IELTS Discussion Essay Model Answer with Techniques & Tips

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This IELTS Discussion Essay Model Essay Answer Band 9 with some techniques and tips.  The Discussion Essay is a common essay type and requires you to discuss two sides of a given issue. This essay type is for both Academic and GT IELTS Writing Task 2.

TECHNIQUES & TIPS FOR IELTS DISCUSSION ESSAY

Discussion Essays are probably the easiest to write of all IELTS essays so be glad if you get one in your test.

  1. Two Types of Discussion Essay
    1. There will be two sides of the same thing, such as homework is good for children / homework is bad for children.
    2. There will be two different options, such as the government should focus on building housing or on parks. These are two different things and you must address both.
  2. Instructions:
    • Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
    • Note: the discussion is not more important than the opinion. All parts of the instructions are important to fulfil.
  3. Identify both sides of the discussion in the essay question and prepare ideas (reasons why each side is valid)
    • each side is about why other people support that side
  4. Choose your main ideas
    • you don’t get a higher band score because you have more ideas.
    • you get a higher band score because your ideas are relevant and well-developed.
    • so, decide which ideas to use. You will usually have about two reasons to explain for each side of the discussion.
  5. Decide your opinion.
    • Do you agree with one of the sides?
    • Do you have your own balanced view which is a specific view that doesn’t fully agree and doesn’t fully disagree?
    • You can’t change your opinion half way through your essay so make sure you have decided it before you start writing.
  6. Always write your introduction paragraph with two statements:
    • Background statement = a paraphrase of the essay question. The biggest mistake is incorrect paraphrasing that changes the meaning of the essay question given.
    • Thesis statement = presents your position clearly.
  7. Body Paragraphs
    1. Always have a topic sentence. This shows the examiner which side of the discussion you are about to tackle.
    2. Making the content and aim of your body paragraphs clear is essential to a high score.
    3. Topic sentences should help the essay flow clearly and help the examiner locate information easily.
    4. Not all body paragraphs require examples. If you can’t think of an example don’t worry. Just explain the main point as well as you can.
    5. Supporting points are basically points that explain the main idea. Imagine someone asking you again and again “What do you mean?” – “Explain yourself”. Good supporting points make the main idea clear.
    6. Don’t overcomplicate your ideas. Ideas should be clear and relevant, but language should have more complexity for a high score.
    7. Your opinion should also be restate in the body paragraphs. 
  8. Conclusion
    1. Summarise all the main ideas you’ve given.
    2. This should be the shortest paragraph, usually one or two sentences.
    3. Never introduce a new main point in the conclusion.
    4. Always start the conclusion with the right linking word. Click here: Video: Linking Words for Conclusions. It’s an old video but still relevant today.
  9. Use language of discussions, see this video: Discussion Essay Language

IELTS DISCUSSION ESSAY MODEL ANSWER

Discussion Essay Question

Completing university education is thought by some to be the best way to get a good job. On the other hand, other people think that getting experience and developing soft skills is more important.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Discussion Essay Model Answer

Please note that this essay is over 300 words. Longer doesn’t mean better. It is rare for an essay to go over 300 words or 310 words at most. Most IELTS essays are between 270 and 290 words, even for a band 9. However, 300 words, more or less, is possible as long as each sentence is highly focused and relevant. This Discussion Essay is an example of one such essay. 

It is considered by some that being a university graduate is the key to securing a good job, while there are others who think that it is better to have experience and soft skills. In my opinion, I believe that having university education is essential for academic jobs, while soft skills and experience are more useful in business.

On the one hand, many people think finding a good job is easier if they have a graduate degree because having tertiary education puts people one step ahead of others. For many employers, this can be the deciding factor between job applicants. Furthermore, a certain level of university education is required for particular jobs, such as being a doctor or teacher. For this reason, I believe that in the case of jobs that require academic knowledge, having a tertiary education is the key to success.

On the other hand, having work experience and soft skills, such as leadership skills and other interpersonal skills, can also throw the balance in favour of the job applicant. For someone who is applying for management positions having experience of how to manage a team as well as strong interpersonal skills to support and direct staff, experience and soft skills are critical. Business is also an area of work where experience puts a person ahead of the competition in a way that university education could not. For this reason I also believe that such skills do have a relevant place in the workplace.

In conclusion, getting a good job requires a relevant background either in experience or education depending on the type of work and field. Some positions require an academic background, whilst others benefit more from experience and skills.

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Advanced Lessons & E-books for IELTS Writing Task 2

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Employment Competition Essay Ideas

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This IELTS essay question was reported in April 2015 and again in January 2023. So, for all essay questions on my site, regardless of the date of publication, please remember that essay questions and topics repeat in writing task 2. This topic is about the employment of older people and the problems this creates. Also note that this page is about ideas that you can use in your essay for this topic. It isn’t a model essay. You can’t write bullet points in your essays.

IELTS Essay Question

Nowadays, more and more younger people need to compete with older people for the same jobs.

What problems does this cause? What would you suggest as a solution?

This essay question focuses on younger people. The instructions ask for problems and solution. Always note whether you are asked to give the causes or the problems.

IELTS Essay Ideas

Problems caused by young and old people competing for work

  • young people will have to compete with older people who have more experience which might mean some young people fail to find work
  • with greater competition for jobs comes more unemployment
  • high unemployment in young people can cause unrest in society leading to problems such as crime
  • if old people are not able to compete with young people, they may not be able to get a job
    • without adequate financial means to support themselves, old people may be thrown into poverty
    • with a growing world population of elderly people, this can be a huge financial crisis

Solutions for young people competing for work

  • one effective solution could be to provide sufficient social benefits for older people to allow them to retire without loosing their standard of living
  • by fixing a clear retirement age over which no one can be employed, it will ensure that the young do not need to compete against older people for work
  • have a fixed quota of jobs set aside for people under a certain age and over a certain age to avoid so much competition
  • another possible answer is to offer a job share between elderly and young people so that both groups can gain some form of employment
  • alternatively, older people could be employed purely to pass on their knowledge and experience to the young rather than taking their positions at work

Alternative Essay Question

Nowadays, more and more older people compete with younger people for the same jobs.

What are the reasons for this? What would you suggest as a solution?

This essay question focuses on older people. You must provide the causes (reasons) why older people compete and also solutions for this situation.

Essay Ideas

Reasons why old people compete with young people for work

  • older people continue being fit for work for longer so wish to continue working
  • some older people do not have enough money put aside for their pensions so must work
  • some elderly people do not want such a long tedious retirement and wish to continue working
  • as older people work for longer, there are less jobs available for the younger generation
  • increased life expectancy raise the proportions of working elderly people

Solutions :

The solutions are the same as given above.

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Essay Ideas about Salaries

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The essay question below is currently being used in IELTS writing task 2 and was reported last weekend.

In many countries in the world, some people earn extremely high salaries. Some people think that this good for a country. Others think that the government should not allow salaries above a certain level. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Why some people earning high salaries is good for a country:

  • people who are highly skilled and talented should be rewarded with high salaries.
  • high salaries are an incentive for others to work harder.
  • high salaries are important to entice people to do dangerous or unpleasant work.
  • having high salaries is a sign of a country’s wealth.
  • high salaries is a way for a country to express their gratitude for a person’s experience or expertise.
  • high salaries deter skilled or talented people leaving a country.

Why the government should not allow salaries above a certain level:

  • the government should ensure that wealth is evenly distributed throughout a country.
  • limiting high salaries would bring more equality.
  • it can be disheartening for some to receive a low salary while others receive a high salary without much justification.
  • capping high salaries will prevent the rich from gaining unfair control over certain aspects of society.
  • limiting high salaries will mean more funding for public services which will benefit all people in society.

See all writing task 2 lessons, tips and model essays: IELTS Writing Task 2

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Brain Drain Listening Practice

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This listening lesson has two different types of questions: list selection and sentence completion. This will also test your ability to know when to move from one question to the next. Make sure you use this lesson to also learn useful vocabulary because the brain drain is a common topic in writing task 2.

IELTS Listening Multiple Choice: Long List Selection Practice

As you can see, this multiple choice practice listening does not have the usual three answer options. Instead you are given a long list and must choose a number of options from the list. The first list is for three questions.

The recording covers all questions from 1 to 5, so be ready to move quickly to the next set of questions.

Questions 1-3

Which three reasons are given for the brain drain? Choose the correct letters A-G.

  • A) money
  • B) promotion opportunities
  • C) working with other professionals
  • D) quality of life
  • E) state-of-the-art equipment
  • F) political advancement
  • G) unemployment

Question 4

What problem does the brain drain cause developing countries? Choose one letter.

  • A) resentment
  • B) loss of facilities
  • C) conflict between remaining professionals
  • D) loss of reputation
  • E) loss of money
  • F) loss of materials

Question 5

Complete the sentence using no more than one word and/or a number.

In 2000, …….. million people, who were living outside their country of origin for more than one year, were employed.

RECORDING:

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

Answers

  1. A
  2. D
  3. E (answers to questions 1-3 can be given in any order)
  4. E
  5. 65
  Transcript
Brain drain is the migration of skilled human resources for trade, education, health care and other sectors. Trained health professionals are needed in every part of the world. However, better standards of living draw many of them to more developed countries. Others decide to make the move because of better remuneration or for access to advanced modern technology.  For some the stable political conditions in the developed countries attract talent from less developed areas. The majority of migration is from developing to developed countries. This is of growing concern worldwide because of its impact on the health care systems in developing countries. These countries have invested in the education and training of young health professionals. This translates into a loss of considerable resources when these people migrate, with the benefit accruing to the recipient states who have not forked out to educate them. The intellectuals of any country are some of the most expensive resources because of their training in terms of material cost and time, and most importantly, because of lost opportunity. In 2000 almost 175 million people, or 2.9% of the world’s population, were living outside their country of birth for more than a year. Of these, about 65 million were economically active. This form of migration has in the past involved many health professionals: nurses and physicians have sought employment abroad for many reasons including high unemployment in their home country. (read more about this)

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IELTS Essay Ideas: Female Staff in Senior Positions

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Here is an IELTS writing task 2 essay about management positions and gender with ideas given below.

Most high level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many developed countries is more than 50 per cent female. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women.
To what extent do you agree?

Why companies should give a percentage of senior positions to women

  • equal rights and opportunities for men and women
  • it avoids discrimination
  • it creates a pleasant work environment to have a better balance of the genders in management and senior levels
  • it creates a supportive work environment for other female employees to know that a certain percentage of management is also female
  • women have valuable skills of communication and diplomacy for high level positions

Why companies should not give a percentage of senior positions to women

  • it is unrealistic to stipulate a certain percentage of one gender
  • companies cannot be sure that they will receive suitable female applicants to fill a certain percentage of senior positions
  • this forces companies to fulfill percentages even though it may be to their detriment
  • senior positions should be allocated based on experience, skills and qualifications not gender

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Improving a Thesis Statement

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This lesson will show you how to write a clearer thesis statement for a specific question essay. This is the introduction paragraph and is applicable to both the GT and academic paper.

Many people think that job satisfaction is important in work.

Do you think young people these days should be sure of getting job satisfaction before taking a new job or should they put salary first?

What can we see from this essay question?

  1. The essay question asks for your opinion (“Do you think….?”)
  2. The essay is about what people look for when they take a new job
  3. It is often thought that people should choose a new job for job satisfaction
  4. Others think that people should choose a new job for the salary

Here’s a student’s thesis statement for their introduction. How would you improve the thesis statement? Try to write this thesis statement again before you look at the models.

“While work satisfaction should be a motive for a successful employee, I do not think that salary must be a priority.”

Model Thesis Statement

Here are two possible ways that the above thesis statement could be better written to make the answer clearer for the reader.

1. In my opinion, I think that work satisfaction should be the main motive for choosing a job rather than salary.

2. In my opinion, it is better for people to put satisfaction at work as a priority for choosing a job instead of aiming for a competitive salary.

Model Introduction

Below is a model introduction with both a background and thesis statement. This offers yet another way to write the thesis statement:

People have different views as to whether job satisfaction or money is more important for a young person when choosing a new job. In my opinion, job satisfaction rather than a competitive salary should be the deciding factor and should be prioritised when accepting a new job.

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IELTS Current Essay Question Jan 2015

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Below is a an essay question that came in the exam this week.

Directors and managers of organizations are often older people. Some people say that it is better for younger people to be leaders. To what extend do you agree or disagree?

This is an opinion essay which means you must give a clear opinion in the introduction and then support it and explain it in the body paragraphs. Let me give you some ideas for this topic. If you have more ideas of your own, please post them in the comments box below.

Reasons why young people should be leaders

  • young people are usually more up-to-date and in touch with the modern world
  • they are often more dynamic and forward thinking which means they are more open to new ideas
  • young leaders are stronger and healthier than their old counterparts and therefore more able to cope with the demands of leadership

Reasons why older people should be leaders

  • with age comes experience and this is critical for any leader
  • older people have more authority which is needed to lead and manage others
  • a sense of responsibility is needed to lead effectively which is found in older people and often lacking in the young

If you recently did your exam, please post your full essay question in the comments box below so we can all benefit from it.

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