How To Plan & Write ielts discussion Essays

Useful – protect wild animals:

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  Research work to learn more about wild animals
  

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  Breeding programmes for endangered species
  

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  Some species saved from extinction
  

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  Seeing wild animals close up inspires people to want to help protect them
  

I’ve got more ideas here than I need so I’m going to pick two to develop in the essay – one for each of the main body paragraphs.
Idea 1 – Cramped cages & unnatural environments, animals distressed.
Idea 2 – Breeding programmes for endangered species, some species saved from extinction.

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS discussion essay but first, we have one other small task to do.

# 4 Vocabulary
In an IELTS essay, it’s important to be able to say the same things in different ways, either by paraphrasing and/or using synonyms. During the planning stage, quickly jot down a few synonyms of key words you could use to save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing.
For example:
zoos – animals in captivity, collections of wild animals, menagerie, wildlife park
cruel – to cause suffering, inhumane
protect – safeguard, preserve
animals – creatures, species

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction
Good introductions to IELTS discussion essays have a simple 3 part structure:
1) Paraphrase the question
2) State two supporting reasons (outline statement)
3) Give your opinion (thesis statement)

It should:

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  Have 2-3 sentences
  

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  Be 40-60 words long
  

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  Take 5 minutes to write
  

1) Paraphrase the question
Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.
Question: Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
There are various phrases you can use to do this. Here are three examples. They all say the same thing using different language.

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