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Discussion Essay Questions in IELTS Writing Task 2

Learn how to answer Discussion essay questions in IELTS writing Task 2 with an overview, recommended approach and practice question.

by Tim Martyn

school children using their smartphones in class

Table of contents

Overview
Example question
Recommended approach
Assessment criteria
Practice question

Overview

Discussion essay questions are a common question type in IELTS writing Task 2. You’ll be presented with two opposing views on a topic and be asked to discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Here are some key points about Discussion essay questions:

You should spend no more than 40 minutes on the task.
You should write at least 250 words.
Task 2 is worth two thirds of your total writing mark; Task 1 is worth one third.
You must write in full sentences, not bullet points or note form.

Example question

Here’s an example Discussion essay question.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that mobile phones are distracting and should be banned in school classrooms. Others, however, think that they are valuable learning tools that should be allowed.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Recommended approach

Here’s my recommended approach for answering Discussion essay questions. We’ll use the example question to go through the steps you need to take.

IMPORTANT:

The overall approach is the same for all Task 2 question types (i.e. discussion, opinion, advantages–disadvantages and two-part essay questions).

This is important because, on test day, you could get a question that doesn’t fall neatly into any of these categories. However, if you learn and practise applying the overall approach, you should be able to respond flexibly to any question you’re presented with.

Also, while I generally recommend writing 4-paragraph essays, there are other structures you can use to write an effective essay.

Step 1 > Analyse the question

The first step is to analyse the question. This is crucial – if you don’t take the time to analyse the question properly, you may misunderstand what it’s asking you or fail to respond to key parts of the question.

Here’s our question prompt again.

You can see that we’ve been given two opposing views:

mobile phones are distracting and should be banned in school classrooms;
they are valuable learning tools that should be allowed.

Notice that each view is quite specific. The first view isn’t simply that mobile phones are bad and should be banned – it’s saying that they’re distracting and should be banned. Likewise, the second view isn’t simply that mobile phones are good and should be allowed in classrooms – it’s that they’re valuable learning tools and should be allowed. You need to make sure you pay attention to these details in the question. Otherwise, it’s likely that you won’t fully answer the question.

The second part of the question prompt tells us exactly what we have to do. Here, it’s asking us to:

discuss both views;
give our own opinion.

If you don’t cover all of these elements – e.g. you forget to give your own opinion, or you only discuss one side of the issue – you’ll have failed to fully respond to the question and you won’t be able to score higher than Band 5 for Task Response.

Step 2 > Think of ideas

Once you fully understand the question and what you’re required to do, the next step is to spend a few minutes thinking of ideas for your essay.

Don’t try to brainstorm as many ideas as you can – all you need is a few good ideas. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, try asking yourself these questions:

What are the most obvious ideas?
If you asked 100 people for their ideas, what do you think most of them would say?

For Discussion essay questions, you’re given two opposing views in the question, so all you really need to think of is some reasons why people may hold those views and decide which view you agree with.

Step 3 > Make a plan

Once you’ve thought of some ideas, it’s time to make a plan. I’d recommend that you spend about 5 minutes on your plan. It doesn’t need to be very detailed, but it’s important to think about what examples you’ll use and how you’ll explain your points. If you think of these things in advance, you’ll be able to connect your ideas more effectively when you’re writing your essay.

Don’t try to write in full sentences – you can use symbols and abbreviations. The important thing is just to get your ideas down on paper.

The plan for this essay might look something like this.

Intro.	diff. opinions, but I think they’re useful learning tools
Body 1	some ppl. think phones distracting + need to be banned – many apps on phones (e.g. games + social media), hard for students to resist – e.g. during group project, some members tempted to take out phone = negative impact on learning outcomes
Body 2	agree that risk of distraction, but educational benefits, so should be allowed – many apps can make lessons more engaging (e.g. Kahoot) = more effective learning – encourage students to become indep. learners, they don’t have to rely on teacher, can do their own research
Concl.	yes, there need to be guidelines, but phones should be allowed because good for learning

Step 4 > Write the introduction

Now that you’ve thought of ideas for your essay and made a plan, it’s time to write the introduction.

IELTS doesn’t specify what you need to include in your introduction, but for Discussion essay questions, I recommend that you include:

a broad statement about the topic;
a paraphrase of the opposing views presented in the question that includes your own opinion.

Let’s look at each of these parts one by one.

1. A broad statement about the topic

An easy and effective way to start your introduction is to write a broad statement about the topic. What’s the topic? In our example, the topic is mobile phones in schools and the idea that their use is contentious, but not that they’re distracting or valuable learning tools – we’ll introduce that idea in the second part of the introduction. For Discussion essay questions, the easiest way to write a broad statement is to introduce the idea that there’s debate / a difference of opinion.

In our example, we could write something like this: There are differing opinions as to whether schools should allow mobile phones to be used in class.

2. A paraphrase of the opposing views presented in the question that includes your own opinion

In the second part of the introduction, you should paraphrase the two views expressed in the question and make sure your own opinion is clear. Keep in mind that you mustn’t copy the exact wording used in the question. Instead, you need to use synonyms and other forms of paraphrasing.

You won’t be able find synonyms for everything. In fact, some words shouldn’t be replaced because doing so would change the meaning.

Here are the key words from the question prompt with some possible synonyms.

Question prompt	Possible synonyms
some people	some
believe	argue
distracting	distraction
banned	prohibited
valuable	useful
allowed	permitted/embraced

Notice that I haven’t attempted to find a synonym for mobile phones. You might be tempted to use the US term (i.e. cell phones), but that’s not necessary. You’ll also notice that, instead of trying to find synonyms for distracting and learning tools, I’ve made other changes to show the examiner that I can express the opposing views in my own words.

The easiest way to include your own opinion is to use a phrase such as I tend to agree with those who. This makes your position clear to the reader.

Our paraphrase could be something like this: While some argue that mobile phones should be prohibited because they are a distraction, I tend to agree with those who see them as useful learning tools that should be embraced.

If we put the two parts of the introduction together, this is what we have.

There are differing opinions as to whether schools should allow mobile phones to be used in class. While some argue that mobile phones should be prohibited because they are a distraction, I tend to agree with those who see them as useful learning tools that should be embraced.

Step 5 > Write the body paragraphs

The next step is to write the body paragraphs. Your first body paragraph should be about the view you don’t agree with. To make it clear that it’s the view of others, you can use phrases such as Some people, They say that and According to those who.

Your second paragraph should be about the view you do agree with. A word such as While or However can help you introduce the contrasting view. Make sure it’s clear that you share this view. Don’t be afraid to use phrases such as I believe that and I am of the view that.

Here are some possible body paragraphs for our example.

There are differing opinions as to whether schools should allow mobile phones to be used in class. While some argue that mobile phones should be prohibited because they are a distraction, I tend to agree with those who see them as useful learning tools that should be embraced.

Some people hold the view that mobile phones have no place in school classrooms because they distract students from the lesson. They point to the many apps available on students’ phones, including games and social media apps. They argue that the temptation to use such apps during class time is difficult for the majority of students to resist. For example, if students are working on a group project, the less engaged members of the group may take out their phones to quickly check social media, watch a video on YouTube or do something else on their phones that is not related to what they are supposed to be doing. According to those who are opposed to the use of mobile phones in class, such distraction has a negative impact on learning outcomes.

While I accept that there is a risk of distraction, like others, I believe that mobile phones should be permitted in class because of the many educational benefits they offer. Firstly, there is a wide variety of apps that teachers can use to make their lessons more engaging. One example of such an app is Kahoot, which allows teachers to create highly engaging, interactive quizzes that students can complete in teams. Such apps are beneficial because learning is more effective when students are engaged. Secondly, access to mobile phones in class can encourage students to become independent learners. Without their phones, students have to rely on information provided by the teacher, but if they are given access to their phones, they can do their own research and find answers for themselves.

Step 6 > Write the conclusion

The next step is to write the conclusion. All you need to do here is summarise the two opposing views and, again, make it clear what your own opinion is. Don’t just copy the words you used in other parts of the essay – use synonyms and paraphrasing as much as you can. Start your conclusion with In conclusion or To conclude.

Here’s a possible conclusion for our example.

Some people hold the view that mobile phones have no place in school classrooms because they distract students from the lesson. They point to the many apps available on students’ phones, including games and social media apps. They argue that the temptation to use such apps during class time is difficult for the majority of students to resist. For example, if students are working on a group project, the less engaged members of the group may take out their phones to quickly check social media, watch a video on YouTube or do something else on their phones that is not related to what they are supposed to be doing. According to those who are opposed to the use of mobile phones in class, such distraction has a negative impact on learning outcomes.

While I accept that there is a risk of distraction, like others, I believe that mobile phones should be permitted in class because of the many educational benefits they offer. Firstly, there is a wide variety of apps that teachers can use to make their lessons more engaging. One example of such an app is Kahoot, which allows teachers to create highly engaging, interactive quizzes that students can complete in teams. Such apps are beneficial because learning is more effective when students are engaged. Secondly, access to mobile phones in class can encourage students to become independent learners. Without their phones, students have to rely on information provided by the teacher, but if they are given access to their phones, they can do their own research and find answers for themselves.

In conclusion, while students do need guidelines on how to use their mobile phones responsibly in class, I am of the view that they should be permitted because of the positive impact they can have on students’ learning.

Step 7 > Check your work

The final step is to check your work. At this stage, you won’t have time to make any major changes, but it’s still an important step.

Things to check for:

whether you’ve used an adequate range of grammar and vocabulary;
spelling;
your word count.

Assessment criteria

Here are the assessment criteria used for Task 2.

Criterion	What does this mean?
Task response	Do you address the question prompt appropriately? Do you have a well-developed position? Are your ideas relevant, well extended and supported?
Coherence and cohesion	Are your ideas logically organised and easy to follow? How well do you use cohesive devices to connect your ideas?
Lexical resource	Do you use a range of vocabulary? Do you make many vocabulary errors? Do your errors make it hard to follow your ideas?
Grammatical range and accuracy	Do you use a wide range of grammatical structures? Do you make many grammar errors? Do your errors make it hard to follow your ideas?

You can find out more about the assessment criteria here.

Practice question

Now it’s your turn to practise. Try the Discussion essay question below using the approach outlined above.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that homework is an important part of children’s education. Others say that children should not be given homework.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

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Feedback

Click below for a sample answer.

Despite homework being a common component of children’s education, not everyone agrees on its value. While some people believe that children should not be required to do homework, I generally side with those who see it as a crucial aspect of learning.

Some people argue that homework is unnecessary and should not be given to children. Children already spend a significant portion of their day in school, they say, and adding more academic work after school hours can prevent them from engaging in extracurricular activities, pursuing hobbies and enjoying essential downtime. They also argue that the effectiveness of many common homework tasks is questionable as they can often involve rote memorisation and completion for the sake of completion. Finally, a common argument against homework is the fact that it can put an unnecessary burden on parents because they have to ensure that their children are actually completing it.

However, I agree with those who see homework as an important part of children’s education. First of all, homework plays a vital role in reinforcing classroom learning. It provides students with an opportunity to practise and apply what they have learnt in the classroom, solidifying their understanding of concepts. For example, if students have learnt about a scientific concept in class, their homework could be to conduct a simple scientific experiment based on that concept at home. Homework also allows parents to be more engaged in their child’s education as they can review assignments and support their child’s learning journey. Finally, homework teaches children discipline, which can prepare them for the demands of higher education and the workforce.

In conclusion, as long as the homework given to children is meaningful and reinforces what they have learnt in class, I believe it should form part of children’s education.