IELTS Discussion Essay Guide for Nepali Students

IELTS Discussion Essay Guide for Nepali Students explains how to discuss two stated views fairly, present a clear personal opinion and develop each position with reasons and relevant support. IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 requires at least 250 words, should usually receive about 40 minutes and carries twice the weight of Task 1.

Information checked on 25 July 2026 against current official IELTS test format, assessment guidance and preparation resources.

Key facts for IELTS Discussion Essay Guide for Nepali Students

Identify every instruction

A discussion prompt normally asks candidates to discuss both views and give their own opinion. Those are separate requirements, and the response must satisfy all of them rather than focusing only on the preferred side.

Underline the two views, the topic boundaries and the opinion instruction. If one view is ignored or the personal position is missing, fluent language cannot fully repair the task response.

Paraphrase the two positions accurately

Rewrite each view in clear language without changing its strength or scope. Watch limiting words such as only, mainly, government, parents and young people because they shape the disagreement.

Do not turn one view into an extreme claim merely because it is easier to criticise. Fair representation creates a stronger and more credible discussion.

Choose a clear personal opinion

The writer may support one view, combine parts of both or argue that the answer depends on defined conditions. Whatever the choice, the final judgment must be easy to identify.

Select a position that can be defended with logical reasons under time pressure. IELTS does not reward a particular social or political opinion.

Plan one core reason for each view

For each side, identify why reasonable people hold it, how the idea works and an example that illustrates it. This prevents the essay from becoming a list of unsupported claims.

Choose distinct reasons that respond directly to the prompt. Two developed ideas usually demonstrate more control than many brief points.

Build a concise introduction

Open by paraphrasing the debate, then state that both views will be considered and give the personal position. The wording should sound natural rather than copied from a memorised template.

Avoid long background history and dictionary definitions. The introduction’s job is to orient the reader and make the answer clear.

Organise the body around the views

A reliable structure gives one focused body paragraph to the first view and another to the second. The personal opinion can be integrated where relevant or reinforced in a separate paragraph if development remains balanced.

Paragraph order is flexible, but each paragraph should have one identifiable purpose. Do not switch repeatedly between views inside the same explanation.

Write fair topic sentences

Introduce each view as a meaningful position rather than announcing that some people think something. State the central reason or principle that the paragraph will explain.

A precise topic sentence helps the reader predict the paragraph and makes later examples easier to connect to the argument.

Explain before giving examples

After stating a reason, show the mechanism or consequence that makes it persuasive. The explanation should answer why the point matters to the debate.

Then add a concise example from education, work, policy or ordinary experience. An example supports reasoning; it should not replace it.

Show the relationship between the views

The views may conflict because they prioritise different outcomes, time periods or groups. Explaining that underlying difference creates analysis rather than two isolated summaries.

Use contrast language only where the logic requires it. Whereas and however are useful when they clarify a relationship, not when inserted mechanically.

Integrate the writer’s opinion

Signal agreement or qualification when discussing the evidence, then state the overall judgment clearly in the conclusion. The reader should never need to guess which position the writer accepts.

If the opinion combines both views, define when each applies. Saying both are important without a decision is usually too vague.

Maintain balanced development

Discussing both views does not require exactly the same number of words, but each side needs meaningful explanation. A one-sentence treatment of one view looks incomplete.

Give more space to the position that needs more reasoning, while checking that both instructions have been visibly answered.

Create logical cohesion

Arrange each paragraph as claim, explanation, support and link to the question. Refer to earlier ideas clearly and use connectors that express the real relationship.

Avoid a connector at the start of every sentence. Coherence depends on progression of meaning more than on visible linking words.

Use precise academic vocabulary

Learn collocations for common Task 2 themes and distinguish words that are close but not interchangeable. Accurate paraphrase helps avoid repeating the prompt.

Do not force rare vocabulary or memorised idioms. Appropriateness, spelling and word formation all contribute to lexical control.

Control grammar across the essay

Use clauses for contrast, condition, cause and concession when they help express the debate. Mix them with accurate shorter sentences so key judgments remain clear.

Review articles, agreement, verb forms, punctuation and sentence boundaries. Repeated basic errors can affect communication even when the ideas are strong.

Use a 40-minute routine

Spend about five minutes analysing the two views, selecting the opinion and outlining body reasons. Use roughly thirty minutes to write and protect the final minutes for review.

Practise the routine with complete tasks. Timing individual paragraphs alone does not show whether the whole Writing test is manageable.

Check Task Response first

During review, confirm that both views are developed, the personal opinion is clear and every example remains relevant. Remove any sentence that drifts into a different question.

Then check cohesion, vocabulary and grammar. A fully answered prompt is the foundation on which the language score operates.

Use official practice materials

Confirm the format through the official IELTS Academic Writing page and practise with current official Academic sample questions.

After each timed essay, mark the sentence that explains each view and the sentence that states the opinion. Missing evidence becomes visible quickly.

Connect feedback with the study goal

For university requirements and application planning, visit MKS Education. For structured IELTS lessons, essay feedback and mock tests, explore MKS Prep.

Use the exact programme requirement to set the target, then confirm performance across several full Writing tests rather than one familiar topic.

Frequently asked questions