Stop Your IELTS Task 2 "Discuss Both Views" Essay Drifting: How to Split Arguments First and Hold Your Stance

In IELTS writing, the type I find most consistently frustrating isn't the completely bizarre, unseen topics. Instead, it's the seemingly ordinary "discuss both views and give your own opinion" questions.

Because they are really good at tricking you. You look at the title and think, "Oh, this is just chatting about both sides and saying what I think." But as soon as you write, the first paragraph sounds like it's acting for A, the second suddenly runs over to praise B, and finally, you force an opinion sentence at the end saying, "I agree with the former more."

I went back and checked the British Council's currently accessible IELTS preparation pages and format pages. They actually write it quite honestly: Task 2 is designed to get you to respond to a point of view, argument, or problem. They typically reserve 60 minutes for the test, giving you 40 minutes for Task 2, and you must write at least 250 words. To put it bluntly, writing isn't about who can be the most mystical with their views; it's about whether you can securely handle the task requirements.

So, this post focuses on just one thing: How to write a "Discuss Both Views" question so that it doesn't start drifting off-topic as you write.

Deconstructing the three tasks in the title clarifies things instantly

These questions are messy not because you can't write in English, but because you try to cram three actions into one.

Usually, it requires you to do three things simultaneously: explain what side A is thinking, explain what side B is thinking, and then clarify where you stand. In a rush, many people mix "discussing" and "stating a stance" into one pot. The first paragraph talks about A's benefits, and the very next sentence starts secretly stating their opinion, making it hard to let go when writing about B.

When I do these questions now, my first step is, quite frankly, to use a pen and write it down:

• What A is saying
• What B is saying
• Which side I actually prefer

It’s outdated technique, but it really works.

Don't veer off-course in the body until both sides are solidly placed

It’s more about seeing if you can first clearly and fairly explain both sides, and then put your own position forward. In other words, Paragraph A should honestly discuss Argument A, and Paragraph B should honestly discuss Argument B. Don't suddenly say "However, I think..." halfway through a paragraph; it will make the reading experience shaky.

Personally, I prefer a very simple sequence:

• Introduction: Paraphrase the question while subtly revealing your general direction.
• Body Paragraph 1: Discuss the first side.
• Body Paragraph 2: Discuss the second side.
• Conclusion: Bring it back to say your complete attitude.

Once the sequence is steady, it’s harder for your mind to wander.

Releasing a hint of your stance in the introduction is easier than hiding it

Some people love dropping hints in the intro, wanting to announce which side they support in the final paragraph. It’s not absolutely forbidden, but for most test-takers, the risk is a bit high.

Because if you don't reveal your direction at all at first, it’s very easy to get carried away by one of the sides as you write. To patch up your stance at the very end, you have to suddenly make a sharp turn, which feels fake.

I suggest leaving a light remark about your attitude in the introduction instead. You don't have to be too aggressive. For example, you can say you "lean towards the latter," or "although both sides have logic, I overall support the former." This way, as you expand on the two main paragraphs later, a line runs through your mind keeping it connected, and you won't write it out of focus.

Keeping just one main reason for each side makes you look like a skilled writer

Another old problem with "discuss both views" questions is greed.

For side A, you want to write about education, cost, and efficiency. For side B, you want to write about fairness, freedom, and pressure. In the end, it looks like a lot of content, but you end up touching a pinch of everything and then running away.

I actually now recommend keeping just one strongest main reason to expand on for each side. Seriously, one is enough. Then support it with an explanation, and add a very small example.

If you find that you often lose your sense of direction while practicing this type of question, you can simply use Youshow IELTS for quick drills. It’s available for download on the Apple App Store, or you can visit https://ielts.youshowedu.com/en to use it directly. Although it's named PTE, it’s quite handy for organizing ideas and doing several rounds of timed output practice.

Letting your opinion lead the conclusion is much more natural than forcing it into the middle

I’ve seen many essays where, surprisingly, the two sides were discussed quite normally in the first half, but suddenly at the end of the second paragraph, the sentence "therefore I strongly believe..." pops up, twisting the paragraph instantly.

A more stable approach is to let your own opinion be responsible for the conclusion, not for interrupting. You place the two sides clearly in the introduction first, and once the reader already has A and B in their mind, you can then clarify your judgment in the conclusion. This way, your attitude isn't forcefully inserted; it grows naturally out of the previous section.

When timing practice, focus on structure over fancy sentences

If you try to write beautifully from the first time with this type of question, it’s easy to crash your own train of thought.

A more practical training method is actually two-step. For the first few times, just time-limited outlining. Force yourself to write within 5 minutes:

• Paraphrase the question
• Body Paragraph 1 main reason
• Body Paragraph 2 main reason
• My final stance

Once this action feels natural, then go back and fill in the sentences. Because for these questions, what saves you first isn't advanced vocabulary, but avoiding chaos.

People who write these "bilateral" questions well aren't necessarily the best at memorizing templates

Ultimately, what these questions are afraid of isn't a lack of words, but a lack of boundaries in the mind.

You don't know which sentence is discussing, which is stating an opinion, and which is just an example, so everything gets blurred as you write. But once you split the two sides first, and then decide which side you stand on, things become much simpler.

IELTS writing often isn't lost because "you don't know how to write," but because "you start getting confused mid-way." "Discuss both views" questions are the same. Don't be in a rush to look impressive first. Hold the two sides steady, then make yourself clear, and your score usually won't be so unfair.