Hustlers IELTS | Cambridge IELTS 8 | Discuss Both Views + Opinion (Band 7–9 Framework)
This is a classic Discuss Both Views question—and a common place where candidates throw away marks.
Not because their English is weak, but because their answer is unclear:
- They describe parents and schools… but never truly take a position.
- Or they choose one side and barely develop the other.
- Or they forget to define what “good members of society” actually means.
This post shows you how to handle it properly: clear structure, balanced development, and a confident opinion.
The Task (Cambridge IELTS 8)
Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your job is not to write a general essay about education. Your job is to:
- explain the parent view
- explain the school view
- give your opinion (clearly)
Fast Planning (The 4-Step Hustlers Method)
Step 1: Understand the task
Key phrase: “good members of society” (good citizens).
This can include:
- being law-abiding
- contributing to the community (e.g., volunteering)
- being respectful and kind
- working hard and acting responsibly
Step 2: Decide your position
A strong, realistic position is:
Both parents and schools should share responsibility.
Because values are taught at home through behaviour, and reinforced at school through structured teaching.
Step 3: Build ideas for both views
View 1 (Parents):
- parents spend more time with children
- parents can correct behaviour immediately
- parents teach by example (volunteering, honesty, respect)
View 2 (Schools):
- teachers are trained to teach life skills and values
- schools can teach citizenship explicitly through curriculum
- social environment at school builds cooperation and responsibility
Step 4: Structure
- Intro: define “good member of society” + map the essay
- BP1: parents view + example
- BP2: school view + example
- BP3: your opinion (team effort)
- Conclusion (optional—this model keeps it concise)
Band 7–9 Model Essay
It is important to encourage children to become good members of society. This means things like being a law-abiding citizen, contributing to your community and being prepared to work and study hard. But who is best placed to do this?
One argument is that parents should teach children these things. They are, after all, with their children for long periods of time and they generally know their children inside-out. This makes them ideally placed to discuss behaviour with their children and also their reaction to events they might see in the media. For example, if a child is unkind to another person, or if they see a news story about a political leader clearly lying on television, parents can explain why this is unacceptable behaviour. In so doing children will learn the difference between right and wrong and so they will be less likely to do the same thing themselves. Furthermore, parents can lead by example, showing their children how to be a good citizen through their actions. They could, for instance, get involved in voluntary work at a local food bank, and by doing this, their children will actually see why it is important to give back to their community.
However, an alternative view is that schools should take responsibility for this crucial part of a child’s education. Teachers, unlike parents, are usually well trained to deliver important life lessons and, armed with good resources, they can quickly and effectively ensure that children learn what it is to be a good citizen. Indeed, many schools already do this; in the United Kingdom, for example, many schools now teach personal and social education as part of the school curriculum, and, at high school level, this subject includes the obligations of citizenship, and the importance of contributing towards one’s own community through voluntary work.
Personally, I feel that schools and parents should be jointly responsible for teaching children to become good citizens. Parents are well-placed to lead by example and through discussion, while teachers are able to do the same thing in a more explicit way as part of the school curriculum. In other words, it should be a team effort.
(346 words)
Why This Essay Is High Band
1) Both views are developed properly
Each side gets a full paragraph, clear reasoning, and a relevant example. That’s exactly what “discuss both views” requires.
2) The opinion is strong and easy to find
The opinion is not hidden. It’s stated directly and supported logically.
3) The language is natural and academic
Key collocations and high-value phrases include:
- good members of society / good citizens
- law-abiding citizen
- ideally placed to
- discuss behaviour
- unacceptable behaviour
- lead by example
- give back to their community
- take responsibility
- crucial part of a child’s education
- well trained to deliver
- part of the school curriculum
- the obligations of citizenship
- jointly responsible
- a team effort
This is the kind of vocabulary that sounds fluent because it’s accurate, not exaggerated.
Hustlers IELTS Final Word
This question is simple when you treat it like a system:
- define the key term
- give one paragraph per view
- give a clear opinion
- keep your logic tight