Task 2 · Band 8 path
Discussion — Both Views + Your Opinion
Two views reported fairly, one opinion stated unmistakably.
Recognise the question
How to spot this question type, what the examiner is actually marking, and the traps that cap it at Band 6.
Two views reported fairly, one opinion stated unmistakably.
The second most common Task 2 question, and the most commonly half-answered.
Also called: Discuss both views essay · Both sides essay · Discussion + opinion
Spotting it
How this question is worded
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Three obligations: view A, view B, and your opinion. Missing any one of them caps Task Response at 5–6, however good the English is.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Identical task. "These views" refers to the two positions already named in the prompt — do not invent different ones.
Some people say X. Others say Y. Discuss both and state which you prefer.
Same structure with an explicit preference request. Your preference must be stated, not implied.
Compare the arguments for and against …
A discussion task in different clothing. Report both cases fairly first, then decide.
The rule that decides Task Response
You must report BOTH views fairly and then give your OWN opinion — and your opinion must be identifiable as yours, not as a summary of one of the two views.
The standard
What a Band 8 answer to this type does
- Both views presented accurately and with roughly equal development — one is not a token paragraph.
- Each view supported by reasons a believer in it would actually give, written without sarcasm or straw men.
- A personal opinion that is clearly signalled as personal and stated in more than one place.
- A conclusion that names which view you side with, or the balance you have struck.
- Neutral reporting language for the views and committed language for your opinion — the contrast should be audible.
Where the band is lost
The 5 traps in this question type
Each of these is a specific, repeatable way to lose marks on this type — not general writing advice.
Forgetting the opinionTask Response capped at 5
Presenting both sides beautifully and never saying what you think means one third of the task is unanswered. This is the single most common way a fluent candidate scores 6 in Writing.
The fix
State your opinion in the introduction AND the conclusion. If you only have room for one, the conclusion is compulsory.
Straw-manning the view you disagree withTask Response 6
Writing a deliberately weak version of view A so view B wins is not "discussing both views". The examiner is looking for a fair account of each.
The fix
Write each view as its strongest supporter would. Your opinion earns more credit when the view you reject was presented at full strength.
Opinion smuggled into body 1Coherence 6
If your view leaks into the paragraph reporting the other side, the reader cannot tell whose argument they are reading.
The fix
Keep the body paragraphs in reporting voice ("Advocates of this approach argue…") and reserve committed language ("In my view…") for the introduction and conclusion.
Unbalanced paragraphsTask Response 6 · Coherence 6
A 130-word paragraph for the view you like and a 45-word paragraph for the one you do not is not a discussion; it is an opinion essay with a disclaimer.
The fix
Give each view the same number of moves: topic sentence, explanation, example. Write the side you disagree with FIRST, while you still have energy for it.
A conclusion that says "both are important"Task Response 6
"Both views have merit and it depends on the situation" is a refusal to answer. It is the discussion-essay version of sitting on the fence.
The fix
Commit. You may still be nuanced — "the second view is more persuasive in developed economies, though the first holds in…" — but a side must be taken.
Quick reference
The Both Views essay at a glance
You must report BOTH views fairly and then give your OWN opinion — and your opinion must be identifiable as yours, not as a summary of one of the two views.
The second most common Task 2 question, and the most commonly half-answered.
How to recognise this question
- “Discuss both views and give your own opinion.”
- Three obligations: view A, view B, and your opinion. Missing any one of them caps Task Response at 5–6, however good the English is.
- “Discuss both these views and give your opinion.”
- Identical task. "These views" refers to the two positions already named in the prompt — do not invent different ones.
- “Some people say X. Others say Y. Discuss both and state which you prefer.”
- Same structure with an explicit preference request. Your preference must be stated, not implied.
- “Compare the arguments for and against …”
- A discussion task in different clothing. Report both cases fairly first, then decide.
The four-paragraph structure
Paraphrase the debate, then declare which side you will end up on.
Report view A fairly and fully, in someone else's voice.
Report view B just as fully, then let your opinion emerge.
Acknowledge both views in one clause, then commit to yours.
The traps that cap this type at Band 6
Forgetting the opinionTask Response capped at 5
Presenting both sides beautifully and never saying what you think means one third of the task is unanswered. This is the single most common way a fluent candidate scores 6 in Writing.
Fix: State your opinion in the introduction AND the conclusion. If you only have room for one, the conclusion is compulsory.
Straw-manning the view you disagree withTask Response 6
Writing a deliberately weak version of view A so view B wins is not "discussing both views". The examiner is looking for a fair account of each.
Fix: Write each view as its strongest supporter would. Your opinion earns more credit when the view you reject was presented at full strength.
Opinion smuggled into body 1Coherence 6
If your view leaks into the paragraph reporting the other side, the reader cannot tell whose argument they are reading.
Fix: Keep the body paragraphs in reporting voice ("Advocates of this approach argue…") and reserve committed language ("In my view…") for the introduction and conclusion.
Unbalanced paragraphsTask Response 6 · Coherence 6
A 130-word paragraph for the view you like and a 45-word paragraph for the one you do not is not a discussion; it is an opinion essay with a disclaimer.
Fix: Give each view the same number of moves: topic sentence, explanation, example. Write the side you disagree with FIRST, while you still have energy for it.
A conclusion that says "both are important"Task Response 6
"Both views have merit and it depends on the situation" is a refusal to answer. It is the discussion-essay version of sitting on the fence.
Fix: Commit. You may still be nuanced — "the second view is more persuasive in developed economies, though the first holds in…" — but a side must be taken.
Both Views questions — frequently asked
Where should I put my opinion in a discussion essay?
In the introduction and the conclusion, at minimum. Stating it early is not "giving away the ending" — it improves Coherence because the reader can see where the essay is heading. The conclusion is compulsory; the introduction is what lifts a 7 to an 8.
Can I agree with both views?
You can agree that both contain something true, but you must still say which is stronger, or under what conditions each applies. "Both are important" with no decision is treated as an unanswered task.
Should the view I disagree with come first or second?
First. It keeps the two paragraphs balanced, and it lets your essay build towards your own position instead of arguing backwards from it.
Do I need a separate paragraph for my opinion?
No, and with 40 minutes you rarely have room. Put your opinion in the introduction, let it emerge at the end of body 2, and commit to it in the conclusion. A five-paragraph version works, but only if all five are developed.
Next
Once this type is at Band 8, move to another — Agree / Disagree, Advantages, Problem / Solution — or check a full essay you have written in the Essay Checker
Go deeper on Task 2
- Band 9 vs Band 6.5 sample answersThe same question answered twice, compared criterion by criterion
- How IELTS Writing is markedWhat each of the four criteria actually rewards
- More Task 2 questionsA large bank of practice prompts by topic
- Timed writing mock testTask 1 and Task 2 in 60 minutes, marked like the exam