In an IELTS discussion essay, the instruction Discuss both views and give your own opinion asks you to explain two positions and state what you think. Saying that both sides have a point leaves one part of that instruction unanswered.
The gap can be difficult to notice when the writing sounds balanced. “It depends on the circumstances” and “both approaches are useful” can be reasonable observations. But the reader still needs to know which approach you favour, and whether your preference depends on a particular condition.
LetsWords offers IELTS Writing practice in Task Response, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, alongside feedback on complete Task 2 responses. The service connects a comment to a specific sentence and the question it needs to answer. In this example, the missing part is give your own opinion.
Read the instruction before choosing an essay approach
Discussion essay is a useful label during preparation. The actual question decides what you must do. If it asks for your opinion, you need to express it. If the wording is different, do not automatically import instructions from another question that happens to fall under the same label.
Task 2 requires an extended response of at least 250 words. The general requirements are set out in the official IELTS Academic Writing format.
A clear position does not have to mean unconditional support for one side. You can prefer an option under particular conditions. Those conditions should make the choice more precise, rather than leave the reader wondering whether you have made a choice at all.
Flexible hours or a shared schedule: what is the disagreement?
Some people think employees should choose their working hours, while others believe all staff should follow the same schedule. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
The disagreement concerns control over working hours: individual flexibility versus a shared schedule. Keep that distinction visible as you discuss the views. A paragraph about how many days of annual leave employees receive would move away from the issue in the question.
The instruction also explicitly asks what you think. You can acknowledge reasons behind both approaches, but the reader should be able to identify your choice without guessing.
Why “both approaches have advantages” leaves a gap
Both approaches have advantages, and different companies have different needs.
What LetsWords feedback shows — Task Response. Both approaches have advantages acknowledges the two sides of the debate. It does not fulfil give your own opinion: you have not said which approach you support or explained what determines your choice. State that decision directly.
Adding In my opinion does not fix the missing content:
In my opinion, both approaches have advantages.
The sentence now contains an opinion marker, but it still makes the same observation. The useful revision changes what you say, not just the words that introduce it.
See how feedback connects the wording of your answer to the task you are answering.
A conditional preference can still be a clear position
I favour flexible working hours, provided that teams agree on a short period when everyone is available.
The preference is explicit: flexible hours. The condition limits that preference by requiring a period of shared availability. It makes the position more specific without cancelling it.
This sentence does not replace discussion of both views across the essay. It solves one problem: the reader no longer has to infer which arrangement you support.
If shared availability matters to the position, keep it in later statements too. Supporting flexibility around an agreed period is different from supporting work at any time with no coordination. Moving between those ideas without explanation changes your position.
Three ways a clear position can disappear again
Reporting what most people think instead of giving your view
Does not state your choice: Most people would probably prefer flexible hours.
States your choice: I favour flexible hours with an agreed period of shared availability.
The first sentence speculates about a majority. It does not tell the reader what you favour. It also introduces a claim about other people’s preferences that the question does not establish.
The revision returns to the requested action: expressing a position on the two arrangements. You do not need to invent survey findings to make a personal judgement sound more convincing.
Removing the condition that supports your choice
Inconsistent with the stated position: Employees should be able to work at any time without coordinating with their teams.
Consistent: Employees should have flexibility outside an agreed period of shared availability.
The first version removes the restriction in the original position. It now supports a broader arrangement, so the reader may reasonably think that your view has changed.
The second preserves the distinction between a shared period and the hours outside it. It clarifies the existing position rather than introducing a new argument. When editing, watch words such as all, any, always and without: they can quietly turn a limited preference into an absolute claim.
Changing what the second view is about
Changes the disagreement: Some employees want flexible hours, whereas others want a higher salary.
Keeps the original disagreement: Some employees prefer flexible hours, whereas others favour a shared schedule.
The first sentence replaces the second view with a question about pay. The grammar of whereas works, but the sentence no longer represents the contrast in the task.
The correction brings both views back to working hours. Accurate meaning matters more than varied wording: a paraphrase must preserve the views you were asked to discuss.
The condition in our main correction begins with provided that. On the provided that practice page, you can check a sentence with this expression for free. State the condition under which you support a decision, and make the relationship clear in the sentence itself.
Agreement and preference are different meanings
Agree, accept, support and favour are related, but they do different jobs. Accepting proposed conditions is not the same action as agreeing with a statement. Rotating these verbs simply to avoid repetition can change your meaning.
In I favour flexible working hours, the verb expresses a preference. I accept that fixed schedules can be useful acknowledges a point; it does not necessarily mean you choose a fixed schedule.
You can practise that distinction for free on accept vs agree. The aim is to express a position accurately, rather than memorise opinions to reuse on unrelated topics.
A balanced tone still needs a complete answer
A measured tone helps you discuss opposing views fairly and accurately. It should also leave the requested decision visible. “There are different views” describes a debate; “I prefer this arrangement under this condition” expresses a position within it.
You do not need aggressive language to make that position clear. You can identify a preference without declaring the alternative useless in every situation. The IELTS opinion essay example provides a comparison with another Task 2 instruction, so you can see why the question must guide the response.
Practise answering the question in LetsWords
In LetsWords IELTS Writing Task 2, you can select Task Response and write a short response to a new task. Feedback checks it against the question: have you expressed a view, what exactly do you support, and has an important condition disappeared? For complete essays, the service also provides a format reference, a checklist and feedback across all four criteria.
Here, the example already supplies the writer’s decision. In LetsWords, you make the decision and find out whether your English communicates it. That is why LetsWords is the next step for discussion essay practice: work on a short attempt, understand the specific gap, then carry that skill into a full answer. Start your preparation, choose your goal and level, and try feedback before paying.