A discussion becomes clearer when the reader can understand why someone might hold each view. Simply calling one side sensible and the other wrong gives little explanation.
The arts-funding essays in The IELTS Academic Writing Super book offer contrasting reasons and a qualified position. This original exercise examines that reasoning rather than copying a model or treating its score label as a result you can expect.
Separate the position from the reason
In your plan, give each side two entries: what it supports and why. For example, in a fictional debate about a community hall, one group may favour extended opening hours because shift workers cannot attend daytime events. Another may oppose the extension because staffing it would use a limited budget.
Original planning exercise
View A: Extend evening access → more residents could participate.
View B: Keep existing hours → preserve funds for maintaining the building.
Possible position: Trial one evening a week and review attendance and cost.
Avoid weakening the opposing argument
“Opponents do not care about residents” invents a motive. The stated concern is cost. Explain that concern accurately even if you ultimately disagree. Your response becomes easier to follow when it engages with the strongest relevant reason.
Repair an unfair summary
Draft: “People against evening opening dislike community activities.”
Revision: “Opponents are concerned that extra staffing could reduce the money available for essential maintenance.”
The revision represents the actual trade-off in the exercise.
Make your judgement visible
A qualified position still needs a decision. Say what you support, under what conditions and why those conditions matter. Do not leave the reader to infer your view from two balanced descriptions.
Before drafting, check that each paragraph has a job: explain a view, develop its reasoning or justify your own judgement. Use the plan to organise ideas, while allowing the final wording to develop naturally.
Explore IELTS Writing — Course 1 to see the course outline, current availability and enrolment options. Use the worked exercise above to identify a skill you would like to practise next.
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IELTS Writing — Course 1
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Source: +7 IELTS WRITING BOOK.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.