive impact of responsible social media use.
The influence of social media on society is a topic of ongoing debate. Detractors argue that social media has detrimental effects on mental health, privacy, and interpersonal relationships. They claim that the constant comparison to curated online personas can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Furthermore, the erosion of privacy due to the widespread sharing of personal information and the rise of cyberbullying are serious concerns. Critics also point out that excessive screen time detracts from face-to-face interactions, potentially weakening real-life connections.
On the other hand, proponents of social media contend that it fosters global connectivity, information sharing, and activism. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram enable individuals to voice their opinions, raise awareness about important issues, and create positive change. Social media has played a pivotal role in various social movements and humanitarian efforts, mobilizing people on a scale previously unattainable. Additionally, it allows easy access to a wide range of educational content and facilitates networking opportunities.
In conclusion, while social media has its drawbacks, its potential positive impact is significant. The power of social media to amplify voices, disseminate information, and drive social change cannot be overlooked. However, its usage should be balanced and responsible, with individuals and society collectively addressing its negative aspects, such as online toxicity and privacy concerns.
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Take your time to understand this lesson well and keep practising IELTS discussion essays using past and latest exam questions as much as you need. Constant practice is the best way to get better at it. Way to go!
If you are preparing for the IELTS Writing exam, we would recommend you practice tasks like the above-given questions regularly. The more you practice, the better you will become at cracking the writing tasks for IELTS within the dedicated timeframe.
You can also enroll in our IELTS preparation online classes to get your hands on the latest IELTS writing questions or participate in our FREE online webinars to learn how to write them directly from our band 9 IELTS experts!
Also, check:
When should I give my opinion in an IELTS discussion essay?
Are Opinion essays and Discussion essays the same?
How do you discuss both views and give your opinion?
What are the major mistakes test takers do in the IELTS Discussion essays?
How to write the IELTS Discussion Essay?
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Nehasri Ravishenbagam
Nehasri Ravishenbagam, a Senior Content Marketing Specialist and a Certified IELTS Trainer of 3 years, crafts her writings in an engaging way with proper SEO practices. She specializes in creating a variety of content for IELTS, CELPIP, TOEFL, and certain immigration-related topics. As a student of literature, she enjoys freelancing for websites and magazines to balance her profession in marketing and her passion for creativity!
Raajdeep Saha
Courtney Miller
Blessing Nzekwe
Posted on May 20, 2022
Prison is the common way in most countries to solve the problem of crime. However, a more effective solution is to provide people with a better education. Do you agree of disagree.
Correctional centre is the most popular facility used by majority of the countries to tackle criminal activities. While I believe that the most probable action of ultmost benefit is to make accessible standard education for the masses, as this will make them to be well informed and be more responsible citizens, in this regard I agree with the latter statement.
To begin with, paving way for education of top notch quality will create an avenue to gain knowledge and understanding of information about rules and regulations governing a certain sect as well as how to uphold good moral values and living righteously. For instance, research shows that in Finland, there are negligible number of penitentiary institutions due to the high quality education system being operated in the country. Thus having a consequential high valued institution of learning plays a significant role in cubbing criminal activities.
Furthermore, an impeccable academic world will inculcate the act of being accountable citizens, this will make them to take responsibility of any action they perform and thereafter face whatever consequence that may arise from such weather it is pleasant or unpleasant. For example, in Nigeria, civic studies was incorporated into the school curriculum in a bid to boost the educational standard for the masses at large. Therefore, having a feasible academic environment will help create individuals of high moral standard who will stare clear of any form of unholy act.
To conclude, I want to reaffirm the fact that having quality educational facility that will teach high moral life values to gain the act of responsibility, out weighs the adoption of correctional centres to mitigate criminal activities. I recommend that the governing body should devote their strength to enhancing good learning facilities rather than prison services.
Posted on May 21, 2022
Band Score – 5.5
Concentrate on the correct usage of articles, verb forms, prepositions, subject-verb agreement and punctuation.
Since it is an opinion essay, you are required to write about one line of contrast in a separate body after presenting two body paragraphs supporting your views.
Pay attention to spellings and word order in a sentence.
Use C2 level of words.
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For the vast majority of students, essay writing doesn't always come easily. Writing at academic level is an acquired skill that can literally take years to master – indeed, many students find they only start to feel really confident writing essays just as their undergraduate course comes to an end!
If this is you, and you've come here looking for words and phrases to use in your essay, you're in the right place. We’ve pulled together a list of essential academic words you can use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essays .
Whilst your ideas and arguments should always be your own, borrowing some of the words and phrases listed below is a great way to articulate your ideas more effectively, and ensure that you keep your reader’s attention from start to finish.
It goes without saying (but we'll say it anyway) that there's a certain formality that comes with academic writing. Casual and conversational phrases have no place. Obviously, there are no LOLs, LMFAOs, and OMGs. But formal academic writing can be much more subtle than this, and as we've mentioned above, requires great skill.
So, to get you started on polishing your own essay writing ability, try using the words in this list as an inspirational starting point.
The trickiest part of academic writing often comes right at the start, with your introduction. Of course, once you’ve done your plan and have your arguments laid out, you need to actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and begin your essay.
You need to consider that your reader doesn’t have a clue about your topic or arguments, so your first sentence must summarise these. Explain what your essay is going to talk about as though you were explaining it to a five year old – without losing the formality of your academic writing, of course! To do this, use any of the below words or phrases to help keep you on track.
Even though it sounds obvious, your argument will be clearer if you deliver the ideas in the right order. These words can help you to offer clarity and structure to the way you expose your ideas. This is an extremely effective method of presenting the facts clearly. Don’t be too rigid and feel you have to number each point, but using this system can be a good way to get an argument off the ground, and link arguments together.
These essay phrases are useful to begin your essay. They help you pose your argument based on what other authors have said or a general concern about your research. They can also both be used when a piece of evidence sheds new light on an argument. Here’s an example: The result of the American invasion has severely impaired American interests in the Middle East, exponentially increasing popular hostility to the United States throughout the region, a factor which has proved to be a powerful recruitment tool for extremist terrorist groups (Isakhan, 2015). Considering [or In light of / In view of] the perceived resulting threat to American interests, it could be argued that the Bush administration failed to fully consider the impact of their actions before pushing forward with the war.
Introducing the views of an author who has a comprehensive knowledge of your particular area of study is a crucial part of essay writing. Including a quote that fits naturally into your work can be a bit of a struggle, but these academic phrases provide a great way in.
Even though it’s fine to reference a quote in your introduction, we don’t recommend you start your essay with a direct quote. Use your own words to sum up the views you’re mentioning, for example:
As Einstein often reiterated, experiments can prove theories, but experiments don’t give birth to theories.
Rather than:
“A theory can be proved by experiment, but no path leads from experiment to the birth of a theory.” {Albert Einstein, 1954, Einstein: A Biography}.
See the difference?
And be sure to reference correctly too, when using quotes or paraphrasing someone else's words.
The flow of your essay is extremely important. You don’t want your reader to be confused by the rhythm of your writing and get distracted away from your argument, do you? No! So, we recommend using some of the following ‘flow’ words, which are guaranteed to help you articulate your ideas and arguments in a chronological and structured order.
These types of academic phrases are perfect for expanding or adding to a point you’ve already made without interrupting the flow altogether. “Moreover”, “furthermore” and “in addition” are also great linking phrases to begin a new paragraph.
Here are some examples: The dissociation of tau protein from microtubules destabilises the latter resulting in changes to cell structure, and neuronal transport. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction leads to further oxidative stress causing increased levels of nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidases.
On the data of this trial, no treatment recommendations should be made. The patients are suspected, but not confirmed, to suffer from pneumonia. Furthermore, five days is too short a follow up time to confirm clinical cure.
These are helpful academic phrases to introduce an explanation or state your aim. Oftentimes your essay will have to prove how you intend to achieve your goals. By using these sentences you can easily expand on points that will add clarity to the reader.
For example: My research entailed hours of listening and recording the sound of whales in order to understand how they communicate.
Dutch tech companies offer support in the fight against the virus. To this end, an online meeting took place on Wednesday...
Even though we recommend the use of these phrases, DO NOT use them too often. You may think you sound like a real academic but it can be a sign of overwriting!
Complement complex ideas with simple descriptions by using these sentences. These are excellent academic phrases to improve the continuity of your essay writing. They should be used to explain a point you’ve already made in a slightly different way. Don’t use them to repeat yourself, but rather to elaborate on a certain point that needs further explanation. Or, to succinctly round up what just came before.
For example: A null hypothesis is a statement that there is no relationship between phenomena. In other words, there is no treatment effect.
Nothing could come to be in this pre-world time, “because no part of such a time possesses, as compared with any other, a distinguishing condition of existence rather than non-existence.” That is, nothing exists in this pre-world time, and so there can be nothing that causes the world to come into existence.
These essay words are a good choice to add a piece of information that agrees with an argument or fact you just mentioned. In academic writing, it is very relevant to include points of view that concur with your opinion. This will help you to situate your research within a research context.
Also , academic words and phrases like the above are also especially useful so as not to repeat the word ‘also’ too many times. (We did that on purpose to prove our point!) Your reader will be put off by the repetitive use of simple conjunctions. The quality of your essay will drastically improve just by using academic phrases and words such as ‘similarly’, ‘as well as’, etc. Here, let us show you what we mean:
In 1996, then-transport minister Steve Norris enthused about quadrupling cycling trips by 2012. Similarly, former prime minister David Cameron promised a “cycling revolution” in 2013…
Or Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) aims to bridge the gap of access to electricity across the continent (...). Another key fact to remember is that it must expand cost-efficient access to electricity to nearly 1 billion people.
The wording “not only… but also” is a useful way to elaborate on a similarity in your arguments but in a more striking way.
Academic essays often include opposite opinions or information in order to prove a point. It is important to show all the aspects that are relevant to your research. Include facts and researchers’ views that disagree with a point of your essay to show your knowledge of your particular field of study. Below are a few words and ways of introducing alternative arguments.
Finding a seamless method to present an alternative perspective or theory can be hard work, but these terms and phrases can help you introduce the other side of the argument. Let's look at some examples:
89% of respondents living in joint families reported feeling financially secure. Conversely, only 64% of those who lived in nuclear families said they felt financially secure.
The first protagonist has a social role to fill in being a father to those around him, whereas the second protagonist relies on the security and knowledge offered to him by Chaplin.
“On the other hand” can also be used to make comparisons when worded together with “on the one hand.”
These essay phrases show contrast, compare facts, and present uncertainty regarding a point in your research. “That said” and “yet” in particular will demonstrate your expertise on a topic by showing the conditions or limitations of your research area. For example:
All the tests were positive. That said, we must also consider the fact that some of them had inconclusive results.
Use these phrases and essay words to demonstrate a positive aspect of your subject-matter regardless of lack of evidence, logic, coherence, or criticism. Again, this kind of information adds clarity and expertise to your academic writing.
A good example is:
Despite the criticism received by X, the popularity of X remains undiminished.
Another way to add contrast is by highlighting the relevance of a fact or opinion in the context of your research. These academic words help to introduce a sentence or paragraph that contains a very meaningful point in your essay.
A good piece of academic writing will always include examples. Illustrating your essay with examples will make your arguments stronger. Most of the time, examples are a way to clarify an explanation; they usually offer an image that the reader can recognise. The most common way to introduce an illustration is “for example.” However, in order not to repeat yourself here are a few other options.
The academic essays that are receiving top marks are the ones that back up every single point made. These academic phrases are a useful way to introduce an example. If you have a lot of examples, avoid repeating the same phrase to facilitate the readability of your essay.
Here’s an example:
‘High involvement shopping’, an experiential process described by Wu et al. (2015, p. 299) relies upon the development of an identity-based alliance between the customer and the brand. Celebrity status at Prada, for example, has created an alliance between the brand and a new generation of millennial customers.
Concluding words for essays are necessary to wrap up your argument. Your conclusion must include a brief summary of the ideas that you just exposed without being redundant. The way these ideas are expressed should lead to the final statement and core point you have arrived at in your present research.
These are phrases for essays that will introduce your concluding paragraph. You can use them at the beginning of a sentence. They will show the reader that your essay is coming to an end:
On close analysis and appraisal, we see that the study by Cortis lacks essential features of the highest quality quantitative research.
Essay words like these ones can help you emphasize the most relevant arguments of your paper. Both are used in the same way: “the most persuasive/compelling argument is…”.
When you’re explaining the significance of the results of a piece of research, these phrases provide the perfect lead up to your explanation.
Your summary should include the most relevant information or research factor that guided you to your conclusion. Contrary to words such as “persuasive” or “compelling”, these essay words are helpful to draw attention to an important point. For example:
The feasibility and effectiveness of my research has been proven chiefly in the last round of laboratory tests.
Film noir is, and will continue to be, highly debatable, controversial, and unmarketable – but above all, for audience members past, present and to come, extremely enjoyable as a form of screen media entertainment.
This essay phrase is meant to articulate how you give reasons to your conclusions. It means that after you considered all the aspects related to your study, you have arrived to the conclusion you are demonstrating.
After mastering the use of these academic words and phrases, we guarantee you will see an immediate change in the quality of your essays. The structure will be easier to follow, and the reader’s experience will improve. You’ll also feel more confident articulating your ideas and using facts and examples. So jot them all down, and watch your essays go from ‘good’ to ‘great’!
Cryptocurrency payments.
A common exam question type asks the candidate analyse, critique or discuss a topic, or to compare or contrast two topics. Such questions typically require partition in the response, and thus don’t readily fit into the argument essay format. It is in these situations that a discussion essay structure is needed.
The first thing to understand is in what circumstances a discussion essay structure is required. Essay questions can be understood by identifying three things: keywords, qualifying words and action words. To identify what type of essay to write, however, the candidate needs only look at the action words.
The instructions may vary and be re-worded by IELTS for a discussion essay. Here are some ways in which IELTS can phrase the discussion essay instructions:
These instructions refer to the content of your essay from the beginning to the end. Students aiming for a high band score should ensure they follow these instructions in the introduction, body and conclusion of their essay.
Aim for between 270 and 290 words. That is enough words to develop your ideas for a high score. If you have two body paragraphs, you are looking for around 95 words for each paragraph . If you have three body paragraphs, you should aim for about 65 words for each body paragraph.
Language to express other people’s opinions:, don’t use the following expressions as they are unsuitable for an ielts essay:, model answers, some exclusive tips for ielts essay.
Identify the issue or issues in the essay question. Decide your opinion. Do you agree with one of the sides offered or do you have your own view? Be careful presenting a specific opinion . This does not mean to agree with both sides 100%. Brainstorm supporting ideas for your essay. Plan paraphrasing but always aim for accuracy. Structure: two body paragraphs if you agree with one side, three body paragraphs if you have a specific opinion. Introduce the essay question (both sides) and your opinion in your introduction . Check the essay question before starting any body paragraph. Write topic sentences fully. Make sure your supporting points are presented as other people’s views rather than just advantages. Don’t change your discussion essay into an advantage disadvantage essay. Refer to people having different views and re-state your opinion in the conclusion.
IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024
Learn expressions to use in your discussion essay for IELTS writing task 2 with this video lesson. It is important to use a variety of language to express both sides in your essay. Being able to have flexible language for giving other people’s opinions is a good way to increase your vocabulary band score.
Hello in this lesson I’m going to look at some expressions that you can use for a discussion essay for IELTS writing task 2. Now when you have a discussion essay you have to support two different sides and this is not about your opinion this is about what other people think, other people’s opinion and you have to support what they think. so here are some very useful expressions to help you show other people’s thoughts and opinions.
Now there’s quite a lot of expressions you can use. I will run through each one but I will tell you now there are two expressions here that you shouldn’t use. can you see which ones? well I’ll tell you at the end of the lesson let’s have a look the first one. “Many people believe that ” this is a very common expression to use for IELTS It is not high band score but its clear and its academic so don’t worry, please use it. The next one “it is commonly believed that” this is a very nice expression because you can see here “is believed” that is the passive and it’s very good to give the examiner some passive tense in your essay. It will improve your band score and you can see this word here “commonly” that means many people so it has the same meaning as this sentence and this word we can change, we could say “it is frequently believed that” or we could say “it is often believed that”. So we could put a different adverb of frequency here. The next one “some people think that” again it’s very simple but it is academic and its clear. “It is often thought that” here we’ve got another passive, so very nice to use. But “on the side of” or “the other side of the coin is” this is the other opinion, the other side. “It is considered by many that” this is a very nice expression is very academic. It’s very good to use for IELTS and again you have a passive here and you can change this word if you want and you could say “it is considered by some that”. The next one here “many argue that” is very nice very clear. You don’t need to say “many people”, you could say “many argue that “. Another one, “it is argued by some that”, again here we’ve got the passive and you can change this word, “it is argued by many that”. “On the one hand” and”On the other hand”, so that’s the one side of the argument, on the other hand that’s the other side of the argument. The last one “some people support the opinion that” again this is very nice, very academic.
Discussion Essay Model Answer
I am exceedingly grateful for your copious and advantageous free resources.
I will be back with my testimonial about how your resources assisted me with acing my IELTS test once.
Well done and God bless you.
Ebizi Eradiri Njoku
Wishing you the best of luck in your test!
Thank you , my best online teacher
hi Liz I have subscribed your channel for many years now .I do receive some emails .However I need support in writing the introduction for a discussion please could you guide me
Think about getting my advanced lessons. I’ll be offering a discount at the start of July: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . The reason I made advanced lessons is so that I could explain fully how to write essays step by step. Each lesson is around 1 hour in length.
I am a new student learning the IELTS and today I started following you with the lesson writing task – 2. It is observed that there are -04- types of essays. I started the discussion type but little confused and not able to analyse the discussion type. Please advise, how may I understand whether the topic is discussion or opinion-based or discussion with opinion.
Go to this page for all your answers: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/
Dear liz, I have read your E-Book and that helped me a lot because I didn’t know about how to develop Ideas, but after reading that book I have learned what we can write in our essay according to the topic. Thank you for making that E-book. But here I have different doubt about structuring an Introduction for discussion type essay. (Specially, one sided opinion essay) While writing discussion type essay, you taught to give balanced approach or one sided approach. My confusion here is after paraphrasing both view points in the introduction we can directly state our opinion even if it is one sided, do we have to mention that why we do not agree with the other view point? What I mean to say is, if I think cooperation is more important to learn then do i have to mention why i do not think competition is important? My another doubt is do we have to give the hint what body paragraphs will discuss about within the introduction? Like, after paraphrasing the two different view points do we have to write again that many people think competition because it develops a sense of self-esteem in a child, while others believe cooperation is important as it helps in developing social skills + giving my opinion stating, I believe cooperation is important + reason why I believe so + why don’t I believe competition is important?
I am confused what should I exclude to make a short yet clear Introduction with one sided clear opinion? because giving reason why we do not think other view point is more important is making introduction too lengthy. Similarly giving hint within the introduction why people have different view points making it too lengthy.
Your background statement will include the two views held by others. The details for those views will be explained in the body paragraphs. The thesis statement will contain your view and the body paragraph will explain it. It is your choice how you develop the body paragraph. You might want to explain why you agree with one side and why you disagree with the other – if they are two completely different choices to make. It really depends on how much you have to say. IELTS essay are as much about strategy as they are about ideas. Think about word count and length. IELTS essays are short – they were never designed to be long. You should be aiming between 270 and 290 words. So, plan each sentence before you start writing and you’ll soon see how much you can and can’t fit into each paragraph. Also remember that if you agree with one side fully, your opinion will be given along side (in the same paragraph) as the same view that others have. If you are unsure or confused, get my Advanced lessons because I’ve explained it really carefully in those lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Glad you liked the Ideas E-book 🙂
Hello Ma’am, Sorry for over bugging You Hope You’re kicking fine. Meanwhile, Where can I get full length videos of Your Academic Test teachings on Tips for Task 1 writing- Graphs, Charts, pictures etc- My elder Brother is attempting it for the first time and needs help with it as His Academic test is slated for 12 September. I introduced Him to Your blog but all He could set His eyes on were snippets of Your teachings on YouTube.
Best Regards.
Sorry, I don’t have full length videos for writing task 1. I only have Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons which can be purchased on this page: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/
Hello Liz, i visited your website and discovered numerous information and tips that will be useful for my ielts academic test. please i would like to be notified for any new video and information. thanks
You can access over 300 pages of free lessons and tips through the RED MENU Bar at the top of the website. All new lessons can be found listed in the side bar column if you are using desktop or at the bottom of all posts if you are using a smart phone.
Hi Liz, I am a little confused when it’s about the introduction of the “discuss both views and give your opinion” essay. As I understood, introduction is made of 2 parts: 1. Paraphrasing the question (very clear) 2. Thesis to introduce the topics of the body paragraphs In this type of questions, if we start the thesis just right after paraphrasing with “in my opinion”, doesn’t show the examiner that my essay will be only about my opinion?
You’re website and advanced videos are very helpful Thank you
The examiner has the instructions. The examiner has the full essay question. It’s fine.
Hello liz i find your videos very helpful, i wanted to ask can you give the complete structure of an ielts essay
You can find model essays on the main writing task 2 page – click on the RED BAR at the top of the website.
Thank you very much for all your insights on various topics on IELTS. I genuinely appreciate it.
I have a doubt regarding the essay writing; are we allowed to use colon, semi-colon and double-dash in our GT essays and letters just as how I’ve used in this comment?
Your input here will be a good help. Thanks again.
There is no need to use them. Using just full stops and commas is enough. However, there are a no fixed rules.
Hi Liz, Thanks your youtube videos are outstanding and very helpful. Please i will need some clarifications on the following: 1. Can I treat an opinion essay as a discussion essay where i write about both views or do i just stick with my opinion throughout my essay. 2. Is this thesis statement correct- This essay will discuss both views before reaching a logical conclusion. Will appreciate your response
You can’t alter the instructions and write a discussion essay if you are given an opinion essay. However, it is possible to have a partial agreement but you need training for that. See my Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ 2. That is not a thesis statement for IELTS. If you are asked for your view, you must give it directly – I, my. The words “this essay” does not represent your own personal opinion. Also NEVER use learned phrases in an English language test. Each sentence must be created uniquely by you. The examiner will put a line through any learned sentences.
Ma’am thanks so much for all the content that you have provided! I had a question regarding a discussion cum opinion essay. Do I make 1 body paragraphs for each side and a third body para for the details of my opinion (totally 3 paras) or do i combine both sides in body paragraph 1 and explain my perspective in the 2nd body paragraph?
I’d very much appreciate your input.
Do not combine opposite sides in one paragraph. If your opinion agrees with one side, add it to that paragraph. Otherwise, create a third body paragraph.
Hello, Your website is a lifesaver, thank you so much for your work! I have a question regarding the use of singular ‘they’ in an essay: is it allowed or is it better to be avoided? I find myself using it quite often but I am not sure how the examiner would react. Thank you in advance
Yes, it’s allowed.
Hi Liz, Your videos are very informative.
In an opinion essay, could the term ‘I feel’ be used? Or is it better to use I think or I believe?
Thanks Anne
“I feel” is informal.
It’s very helpful thank you. You’re doing a great job.
This was very helpful. Thanks.
Can we say “On the flip side …”?
That is informal and an IELTS essay is formal.
Hi Liz, Thank you for your support 🙂 I wanted to ask you about Writting Task 2; in an opinion essay should I writte the two paragraphs to support my opinion or should I writte the first paragraph for supporting and admitting the suggested opinion in the topic and the second to introduce mine. So do I get more points for a balanced answer or should I present my 2 topics in both paragraphs?
You do not get more points for a balanced view or a one sided view. You choose your opinion, state it in the introduction and then explain it in the body.
What if we agree with both of the views. Can we still use those sentences you provided in the video? Thank you 🙂
A balanced approach does not mean agreeeing with both sides. It means presenting an opinion which is neither one side nor the other but your own specific opinion.
I was wondering if we are not suppose this language in Agree/disagee(Opinion) essay.
Basically whenever I start any opinion essay using one of the expressions mentioned above. And also some times for each paragraph I use “on the other hand” for the second paragraph opening sentences for opinion essay.
Kindly confirm the same. If I not supposed to use, can you provide us with some Agree/Disagree(opinion) essay language too.
Thanks, Shree
You use expressions such as “it is thought …” or “some people believe that …” when you express other people’s opinions. For your background statement in almost all essays, you might use these expressions. When you have an opinion essay, you use these expressions in the background and then present your own opinion directly in the thesis “In my opinion”.
When you use “On the other hand” it is to present an opposing view. It shows an opposite. This is unlikely to be used in an opinion essay but not impossible. It depends on the ideas and the paragraph content.
I hope that helps. See my model writing task 2 essays on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/
Hi Liz, Cam you please clarify between discussion type and agree disagree type questions. How does the structure vary.
All IELTS essays have either two or three body paragraphs. The structures are decided depending on your opinion and ideas.
Hello Liz, Is there a link for all the essay sample questions you shared?
Regards Sweety
You can find sample essay questions here: https://ieltsliz.com/100-ielts-essay-questions/ . All links can be found on the main writing task 2 page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . All main pages can be found on the red bar at the top of the website.
Hello Liz, Is there are a link for all essay answers?
See the main writing task 2 page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/
Is it necessary to write your opinion in introduction in a discussion essay (discuss both views and give your opinion)? And also please tell that is it the write structure for this type of question Introduction body para 1 (discussing one view) body para 2 (discussing other side of the argument and giving your opinion) conclusion
You should also introduce your opinion in the introduction.
Helpful commentary, I love the info – Does anyone know where I could acquire a sample form I could use?
can we say the other side of the MEDALLION is
Obviously not. You shouldn’t be using idioms.
Hi Liz, can i write 3 paragraphs if i agree with both sides of the arguments and third one is going to be about my opinion that it is better both
You shouldn’t agree with both sides. Giving an opinion, doesn’t mean sitting on the fence. Please see my advanced lessons.
Hi Liz, Thank you very much for this helpful Blog. Just trying to be helpful here, you said in the first line: wring task1. So, I know it’s not serious error, but just want to get your attention on it, so maybe better to correct it.
Best regards, Salah
Thanks. It really helps me when people tell me about typos because I don’t have much time for proof reading. Well spotted!! Liz 🙂
Hello mam..im ALi From PAKISTAN and i am prepairing my IELTS exam test for 23 Jan ….could you give me few tips and techniques for task 2 and speaking for General Question
https://ieltsliz.com/liz-notice-2015-2016/
Hi Im Aysa Im 12 years old and Im studing Ielts I have 2 older sister.My schools name is Hafez and the place that I study Ielts in it is Melal English school and there are some knowledgeable teachers there. Actually Im a cheerful person and I love Art. and then I love so much eating and watching animations especially Sponge bob.
Please inform your parents that you have posted a comment on my blog. It is essential that all underage comments are done with parental permission. Thanks Liz
Hi liz, Thank you for your videos and everything. In writing task 2 if the topic says “discuss both these views and give your own opinion” when should we state our opinion? Can we mention it in inroduction part or in conclusion? While discussing both views are we allowed to be personal or we should discuss them objectively?
The given site is not found?
Mam, I was going through the subscription video of your Discussion essay.After viewing it i was trying to write a Background statement for the question ” Some say all offenders should be sent to prison,others argue that there are better alternatives such as community work for those who commit minor crimes.Discuss both views and give your opinion “.
I tried writing this line same as you were explaining on that video ” Although it is sometimes argued that all criminal ought to sent to jail,other people believe that the focus should be on other alternative methods “. Is this back ground statement correct.Please help me in this
This is the correct technique to use. All the best Liz
Hi mam My question is regarding writing task 2, Mam what counts more in IELTS,more number of ideas but not explained much or one-two ideas bit well explained. For example,to reduce environmental pollution ,we can write about a number of ideas like Using green energy resources to curb air pollution,lesser use of pesticides to control land pollution and so on..so should we write about all the ideas that i have in my mind or should i pick one or two of them and elaborate upon then well.? Thnx
See this page to learn how your writing is marked: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-band-scores-5-to-8/ . To learn more about writing an opinion essay and how to develop ideas, see my advanced lessons: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore All the best Liz
Hi Liz ..conclusion is compulsory in each essay?
All writing task 2 essays have a conclusion. Please see the lesson about paragraphs. Liz
After 7 days I have an IELTS exam. And I have still problem with speaking and reading, so can you please help me how can I get improvisation in both?
Please see the reading section and the lesson: how to improve your reading. The look at the speaking section and how to develop your speaking at home. All the best Liz
CAN YOU LIE WHEN WRITING YOUR ESSAY?
You can write anything you want. No one will check whether the information is true or not. However, as you have not presented me with an example of “a lie”, I can’t fully say yes. All the best Liz
plzz telk me which is best BC or IDP test
IELTS is owned by Cambridge ESOL, IDP and the British Council – they are all the same company. The test at IDP and BC is the same, the examiners are trained in the same way – there’s no difference. All the best Liz
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The discussion section of a research paper analyzes and interprets the findings, provides context, compares them with previous studies, identifies limitations, and suggests future research directions.
Updated on September 15, 2023
Structure your discussion section right, and you’ll be cited more often while doing a greater service to the scientific community. So, what actually goes into the discussion section? And how do you write it?
The discussion section of your research paper is where you let the reader know how your study is positioned in the literature, what to take away from your paper, and how your work helps them. It can also include your conclusions and suggestions for future studies.
First, we’ll define all the parts of your discussion paper, and then look into how to write a strong, effective discussion section for your paper or manuscript.
The discussion section comes later in your paper, following the introduction, methods, and results. The discussion sets up your study’s conclusions. Its main goals are to present, interpret, and provide a context for your results.
The discussion section provides an analysis and interpretation of the findings, compares them with previous studies, identifies limitations, and suggests future directions for research.
This section combines information from the preceding parts of your paper into a coherent story. By this point, the reader already knows why you did your study (introduction), how you did it (methods), and what happened (results). In the discussion, you’ll help the reader connect the ideas from these sections.
The discussion provides context and interpretations for the results. It also answers the questions posed in the introduction. While the results section describes your findings, the discussion explains what they say. This is also where you can describe the impact or implications of your research.
Most research studies aim to answer a question, replicate a finding, or address limitations in the literature. These goals are first described in the introduction. However, in the discussion section, the author can refer back to them to explain how the study's objective was achieved.
The discussion can also describe the effect of your findings on research or practice. How are your results significant for readers, other researchers, or policymakers?
A complete and effective discussion section should at least touch on the points described below.
The discussion should begin with a brief factual summary of the results. Concisely overview the main results you obtained.
Your results section described a list of findings, but what message do they send when you look at them all together?
Your findings were detailed in the results section, so there’s no need to repeat them here, but do provide at least a few highlights. This will help refresh the reader’s memory and help them focus on the big picture.
Read the first paragraph of the discussion section in this article (PDF) for an example of how to start this part of your paper. Notice how the authors break down their results and follow each description sentence with an explanation of why each finding is relevant.
Following a clear and direct writing style is especially important in the discussion section. After all, this is where you will make some of the most impactful points in your paper. While the results section often contains technical vocabulary, such as statistical terms, the discussion section lets you describe your findings more clearly.
Once you’ve given your reader an overview of your results, you need to interpret those results. In other words, what do your results mean? Discuss the findings’ implications and significance in relation to your research question or hypothesis.
Look into your findings and explore what’s behind them or what may have caused them. If your introduction cited theories or studies that could explain your findings, use these sources as a basis to discuss your results.
For example, look at the second paragraph in the discussion section of this article on waggling honey bees. Here, the authors explore their results based on information from the literature.
Sometimes, your findings are not what you expect. Here’s where you describe this and try to find a reason for it. Could it be because of the method you used? Does it have something to do with the variables analyzed? Comparing your methods with those of other similar studies can help with this task.
Refer to related studies to place your research in a larger context and the literature. Compare and contrast your findings with existing literature, highlighting similarities, differences, and/or contradictions.
Studies with similar findings to yours can be cited to show the strength of your findings. Information from these studies can also be used to help explain your results. Differences between your findings and others in the literature can also be discussed here.
If you have more than one objective in your study or many key findings, you can dedicate a separate section to each of these. Here’s an example of this approach. You can see that the discussion section is divided into topics and even has a separate heading for each of them.
Many journals require you to include the limitations of your study in the discussion. Even if they don’t, there are good reasons to mention these in your paper.
A study’s limitations are points to be improved upon in future research. While some of these may be flaws in your method, many may be due to factors you couldn’t predict.
Examples include time constraints or small sample sizes. Pointing this out will help future researchers avoid or address these issues. This part of the discussion can also include any attempts you have made to reduce the impact of these limitations, as in this study .
Pointing out the limitations of your study demonstrates transparency. It also shows that you know your methods well and can conduct a critical assessment of them.
The final paragraph of the discussion section should contain the take-home messages for your study. It can also cite the “strong points” of your study, to contrast with the limitations section.
Remind the reader what your hypothesis was before you conducted the study.
Identify your main findings and describe how they relate to your hypothesis.
Were you able to answer your research question? Or address a gap in the literature?
Describe the impact that your results may have on the topic of study. Your results may show, for instance, that there are still limitations in the literature for future studies to address. There may be a need for studies that extend your findings in a specific way. You also may need additional research to corroborate your findings.
This fictitious example covers all the aspects discussed above. Your actual discussion section will probably be much longer, but you can read this to get an idea of everything your discussion should cover.
Our results showed that the presence of cats in a household is associated with higher levels of perceived happiness by its human occupants. These findings support our hypothesis and demonstrate the association between pet ownership and well-being.
The present findings align with those of Bao and Schreer (2016) and Hardie et al. (2023), who observed greater life satisfaction in pet owners relative to non-owners. Although the present study did not directly evaluate life satisfaction, this factor may explain the association between happiness and cat ownership observed in our sample.
Our findings must be interpreted in light of some limitations, such as the focus on cat ownership only rather than pets as a whole. This may limit the generalizability of our results.
Nevertheless, this study had several strengths. These include its strict exclusion criteria and use of a standardized assessment instrument to investigate the relationships between pets and owners. These attributes bolster the accuracy of our results and reduce the influence of confounding factors, increasing the strength of our conclusions. Future studies may examine the factors that mediate the association between pet ownership and happiness to better comprehend this phenomenon.
This brief discussion begins with a quick summary of the results and hypothesis. The next paragraph cites previous research and compares its findings to those of this study. Information from previous studies is also used to help interpret the findings. After discussing the results of the study, some limitations are pointed out. The paper also explains why these limitations may influence the interpretation of results. Then, final conclusions are drawn based on the study, and directions for future research are suggested.
If you find writing in scientific English challenging, the discussion and conclusions are often the hardest parts of the paper to write. That’s because you’re not just listing up studies, methods, and outcomes. You’re actually expressing your thoughts and interpretations in words.
Always give it your best, but sometimes a helping hand can, well, help. Getting a professional edit can help clarify your work’s importance while improving the English used to explain it. When readers know the value of your work, they’ll cite it. We’ll assign your study to an expert editor knowledgeable in your area of research. Their work will clarify your discussion, helping it to tell your story. Find out more about AJE Editing.
Adam Goulston, PsyD, MS, MBA, MISD, ELS
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ELT Concourse for learners of English |
A Discussion text gives both sides of an argument and may (or may not) include your opinion at the end. If you are learning English to study a subject at an English-speaking college or university or are preparing for examinations such as Cambridge FCE and CAE, you will need to know how to write a Discussion.
There are 9 tasks in this lesson. When you see the word Task , stop for a moment and do the exercise. You will learn more that way.
In this lesson, we are going to look at the idea that:
Smoking in public places, even outside, should be illegal
: So, before we start, write down 2 things to say for this argument and 2 things against it. |
How you order the text is called 'text staging'. In English, readers will expect the text to be ordered in a particular way. This is often different from the way the information is ordered in other languages. There are really only two ways to order the text:
In this way, you give all the positive points and explain them before you give the negative points.
In this way, you mix positive and negative points in the middle of the text.
Task 2 : what are these sentences doing? Where do they belong in the diagrams?
Click here when you have an answer .
For a discussion, you don't need to write much here. For our example, something like the following is enough:
Whether people should be allowed to smoke in public spaces such as in the street, on beaches and in parks is not a simple problem. There are arguments on both sides: protecting the health of other people and allowing the individual his or her freedom.
Task 3 : We have done three things here. What are they? Click here when you have an answer .
This is where you must set out your arguments carefully. Remember to have both negative and positive points. It doesn't matter here what you think personally. This is a Discussion!
Task 4 : in the diagrams above, there were two ways to organise this part. Without looking back, can you remember what they are? Click here when you have the answer .
Task 5 : Did you do Task 1 ? If not, do it now. It asked you to think of two things in favour of allowing smoking in public places and two things against allowing it. Here are some possibilities:
The individual has rights | We should think about the good of all the people |
In the open air, nobody can smell the smoke or be hurt by it | Smoking is unhealthy and allowing smoking in public places makes people smoke more |
It's impossible for the police to control smoking in the street and in parks | It's dirty and cigarette ends on the street or on a beach look terrible |
Some people will always smoke and forbidding it will not work | It's the government's job to help people to stop smoking and this is a good way to do it |
When you have your list, you can start to link the ideas together.
Task 6 : Try putting the ideas on the left with the ideas on the right and using linking words such as but, However, On the other hand and although . Put each set of two ideas in separate paragraphs. Click here when you have done that to see an example paragraph .
Here's an example. You may have something very different but that doesn't matter. It's the ordering which is important. Notice the words in red that link the ideas together. Paragraph 1: Although individuals have rights which the society must be careful about, we should always think about the good of society as a whole. An individual can smoke at home or in private but on the streets or in parks, it is the majority we must think about. The majority of people don't smoke. Paragraph 2: In the open air, when there is a little wind, nobody can smell the smoke so it can't hurt them but in very busy places, that is not always true. Paragraph 3: Smoking makes the beach and the streets look bad with cigarette ends all over them. However , it will be very difficult for the police to control what people do in public places. The police are very busy people with more important things to think about. Paragraph 4: It is probably true that some people will always want to smoke. On the other hand , it is clear that smoking is bad for you and costs the hospitals and the government a lot of money. So it is the government's job to help people to stop smoking. Making smoking in public spaces illegal will do that.
Paragraphs without examples | Paragraphs with examples |
individuals have rights which the society must be careful about, we should always think about the good of society as a whole. An individual can smoke at home or in private but on the streets or in parks, it is the majority we must think about. The majority of people don't smoke. | individuals have rights which the society must be careful about, we should always think about the good of society as a whole. An individual can smoke at home or in private, but on the streets or in parks, it is the majority we must think about. The majority of people don't smoke. |
but in very busy places, that is not always true. | nobody can smell the smoke so it can't hurt them but in very busy places, that is not always true. |
However, it will be very difficult for the police to control what people do in public places. The police are very busy people with more important things to think about. | However, it will be very difficult for the police to control what people do in public places. The police are very busy people with more important things to think about. |
On the other hand, it is clear that smoking is bad for you and costs the hospitals and the government a lot of money. So it is the government's job to help people to stop smoking. Making smoking in public spaces illegal will do that. | On the other hand, it is clear that smoking is bad for you and costs the hospitals and the government a lot of money. So it is the government's job to help people to stop smoking. Making smoking in public spaces illegal will do that. |
In a Discussion, you need to keep the style appropriate and avoid things like I am sure that, obviously, I know and so on. Try to use words which make you sound more objective such as we should, it is probably true and so on.
Now we have the text almost finished. All we need to put in is a final paragraph. This should say again what the general point was in the introduction and give your own opinion. Task 8 : Write your paragraph for this text and then click here for an example .
As we see, it is not easy to keep the rights of the individual and the good of society together and there are no easy answers. However, on balance, I believe that the rights of individuals are very important and, personally, I would not make smoking in open public spaces illegal.
Task 9 : Finally, try this gap-fill test to see if you can put words and phrases into the right parts of a Discussion text .
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By: Author Sophia
Posted on Last updated: October 25, 2023
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How to Write a Great Essay in English! This lesson provides 100+ useful words, transition words and expressions used in writing an essay. Let’s take a look!
The secret to a successful essay doesn’t just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points.
Overview of an essay.
Developing the argument
The other side of the argument
Ordering elements
Adding elements
Accepting other points of view
Personal opinion
Others’ opinions
Introducing examples
Introducing facts
Saying what you think is true
Accepting other points to a certain degree
Emphasizing particular points
Moderating, agreeing, disagreeing
Consequences
How to Write a Great Essay | Image 1
How to Write a Great Essay | Image 2
Introduction
How to Write a Great Essay | Image 3
Nur Syuhadah Zainuddin
Friday 19th of August 2022
thank u so much its really usefull
12thSeahorse
Wednesday 3rd of August 2022
He or she who masters the English language rules the world!
Friday 25th of March 2022
Thank you so so much, this helped me in my essays with A+
Theophilus Muzvidziwa
Friday 11th of March 2022
Monday 21st of February 2022
The following “Elements of the Academic Essay” provide a possible vocabulary for commenting on student writing. Instructors in the Harvard College Writing Program tend to use some version of this vocabulary when talking about and commenting on student writing, so it’s likely that your students will be familiar with some of the terms and concepts below. Using these terms consistently when you comment on student writing will help your students see patterns in their own writing that might otherwise remain elusive to them.
What the essay is about:
1. Thesis: your main insight or idea about a text or topic, and the main proposition that your essay demonstrates. It should be true but arguable; be limited enough in scope to be argued with available evidence; and get to the heart of the text or topic being analyzed (not be peripheral). It should be stated early and it should govern the whole essay.
Why it matters:
2. Question, Problem, or What’s at Stake: the context or situation that you establish for your argument at the start of your essay, making clear why someone might want to read an essay on this topic or need to hear your particular thesis argued (why your thesis isn't just obvious to all, why other theses might be less persuasive). In the introduction, it’s the moment where you establish “what’s at stake” in the essay, setting up a genuine problem, question, difficulty, over-simplification, misapprehension, dilemma, or violated expectation that an intelligent reader would really have.
What the thesis is based on:
3. Evidence: the data — facts, examples, or details — that you refer to, quote, or summarize to support your thesis. There needs to be enough evidence to be persuasive; the right kind of evidence to support the thesis; a thorough consideration of evidence (with no obvious pieces of evidence overlooked); and sufficiently concrete evidence for the reader to trust.
What you do with the evidence:
4. Analysis: the work of interpretation, of saying what the evidence means. Analysis is what you do with data when you go beyond observing or summarizing it: taking it apart, grappling with its details, drawing out the significance or implication not apparent to a superficial view. Analysis is what makes the writer feel present, as a thinking individual, in the essay.
Evidence and analysis add up to. . .
5. Argument: the series of ideas that the essay lays out which, taken together, support the essay’s thesis. A successful argument will do more than reiterate the thesis, but rather make clear how each idea develops from the one before it (see “Structure,” #7 below). The argument should show you not only analyzing the evidence, but also reflecting on the ideas in other important ways: defining your terms (see #8 below) or assumptions; considering counter-argument — possible alternative arguments, or objections or problems, that a skeptical or resistant reader might raise; offering a qualification or limitation to the case you’ve made; incorporating any complications that arise, a way in which the case isn’t quite so simple as you’ve made it seem; drawing out an implication , often in the conclusion.
Where the evidence comes from:
6. Sources: texts (or persons), referred to, summarized, or quoted, that help a writer demonstrate the truth of his or her argument. In some arguments, there will be one central primary source. In others, sources can offer (a) factual information or data, (b) opinions or interpretation on your topic, (c) comparable versions of the things you are discussing, or (d) applicable general concepts.
How to organize the argument:
7. Structure: the sequence of an argument’s main sections or sub-topics, and the turning points between them. The sections should follow a logical order which is apparent to the reader. But it should also be a progressive order — they should have a direction of development or complication, not be simply a list of examples or series of restatements of the thesis ("Macbeth is ambitious: he's ambitious here; and he's ambitious here; and he's ambitious here, too; thus, Macbeth is ambitious"). In some arguments, especially longer ones, structure may be briefly announced or hinted at after the thesis, in a road-map or plan sentence.
The argument is articulated in part through:
8. Key terms: the recurring terms or basic oppositions that an argument rests upon. An essay's key terms should be clear in their meaning and appear throughout; they should be appropriate for the subject (not unfair or too simple — a false or constraining opposition); and they should not be clichés or abstractions (e.g., "the evils of society"). These terms can imply certain assumptions — unstated beliefs about life, history, literature, reasoning, etc. The assumptions should bear logical inspection, and if arguable they should be explicitly acknowledged.
You keep the reader clear along the way through:
9. Transitions and signposts: words that tie together the parts of an argument, by indicating how a new section, paragraph, or sentence follows from the one immediately previous (transitional words and phrases); and by offering “signposts” that recollect an earlier idea or section or the thesis itself, referring back to it either by explicit statement or by echoing earlier key words or resonant phrases.
10. Orienting: brief bits of information, explanation, and summary that orient readers who aren’t expert in the subject, enabling them to follow the argument, such as: necessary introductory information about the text, author, or event; a brief summary of a text or passage about to be analyzed; pieces of information given along the way about passages, people, or events mentioned.
Addressing your readers involves:
11. Stance: the implied relationship of you, the writer, to your readers and subject. Stance is defined by such features as style and tone (e.g., familiar or formal); the presence or absence of specialized language and knowledge; the amount of time spent orienting a general, non-expert reader; the use of scholarly conventions of format and style. Your stance should be established within the first few paragraphs of your essay, and should stay consistent.
12. Style: choices made at the word and sentence level that determine how an idea is stated. Besides adhering to the grammatical conventions of standard English, an essay's style needs to be clear and readable (not confusing, verbose, cryptic, etc.), expressive of the writer's intelligence and energetic interest in the subject (not bureaucratic or clichéd), and appropriate for its subject and audience.
And last (or first):
13. Title: should both interest and inform, by giving the subject and focus of the essay as well as by helping readers see why this essay might be interesting to read.
A PDF version of the text above. Suggests a consistent vocabulary for discussing the major components of an academic paper. This is the vocabulary used in the College's Expos 20 courses.
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Home > Reports and Papers > Reports and Papers (List by Year) > Reports and Papers (2024)
PRI “Discussion Paper” showcase fiscal and economic issues being developed by PRI Staff and/or Economists/Researchers. The purpose of this paper is to provide academic novelty on the issue.
The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Ministry of Finance or the Policy Research Institute. The author is entirely responsible for any errors in this paper.
Title/Keywords | Authors | Creation Date |
---|---|---|
Keywords:COVID-19, impulse response analysis, mobility control policy, sentiment analysis, BERT JEL Classification: C23, C55, C61, H12, I18 | Visiting Scholar, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance Yasuhiro Hara | July 2024 /24A-01 |
PRI “Research Paper” showcase fiscal and economic issues being developed by PRI Staff and/or Economists/Researchers. The purpose of this paper is to give useful findings for the experts/practitioners in the areas such as Administration, Business and Academia.
PRI “Staff Report” showcase fiscal and economic issues being developed by PRI Staff and/or Economists/Researchers. The purpose of this paper is to give survey results and simple explanations on those.
Title/Keywords | Authors | Creation Date |
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Perinatal mental health conditions are those that occur during pregnancy and the year following childbirth, whether onset of the condition(s) predates pregnancy or occurs in the perinatal period. Perinatal mental health conditions are the leading cause of overall and preventable maternal mortality and include a wide array of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. 1 , 2 Perinatal depression specifically affects 1 in 7 perinatal individuals. 3 While commonly referred to as postpartum depression, it is more accurately called perinatal depression because its onset corresponds with prepregnancy (27%), pregnancy (33%), and postpartum (40%) time frames. 3
Moore Simas TA , Whelan A , Byatt N. Postpartum Depression—New Screening Recommendations and Treatments. JAMA. 2023;330(23):2295–2296. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.21311
© 2024
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The F.B.I. named the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pa., roughly 40 miles from Butler, the small city in western Pennsylvania where the attack occurred. Crooks was a registered Republican, though records show that he had donated money to a liberal voter turnout group in 2021. Here is the latest on Crooks.
The attack killed one spectator at the scene and left two others critically injured, officials said. Trump had blood on his face as he was escorted from the stage but was safe this morning.
The assassination attempt added a shocking and violent turn to a presidential campaign that had already been more tumultuous than any in decades. In today’s newsletter, we’ll help you understand what we know this morning.
Our colleague Simon Levien was at the rally during the shooting. “Trump had just started to talk about immigration in his stump speech when several shots rang out from the bleachers to his right,” he wrote . “Everyone immediately ducked — myself included.”
There were two bursts of fire — first three shots, and then five.
Trump put his hand to his ear and then ducked, before Secret Service agents rushed the stage to shield him. As they began to move him offstage, Trump told them to wait and defiantly pumped his fist, with blood on his face, while the crowd chanted, “U.S.A.” ( Watch the video here .)
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A discussion essay, also called a controversial essay, is where you express your opinion about a topic. When writing one, Cover both sides of the topic , present the key points that back your viewpoint and the opposing one. Ensure a multi-faceted understanding of the issues before presenting your own personal views and conclusions.
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.
Apply precise strategies for excellent discussion essay writing. Craft clear arguments, follow structure, and elevate your IELTS success.
Learn how to use 40 effective words and phrases to improve your essays and impress your readers. Oxford Royale offers you expert guidance and tips.
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.
Learn how to write IELTS Discussion Essays. Step-by-step instructions to plan & write a high-level discussion essay. Model answer & 3 common mistakes to avoid.
The term "discussion" literally means to converse or debate about a particular topic. So, when you are asked to write a discussion essay the requirement is to examine both sides of a problem, theoretical stance or phenomenon and indicate which side you favour.
A discussion essay, also known as an argumentative essay, is one where you take a position on an issue. Start by taking a side, researching your topic, and outlining your essay before launching into the introduction and your thesis...
IELTS Discuss Both Views Essay Structure + Sample: Here, We will use a 4-paragraph foolproof band 7+ structure to give a coherent answer.
Do you want to learn how to create a discuss both views and give your own opinion essay worthy of a high band score in writing task 2? Learn the structure needed, useful vocabulary and take a look at the sample answer.
A discussion essay presents and discusses issues surrounding a particular topic--usually one that is debatable and open to argument. A good argumentative essay must include a thorough discussion of both sides of the issue, including main points to support your argument and its counterargument.
A discuss essay conclusion should contain two elements. Firstly, a summary of the core ideas, returning to the evidence presented and the points made, along with an indication of which you believe delivered the strongest arguments for or against the statement in the title. Secondly, a discuss essay should give your opinion, which should be ...
Writing an essay often involves more than just relaying information or expressing an opinion. For many academic and professional purposes, you are required to critically discuss topics, demonstrate an understanding of various perspectives and showcase your analytical skills.
Discussion essays are a common type of IELTS writing task 2 essay question where you are given two sides of an argument to discuss and give your opinion. This guide is full of writing tips, useful language and a sample essay to help you produce a high-level IELTS writing task 2 discussion essay. Read on to learn more!
In this blog, we discuss phrases related to results and discussion sections such as findings, limitations, arguments, and comparison to previous studies. The results and discussion sections are one of the challenging sections to write. It is important to plan this section carefully as it may contain a large amount of scientific data that needs to be presented in a clear and concise fashion.
How to Plan an IELTS Discussion Essay? There are a few key things to keep in mind when writing a discussion essay: Identify the two opposing views. First, read the statement carefully and find the two opposing views. Then, think about how to support each one. Gather evidence to support both sides.
To do this, use any of the below words or phrases to help keep you on track. 1. Firstly, secondly, thirdly. Even though it sounds obvious, your argument will be clearer if you deliver the ideas in the right order. These words can help you to offer clarity and structure to the way you expose your ideas.
Tips for IELTS discussion essay A common exam question type asks the candidate analyse, critique or discuss a topic, or to compare or contrast two topics. Such questions typically require partition in the response, and thus don't readily fit into the argument essay format. It is in these situations that a discussion essay structure is needed. The first thing to understand is in what ...
Learn expressions to use in your discussion essay for IELTS writing task 2 with this video lesson. It is important to use a variety of language to express both sides in your essay. Being able to have flexible language for giving other people's opinions is a good way to increase your vocabulary band score.
The discussion section of your research paper is where you let the reader know how your study is positioned in the literature, what to take away from your paper, and how your work helps them. It can also include your conclusions and suggestions for future studies.
A Discussion text gives both sides of an argument and may (or may not) include your opinion at the end. If you are learning English to study a subject at an English-speaking college or university or are preparing for examinations such as Cambridge FCE and CAE, you will need to know how to write a Discussion.
Sharing is caring! How to Write a Great Essay in English! This lesson provides 100+ useful words, transition words and expressions used in writing an essay. Let's take a look! The secret to a successful essay doesn't just lie in the clever things you talk about and the way you structure your points.
Vocabulary for Discussing Student Writing. The following "Elements of the Academic Essay" provide a possible vocabulary for commenting on student writing. Instructors in the Harvard College Writing Program tend to use some version of this vocabulary when talking about and commenting on student writing, so it's likely that your students ...
PRI Discussion Papers. PRI "Discussion Paper" showcase fiscal and economic issues being developed by PRI Staff and/or Economists/Researchers. The purpose of this paper is to provide academic novelty on the issue.
The Biden campaign has attacked Donald J. Trump's ties to the conservative policy plan that would amass power in the executive branch, though it is not his official platform.
This Insights in the Women's Health series describes perinatal depression (occurring prepregnancy through postpartum periods) and new recommendations and treatment guidelines for this condition.
From a star-studded engagement party to a Justin Bieber performance, India's wedding of the year has seen a succession of lavish bashes — and there are more to come.
What we know about the shooting in Pennsylvania. By the staff of The Morning Authorities have identified the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump yesterday but are still racing to ...