Both Views With Specific Opinion

An IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essay discussing both views and presenting a specific, differentiated personal opinion

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Both Views With Specific Opinion - An IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essay discussing both views and presenting a specific, differentiated personal opinion

Sample Question

The following question is taken from Cambridge 17 Test 3 Writing Task 2.

Both Views With Specific Opinion
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Related Essay: Both Views without Opinion

Sample Answer

Both Views With Specific Opinion
Many people argue that professionals, including doctors and engineers, should serve the country that trained them, while others believe that individuals should have the freedom to choose where they work. In my opinion, doctors should generally work in the country where they received their training, whereas engineers should be free to work overseas if they wish. On the one hand, it is commonly believed that requiring professionals to work in the country where they received their training can benefit the national workforce and local population. If qualified workers leave after completing their education, the country may face a shortage of skilled professionals, which could reduce access to essential services, particularly in developing countries where staff may already be limited. On the other hand, those who favour international employment argue that working abroad can offer better career opportunities, higher salaries and more advanced professional environments. For example, an engineer employed overseas may have the opportunity to work on large-scale international projects, which could broaden their expertise and career prospects. In my view, however, doctors should generally continue working in the country where they trained since they are more familiar with the diseases, healthcare needs and treatment practices of the local population. For instance, disease patterns can differ considerably between temperate and tropical regions, meaning that doctors may need different clinical experience and treatment approaches. In contrast, engineers should be free to work internationally because much of their technical knowledge can be applied across different countries and contexts. For example, an AI engineer can develop AI agents that address similar technical problems worldwide. In conclusion, people have different perspectives on whether professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should work in the country where they completed their training or work abroad. However, I think that doctors should generally serve the country that trained them, whereas engineers should be free to work internationally if they wish.

Word count: —

Related Essay: Both Views with One-Sided Opinion

Band Descriptor Analysis

1. Task Response

The response discusses both views and presents a clearly differentiated personal position: doctors should generally work in the country where they trained, whereas engineers should be free to work overseas. The general argument for retaining professionals is developed through the potential shortage of skilled workers and the need to maintain access to essential services. The opposing view is developed through better career opportunities, higher salaries, advanced professional environments and opportunities to broaden professional expertise through international projects. The personal position is then developed specifically for each profession: doctors are linked to familiarity with local diseases, healthcare needs and treatment practices, while engineers are linked to the transferability of technical knowledge across countries and contexts. Examples involving disease patterns and AI engineering provide further support. The use of generally also avoids presenting the position on doctors as unnecessarily absolute. This aims to meet the Band 9 requirement for fully addressing all parts of the task with fully developed and well-supported ideas.

2. Coherence and Cohesion

The essay follows a clear progression from the introduction, which presents both views and the writer's differentiated position, to the two reported views, followed by a separate paragraph explaining the profession-specific personal position and a conclusion that restates it. Each body paragraph has a distinct function, and the third body paragraph develops the key distinction between doctors and engineers. Cohesive devices are used to signal relationships between ideas and support the logical development of the argument.

  • while — introduces the contrast between the two reported views
  • whereas — contrasts the writer's positions on doctors and engineers
  • On the one hand — introduces the first reported view
  • If — introduces a condition concerning professionals leaving the country
  • which — links the potential shortage to its consequence for essential services
  • where — specifies the developing-country context in which staff may be limited
  • On the other hand — introduces the contrasting reported view
  • For example — introduces supporting evidence about an engineer
  • which — links international project experience to broader expertise and career prospects
  • In my view, however — introduces the writer's specific personal position
  • since — gives the reason for the position on doctors
  • For instance — introduces a specific example concerning disease patterns
  • meaning that — explains the consequence of differences in disease patterns
  • In contrast — shifts from the reasoning about doctors to engineers
  • because — gives the reason for the position on engineers
  • For example — introduces the AI engineering example
  • However — signals the writer's final position in the conclusion
  • whereas — restates the contrast between doctors and engineers

These devices support the progression from general views to a differentiated profession-specific position without relying on excessive linking. Paragraphing also gives each major stage of the argument a clear function. This aims to meet the Band 9 emphasis on cohesion that attracts no attention and skilful paragraphing.

3. Lexical Resource

The response uses a wide range of topic-specific vocabulary and natural collocations across professional employment, healthcare and engineering. Examples include:

  • trained professionals
  • national workforce
  • local population
  • qualified workers
  • shortage of skilled professionals
  • essential services
  • international employment
  • career opportunities
  • higher salaries
  • professional environments
  • large-scale international projects
  • expertise and career prospects
  • healthcare needs
  • treatment practices
  • disease patterns
  • temperate and tropical regions
  • clinical experience
  • treatment approaches
  • technical knowledge
  • different countries and contexts
  • AI engineer
  • AI agents
  • technical problems

The healthcare vocabulary supports the profession-specific argument about doctors, while the engineering and technology vocabulary supports the corresponding argument about engineers. The essay also varies expressions for international employment through work overseas, working abroad, employed overseas and work internationally. At the same time, key terms such as professionals, doctors, engineers and the country that trained them are repeated where this is natural and necessary for precision. This avoids forced synonym substitution while maintaining lexical variety. This aims to meet the Band 9 requirement for a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The essay demonstrates a range of grammatical structures that directly support the development of the differentiated argument. Examples include:

  • Contrast clause: while others believe that individuals should have the freedom to choose where they work
  • Contrast with whereas: doctors should generally serve the country that trained them, whereas engineers should be free to work internationally if they wish
  • Relative clause: the country where they received their training
  • Conditional structure: If qualified workers leave after completing their education, the country may face a shortage of skilled professionals
  • Relative clause expressing consequence: which could reduce access to essential services
  • Gerund-participial clause: requiring professionals to work in the country where they received their training
  • Modal structures: may face, could reduce, may have the opportunity and should be free to work
  • Relative clause expressing a result: which could broaden their expertise and career prospects
  • Cause clause: since they are more familiar with the diseases, healthcare needs and treatment practices of the local population
  • -ing clause expressing consequence: meaning that doctors may need different clinical experience and treatment approaches
  • Passive construction: much of their technical knowledge can be applied across different countries and contexts
  • Relative clause: AI agents that address similar technical problems worldwide
  • Embedded clause: whether professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should work in the country where they completed their training or work abroad

These structures are used to express contrast, comparison, condition, cause, consequence, qualification and explanation. The grammatical choices support the profession-specific reasoning rather than being inserted simply to demonstrate complexity. This aims to meet the Band 9 requirement for a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy.

Video Explanation

Note: This video was recorded using an earlier version of the essay. The written version on this page has since been updated, so minor differences in wording and word count are to be expected. The video remains useful for understanding the essay analysis and the key IELTS Writing assessment criteria.