Both Sides Essay

In an IELTS both sides and opinion essay you need to discuss each side of an argument using the third
person (people believe). You should save your opinion and use the first person (I think) in the final
paragraph.A typical question is shown below:

Technology allows food to be produced in greater quantities and at lower prices. Some
people believe this is a positive development, while others feel that the change is harmful.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Key question
words

1. Discuss the advantages and

Example question

Computers are being used more and

more in education. Some people say
that learning online is the best way to
learn, whereas some claim that it is
still better to attend a class with a
teacher.

disadvantages
2. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages and give your own
opinion
3. Discuss both sides of the argument
4. Discuss both sides of the argument and
then give your own opinion

Discuss both sides of this argument

and then give your own opinion.
Introduction

Rephrase question

One of the highly controversial issues today

relates to whether to study online or in a
This essay discusses [both sides + opinion] classroom. This essay examines this question
from both points of view and then I will give
my own perspective on the matter.

Body

Side 1 advantages

Numerous merits can be attributed to the use

of computers in learning.

Side 2 advantages

Final paragraph

Note: keep your own self I think and

opinion out of the body. It is only about
what people in general may think.
Opinion
State that both are important/have merits
State which one is more important/better

The value of teachers in education shouldnt be

overlooked.
In my opinion, it can be effective to learn both
over the internet and in a classroom with a
teacher. I believe that diligent students will do
both to gain the merits that each mode of
teaching provides. However, if I had to pick
one, I would choose to study with a teacher,
because computers are no substitute for a
teachers ability to explain things deeply and
give feedback to stimulate learning.

Some people believe that there should be the death penalty for
extremely serious crimes. Others believe that it is not morally
correct to kill criminals
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

One of the most controversial issues today relates to whether to use capital punishment or not.In
this essay, I am going to examine this question from both points of view and then give my
own perspective on the matter.
On one side of the argument there are people who argue that the benefits of killing violent
criminalsconsiderably outweigh its disadvantages. The main reason for believing this is that the fear
of execution acts as a deterrent to commit serious crimes such as rape and murder. It is also
possible to say thatthe execution of a criminal may bring relief to the suffering victims. One good
illustration of this iswhen Sadam Hussein was executed. Many of the victims who were
persecuted under his rule expressed joy and relief when he was finally captured and killed.
On the other hand, it is also possible to make the opposing case. It is often argued that in
fact sentencing criminals to death is just committing another murder. People often have this
opinion because they think that it is immoral to take another persons life, no matter what the
reason is. A second point is that many religions are opposed to any form of murder. A particularly
good example here is from the bible, which lists killing another person as one of the Ten
Commandments that should not be broken.
In my opinion, both arguments have their merits. On balance, however, I tend to believe that capital
punishment is justified in cases of extreme crime and that deterring violent crime is more
important than taking the moral high ground espoused in the bible.
[267 words]