W20: No clear position, and one-sided "discuss" essays

Two opposite mistakes hold many students at band 6. In opinion essays, they never clearly say what they think. In discussion essays, they only discuss the side they agree with. Both mistakes come from the same problem: not matching your position to the question type.

Why this matters

For band 7 in Task Response, the band descriptors expect a clear position throughout the essay. If the examiner has to guess what you think, or if your view changes halfway, your score drops. And if a question asks you to discuss both views, ignoring one of them means you haven't fully answered the task.

Mistake 1: No clear position in an opinion essay

Question: "Some people think that university education should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?"

Unclear introduction: "University education is an important issue. There are many advantages and disadvantages of free education. This essay will look at both."

What does the writer think? We don't know.

Clear introduction: "Many people argue that university should be free for all students. I partly agree: I believe tuition should be free for students from low-income families, but not for everyone."

Now the examiner knows exactly where you stand, and how strongly.

"To what extent" means how much

You can:

• completely agree
• completely disagree
• partly agree (agree with some parts, not others)

All three can score well. What matters is that your position is clear and stays the same from introduction to conclusion.

Mistake 2: One-sided discussion essay

Question: "Some people believe that children should start school at a very young age. Others think they should start later. Discuss both views and give your own opinion."

A one-sided essay spends both body paragraphs on why early school is good. That's an opinion essay, not a discussion.

Better structure:

• Introduction: paraphrase both views and state your opinion.
• Body 1: why some people support an early start (explained fairly).
• Body 2: why others prefer a later start (explained fairly).
• Conclusion: your opinion, clearly.

You can make it clear which side you prefer, but you must explain both sides properly.

Mistake 3: Changing your position halfway

Some students start by agreeing, then write a body paragraph that strongly argues the opposite, then conclude by agreeing again. This confuses the examiner. If you partly agree, say so in the introduction, so the mixed body paragraphs make sense.

A quick position check

Before writing, complete this sentence on your rough paper:

"My answer to this question is ___, because ___ and ___."

If you can't fill it in, you're not ready to write.

Try it yourself

Write a one-sentence position for each question.

1. "Should people be allowed to use mobile phones while driving? To what extent do you agree?"
2. "Some think city life is better than village life. Others disagree. Discuss both views and give your opinion."

Sample answers:

1. "I completely disagree, because using a phone while driving greatly increases the risk of accidents."
2. "While cities offer better jobs and services, I believe village life is healthier and less stressful, especially for families with children."

Honest note

You don't have to write your true personal opinion. You can choose the position that's easiest to support with good ideas. What matters is clarity, not honesty about your private beliefs.

Your task today

Take five Task 2 questions. Write only the position sentence for each.