IELTS Task 2: discuss both views and give your opinion
Three requirements hiding in one sentence, and the third is the one candidates leave out.
How to recognise it
- “Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.”
- “Discuss both views.”
- “Others think… Discuss.”
What it is actually asking
Two positions are stated. You must present both fairly, and — where the prompt asks for it — state your own. Presenting both and stopping is the single most common way this type is under-answered, and it is capped under Task Response no matter how good the writing is.
The structure
1.Introduction
Rephrase the debate in your own words and state your position in one clause. Putting the opinion here rather than saving it for the conclusion means a marker skimming for it finds it immediately.
2.Body 1 — the view you do not hold
State it, give its strongest reason, and give an example. Taking it seriously is what makes your own position credible; a straw man weakens your essay rather than the argument.
3.Body 2 — the view you do hold
State it, give its strongest reason, an example, and why it outweighs the first. That last clause is the actual discussion and is usually missing.
4.Conclusion
Restate the position, in different words from the introduction. No new arguments.
How this type is under-answered
Discussing both views and never saying which you hold.
If the prompt says 'and give your own opinion', that is a third requirement, not a suggestion. Put it in the introduction and repeat it in the conclusion so it cannot be missed.
Common questions
Do you have to give your opinion in a discuss both views essay?
If the prompt says 'and give your own opinion', yes — it is a separate requirement and omitting it caps your Task Response band regardless of how well both views are presented. If the prompt says only 'discuss both views', an opinion is optional but a clear one rarely hurts.
Should your opinion go in the introduction or the conclusion?
Both, and the introduction matters more. A position stated in the first paragraph and confirmed in the last is unmissable; one that appears only at the end can read as though you decided while writing.
Can you agree with both views?
You can hold a genuinely balanced position, but it must be stated as a position rather than as an absence of one. 'Both have merit' with nothing after it reads as not answering; 'both have merit, but in different circumstances — X where…, Y where…' is a real thesis and can score well.
The other four types
Write one and get a band
Our IELTS mock marks Task 2 against all four criteria and shows which sentences moved each one. Full mocks, with Writing marked, come with a pass; the free quick mock covers Listening and Reading.
This guide is written from the IELTS format published by British Council, IDP and Cambridge, in our own words. For the official wording, see the official IELTS sample questions. MockLive AI is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with the British Council, IDP or Cambridge University Press & Assessment.