Discuss Both Views Essays: How to Cover Both Sides and Give Your Opinion

A “discuss both views and give your opinion” question requires more than mentioning two positions. You need to explain the reasoning behind each view and establish your own judgement. A familiar four-paragraph arrangement can help, but the task determines what each paragraph must achieve.

Understand the competing views

Consider this original practice question: “Some people think governments should fund university education, while others believe students should pay their own fees. Discuss both views and give your opinion.” The disagreement concerns who should bear the cost, not whether university is valuable. For related guidance, read IELTS Opinion Essays: How to Keep Your Position Clear Throughout.

Before writing, note a defensible reason for each position. Public funding can be linked to wider social benefits and access. Student payment can be linked to private financial returns and limited government resources. Avoid reducing one side to an obviously weak claim merely to make your preferred view easier to defend.

Explain the first view fairly

State the argument in a way its supporters would recognise, then develop the mechanism. For public funding, explain how lower fees might reduce barriers for applicants without family resources. You can connect that access with a broader social benefit where the reasoning is relevant. For related guidance, read How to Develop IELTS Essay Ideas Beyond One or Two Sentences.

Do not stop at “some people agree because education is important.” The reader needs to understand why that importance is thought to justify government expenditure. A concise example can make the reasoning concrete.

Develop the alternative view

Explain why others place responsibility on students. They may argue that graduates often receive personal career benefits and that public budgets have competing demands. Develop the trade-off rather than repeating that tuition is expensive.

You do not need identical paragraph lengths, but both views need meaningful treatment. An essay that develops one side fully and dismisses the other in a sentence risks leaving part of the task insufficiently addressed.

Make your opinion visible

State your judgement clearly and support it. You might favour shared responsibility or targeted financial assistance, provided you explain how that answers the two positions. A middle position is not automatically stronger; it needs relevant reasoning like any other opinion.

Your opinion can be integrated into the discussion rather than reserved for a surprise ending. Check that the conclusion reflects the view established in the essay. Avoid introducing a new policy with no explanation in the final sentence.

Use a planning check

Before drafting, write three notes: the strongest reason for view one, the strongest reason for view two and your judgement. After drafting, locate where each appears and how it is developed. This check is more useful than counting connectors or memorising a universal introduction.

Put it into practice

After planning, explain the strongest reason for each view without criticising it immediately. This helps you present both arguments fairly before explaining why you favour one or a qualified alternative.

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