The Question The first part of the question for an ielts discussion essay will be a statement containing two opposing views. You will then be asked to discuss both sides of the argument and give your own opinion

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: 
• 
Have 2-3 sentences 
• 
Be 40-60 words long 
• 
Take 5 minutes to write 
 
1) Paraphrase the question 

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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. 
• 
Some people argue that… while others say that… 
• 
It is considered by some…. while there are others who think….
• 
It is often argued that... whilst others disagree and think... 
Choose one and add the details in the question statement in a paraphrased form. I 
recommend putting the view you don’t agree with first. 
Paraphrased question:
Some people argue that zoos help to preserve wild creatures, while 
others say that they are inhumane and should be abolished. 
Paraphrased question:
Some people argue that zoos help to preserve wild creatures, while