Writing Task 2: Discussion (Both Views) Essay: Question 3
Syllabus W.task2
Streaming services can release an entire series at once or one episode per week. Some viewers prefer having every episode immediately, while others think a weekly release is better.
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.
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Worked solution
Examiner notes: why this is a band 9 response
Task Response
The introduction paraphrases both release strategies and states a clear position (“a weekly release generally produces a better experience for both viewers and the shows themselves”) that is sustained, not softened, through to the conclusion. Both body paragraphs are developed with a specific example, the well-reviewed drama released in full and the mystery series that switched to weekly episodes, giving the two views genuinely comparable depth before the candidate’s own opinion is reinforced.
Coherence & Cohesion
Topic sentences signal each paragraph’s viewpoint explicitly (“Those who prefer immediate access point out that…”, “Advocates of weekly releases counter that…”), and “counter that” cleanly marks the pivot between views. Reference devices such as “this flexibility” and “a single weekend of concentrated but short-lived attention” connect ideas within paragraphs without a mechanical list of connectors.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and varied: “full-season drop”, “sustained anticipation”, “racing each other to avoid spoilers”. Synonyms avoid repetition (e.g. “a whole series at once”, “immediate access”, “an all-at-once release”), and collocations are used accurately (“keeps a show part of ongoing conversation”, “reduces the… cancellation risk”).
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The response controls a range of complex structures: a colon introducing an elaboration of the two strategies, a “whereas” clause of contrast, and a multi-clause final sentence balancing a comparison against a justifying “since” clause. No errors of tense, agreement or word form are present.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
See commonMistakes above: the most damaging is developing the all-at-once view in detail while reducing the weekly-release view to a passing remark like “it builds excitement”. A band 9 discussion essay must give both views equally specific, developed support.