IELTS opinion essay: state a clear position and stick to it

In an IELTS essay that asks To what extent do you agree or disagree?, the examiner is looking for the answer to one question: how far do you agree with the statement? Give that answer in one clear sentence in your introduction and keep it all the way to your conclusion. A common mistake is a vague “I partly agree” at the start and full agreement at the end. Below you’ll find an introduction and a conclusion like that, feedback on them and a fix that changes just two sentences. In LetsWords, you go through the same steps with your own essay: you get feedback on all four criteria and practise Task Response on a short passage.

Your position answers the question “to what extent?”

To what extent asks how far you agree. Any answer works: you can agree completely, disagree completely or agree in part. There’s no right side to take, but your side has to be clear.

Partial agreement is a position too, as long as you say exactly what you agree with and what you don’t. I partly agree on its own tells the reader nothing: they can’t tell which part of the statement you accept. That’s why you state your position in one sentence in the introduction, and the conclusion confirms it without shifting the limits of your agreement either way.

The task and the first attempt

Some people believe that primary school children should not be given any homework.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

The introduction and conclusion from a first attempt:

Homework is a regular part of school life in many countries. Some people think that primary school children should not get any homework, while others believe that it is necessary. There are good arguments on both sides, and I partly agree with this statement.

…

In conclusion, homework has both benefits and drawbacks for young learners. However, I strongly believe that primary school children should have no homework at all.

There are no grammar mistakes here. The problem lies elsewhere: the introduction and the conclusion answer the question in different ways.

The position in the introduction is vague. There are good arguments on both sides describes the debate, not your opinion. I partly agree doesn’t say which part of the statement you agree with. And after two opposing views, it’s unclear what this statement refers to: the idea that homework isn’t needed, or the idea that it’s necessary.

The conclusion takes a different position. No homework at all is full agreement. The essay starts with “partly” and ends with “completely”. The examiner sees two answers to one question and can’t tell which one you were arguing for.

LetsWords feedback example: one position sentence, one conclusion

In LetsWords feedback, this comment comes under Task Response and is tied to two places in the text: I partly agree with this statement and no homework at all. The feedback explains why the mismatch is a problem and suggests one action: decide where your agreement stops and say so directly. You don’t need to touch the rest of the introduction.

Say you think primary school children don’t need written homework, but a little reading at home does them good. That’s your position. The sentence There are good arguments on both sides, and I partly agree with this statement becomes:

I agree that children of this age do not need written homework, but they should still be given a short reading task each day.

The conclusion becomes a single sentence that restates the same position in different words, without strongly, without at all and without a general remark about pros and cons:

In conclusion, primary school children can do without written homework, but a short daily reading task is still worth keeping.

You do the rewriting yourself: the feedback shows what’s wrong and which action will fix it. That way, the skill stays with you, not in someone else’s model answer.

The result: the introduction and conclusion give the same answer

Homework is a regular part of school life in many countries. Some people think that primary school children should not get any homework, while others believe that it is necessary. I agree that children of this age do not need written homework, but they should still be given a short reading task each day.

…

In conclusion, primary school children can do without written homework, but a short daily reading task is still worth keeping.

Two sentences have changed. Now the introduction makes clear what you agree with (written homework isn’t needed) and where you draw the line (reading stays). The conclusion says the same thing. The word partly has gone, yet the position is still partial. It just says exactly which part you agree with.

A clear position is part of the Task Response criterion. At the higher bands, the official IELTS Writing band descriptors describe a clear position that directly answers the question. At the lower bands, they describe a position the reader has to search for.

On your next essay, check yourself: read only your position sentence and your conclusion. This shows you whether it’s clear how far you agree and whether the two contradict each other. The arguments in your body paragraphs also need to support that position.

How LetsWords helps you hold your position in your own essays

In someone else’s text, the mismatch jumps out at once. In your own essay, written in 40 minutes, you can’t see it: you remember what you meant. That’s why you need feedback tied to your own sentences.

• Feedback on your answer across all four criteria. Comments are tied to the sentences in your essay and explained in your native language (Russian, Korean or Vietnamese). If your position blurs or shifts by the conclusion, the Task Response feedback flags it and shows what to fix first. You can also bring an essay you’ve already written.
• A task guide for this format and practice tasks. Before you write, open the guide to To what extent do you agree or disagree? essays and choose a task from the Academic or General Training bank.
• Criterion practice. You can practise Task Response on a short passage without rewriting the whole essay every time.

For more on Task 2 essay types and how to practise them, see the IELTS Writing Task 2 page. To find out how to practise each criterion on its own, read our article on the four criteria.

Choose your IELTS Writing practice in LetsWords: write essays, get feedback on all four criteria and practise Task Response until your position is clear from the first sentence to the last.