🎯 The Core Concept#
A Discussion Essay asks you to discuss both views and give your own opinion. It’s about presenting both sides of an argument and stating your position.
(Source: IELTS Simon Writing Video Course Lesson 7 Discussion Essay)
在 Discussion Essay 中，你必須 完整地討論雙方觀點，並在 Introduction 和 Conclusion 清楚表明 你自己的立場。這是取得高分 Task Response (TR) 的關鍵。
🔍 What does a Discussion Essay look like?#
- Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
- Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
- Discuss both sides and give your view.
扣題的關鍵：題目要求你 “discuss both” 並且 “give your own opinion”。雙方的觀點都要詳細討論。
⚖️ How to Structure a Discussion Essay?#
| ✅ 正確做法 | ❌ 錯誤做法 |
|---|---|
| 詳細討論雙方觀點，各用一個主體段 | 只詳細討論一方，另一方草草帶過 |
| 在 Introduction 表明自己的立場 | 到 Conclusion 才突然表明立場 |
| 用 4 段 結構：Introduction, Body 1 (View A), Body 2 (View B), Conclusion | 用 5 段結構或只寫 3 段 |
⏱️ Planning (10 minutes)#
| Steps | What to do? |
|---|---|
| 1: 讀題 | 仔細閱讀題目，劃出關鍵字，確認題型為 Discussion。 |
| 2: 結構規劃 | 4 段：Introduction (2 sentences), Body 1 (5 sentences), Body 2 (5 sentences), Conclusion (1 sentence) |
| 3: 主體段構思 | 針對雙方觀點分別立論，構思內容，寫下關鍵字，及整理次序（約6分鐘）。 |
🧱 Step-by-Step Process#
Step 1: Read & Understand#
Essay Prompt:
Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
拆解重點:
- 主題: children’s education — competition vs co-operation
- 題型: Discuss both these views and give your own opinion (Discussion 題型)
- 任務: 必須 公平討論雙方觀點，並 給出自己的意見
Step 2: Plan Your Structure#
4-paragraph structure:
| Para. | What to write |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Topic: competition vs co-operation in children’s education Answer: both have value, but co-operation is more important |
| Main Body 1 | Discuss the benefits of competition |
| Main Body 2 | Discuss the benefits of co-operation (and explain why it’s more important) |
| Conclusion | Summarise and restate your opinion |
Step 3: Plan Ideas for Main Paragraphs#
這是規劃的核心。不要求寫完整句子，用關鍵詞記下想法即可。
Brainstorm (腦力激盪):
- Body 1 (Competition 的好處):
motivation,games/prizes,self-confidence,work independently,prepare for adult life - Body 2 (Co-operation 的好處):
teamwork,workplace,follow instructions,supervise,collaboration
Develop Ideas (深化與拓展):
針對你寫下的點子，不斷問自己 “Why?” 來拓展細節。
- Point:
competition can motivate children - Ask Why: Why does competition motivate them? ->
Because games or prizes create an element of competitiveness. - What result? ->
It encourages them to work harder to outdo other pupils.
Think of Examples (構思例子):
為你的論點準備具體的例子。
- For ‘competition in lessons’:
e.g., teachers use games or prizes to introduce competitiveness into lessons. - For ‘co-operation in workplace’:
e.g., adults are expected to work in teams and follow instructions.
Group Ideas (組織論點):
將相關的想法歸類，並用數字標記在文章中的呈現順序。
| Body 1: Benefits of Competition | Body 2: Benefits of Co-operation (My View) |
|---|---|
| 1. Motivation - games/prizes create competitiveness - encourages children to work harder | 1. Workplace preparation - adults work in teams, follow instructions - e.g. work teams, supervisors |
| 2. Self-confidence - healthy rivalry builds confidence - pushes them to work independently | 2. Collaboration skills - more useful than competitive determination - schools should foster this attitude |
| 3. Prepare for adult life - job interviews, competitive situations |
📝 Full Band 9 Essay (270 words)#
Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
People have different views about whether children should be taught to be competitive or co-operative. While a spirit of competition can sometimes be useful in life, I believe that the ability to co-operate is more important.
On the one hand, competition can be a great source of motivation for children. When teachers use games or prizes to introduce an element of competitiveness into lessons, it can encourage children to work harder to outdo the other pupils in the class. This kind of healthy rivalry may help to build children’s self-confidence, while pushing them to work independently and progress more quickly. When these children leave school, their confidence and determination will help them in competitive situations such as job interviews. It can therefore be argued that competition should be encouraged in order to prepare children for adult life.
On the other hand, it is perhaps even more important to prepare children for the many aspects of adult life that require co-operation. In the workplace, adults are expected to work in teams, follow instructions given by their superiors, or supervise and support the more junior members of staff. Team collaboration skills are much more useful than a competitive determination to win. This is the attitude that I believe schools should foster in young people. Instead of promoting the idea that people are either winners or losers, teachers could show children that they gain more from working together.
In conclusion,* I can understand why people* might want to encourage competitiveness in children,* but it seems to me that* a co-operative attitude is much more desirable in adult life.
📚 High-band Topic Vocabulary#
| Category | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Competition | a sense of competition, competitive, competitiveness, healthy rivalry, outdo, determination, winners or losers |
| Co-operation | co-operative, co-operate, team collaboration, work in teams, collaboration skills, foster, working together |
| Education & Children | encouraged, motivation, self-confidence, work independently, progress, prepare children for adult life |
| Linking Words | On the one hand, while, therefore, On the other hand, Instead of |
在寫作中靈活運用同義詞，能有效提升 Lexical Resource 的分數。
💡 Key Takeaway#
Discussion Essay 的三大關鍵：
- 公平討論 — 雙方觀點各用一個主體段，篇幅要均衡
- 明確立場 — 在 Introduction 和 Conclusion 清楚表達你的觀點
- 4 段結構 — Introduction (2 sentences) + Body 1 (5 sentences) + Body 2 (5 sentences) + Conclusion (1 sentence)
不要期望一次就熟練這個技巧，這需要大量練習。多做幾次規劃練習，你會越來越得心應手。