Structure of Discussion essays

We are going to look at two different ways of structuring the body of a

Discussion essay. Both structures are suitable for an IELTS Task 2 essay.
The one you decide to use will depend on your ideas and the topic of the
essay.

First, let's look at a typical structure of a Discussion essay. It includes:

Introduction You should introduce the topic. You may also

state your viewpoint on this topic.

Body You should discuss both sides of the issue. Often

the first one or two paragraphs will discuss one
side of an issue and the next one or two
paragraphs will discuss the other side of the
issue. The positive aspects of the issue are called
the prosand the negative aspects the cons.

Conclusion You should provide a summary of the discussion

and state your viewpoint on the issue.

You can plan the overall structure of this essay type in the following way:

Introduction
+
Body paragraph 1
PROS
+
Body paragraph 2
CONS
+
conclusion

Let's look at an example Discussion essay that uses this structure.

Example question

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150
years. This could be good news for individuals but it may have negative
consequences for our society.
 What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

Sample answer - Jurgen’s essay

Click here to see how Jurgen used the ideas from his plan to structure his
essay.

Jurgen's essay plan – ‘Benefits and risks of living to 150’

Body Paragragh 1 - Benefits:

 Could experience more, see more things e.g. try different lifestyles,

more time with family
 Chance to contribute more to society e.g. scientists, doctors,
musicians

Body Paragragh 2 - Risks:

 Later years may be unhealthy / painful diseases e.g. arthritis

 Ethical issue - who will be given chance to live to 150 years
 Pressure on social welfare system e.g. Japan
 Overpopulation could damage ecosystem

To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years.

With the development of science and technology, it might be
possible for people to live for one hundred and fifty years in
the near future. However, in my opinion, it may not be
beneficial for people to do so. (Introduction)
Undoubtedly, there are some major advantages for living a
longer life. Firstly, people could enjoy longer lives and do more of the
things they want, such as trying different lifestyles. They could spend
more time with their family and even watch their children grow to old
age. In addition, people could contribute more if they lived longer lives,
especially scientists and other valuable members of society. For
example, if Edison had lived longer, he might have invented more things
for us, or Mozart might have produced more wonderful music. (Pros)
Nevertheless, there could be many disadvantages if people lived for one
hundred and fifty years. Firstly, people might be unhealthy in their later
 years and may suffer from painful diseases such as arthritis.
Additionally, there may be ethical questions involved. Will everyone be
able to live for this long – or only the citizens of developed countries?
Another factor is that an increasing older population would cause many
problems for society. For example, it would place a lot of pressure on
the social welfare system – a situation already developing in countries
such as Japan. Finally, the overpopulation of the earth could greatly
damage the earth’s ecosystem and could lead to ecological
disaster. (Cons)
In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for one
hundred and fifty years far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, this
development would be a largely negative one for our
society. (Conclusion)

Quick quiz

Are there more pros or cons in this essay? Click on the correct answer.

There are more pros

There are more cons