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Essay Task 2

Guide to Advantage Disadvantage IELTS Essay Type

Essay Types
Double Question
Advantage Disadvantage
Problem Solution
Essay Length

IELTS advantage/disadvantage essays ask you to write about the benefits and drawbacks of a topic as well as (sometimes) asking for your opinion. This guide covers everything you need to know to complete an Academic IELTS advantage/ disadvantage essay. Let’s start preparing with Benchmark IELTS!

1.1 understanding the question, 1.2 example advantage/disadvantage questions, 2.1 essay structure 1, 2.2 essay structure 2.

3.1 Identify key words and phrases

3.2 Organise your ideas

3.3 identify vocabulary, 4.1 introduction, 4.2 main body paragraphs, 4.3 conclusion, 5.1 complete the sample advantage/disadvantage essay, 5.2 advantage/disadvantage sample essay, 1. advantage/ disadvantage essay overview.

This section of the guide will show you how to identify an IELTS advantage/disadvantage question.

Remember, there are five main types of writing task 2 questions:

Advantage/disadvantage
Double question
Problem/solution

It is very important to understand what type of question you are given in the exam so you can respond in an appropriate way: different question types will require different responses.

Advantage/disadvantage essay questions can be presented in several different ways.

Here are some examples of the way an advantage/disadvantage question may be worded:

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of _____ and give your opinion.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of _____?

You may also see questions using synonyms for advantage and disadvantage, for example:

What are the benefits and drawbacks of…?

Be careful, the question itself might not always use words or phrases relating to advantage/disadvantage and they could be hidden in the statement, as seen here:

Some people believe that using a bicycle as your main form of transport has a lot of advantages , whereas others believe that it has many disadvantages . Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Here is another example of a question where you are asked to give your opinion:

Do the advantages of … outweigh the disadvantages

After you have identified the essay type , you need to understand what you are being asked to do. To do well in the Task achievement marking component, you need to ‘ address all parts of the task’ .

This type of essay question will always be split into two parts:

The IELTS statement
The question

You must always write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the given topic. As we can see in example questions 1-6, sometimes you are asked to give your opinion on the question, and sometimes you are not. Let’s compare the following questions:

You are not being asked to give your opinion

Here are some example advantage/disadvantage essay questions:

In the past, when students did a university degree, they tended to study in their own country. Nowadays, they have more of an opportunity to study abroad.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Today children spend a lot of their free time watching TV.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of this practice?

Also, read the following IELTS Essay Writing Guides

IELTS Discussion Type Questions
Double Question IELTS Essay Topics
Opinion-based Task 2 IELTS Guide
Problem Solution IELTS Writing Task Statement

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy.

The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In the past, when students did a university degree, they tended to study in their own country. Nowadays, they have the opportunity to study abroad.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

More and more people prefer to read news online rather than on paper.

Do you think the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

2. Essay Structures for Advantage/Disadvantage Essays

There is more than one way to structure your advantage/disadvantage essay. You could take a thesis-led (opinion in the introduction) or an evidence-led (opinion in your conclusion).

You could also choose to focus on one or more than one advantage/disadvantage in each of your main body paragraphs.

The next two sections will give you two possible ways that you could structure your essay using four clearly organized paragraphs.

Thesis-led approach

Evidence-led approach

3. Planning your Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

Before you start writing your essay, you should give yourself 5 minutes to analyze the question and organize your ideas . Follow the tips below to create a well-planned essay!

3.1 Identify keywords and phrases

It sounds simple, but it is very important that you read the question carefully and understand what you are being asked to write about. To analyze the question, first, identify any keywords and phrases .

You should first identify the topic of the essay. If you do not write about the correct topic, you will score poorly in Task achievement . The general topic can always be found in the IELTS statement.

Let’s take a look at one of the previous examples:

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace . Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy .

The topic words are underlined and show the general topic of this essay question in nuclear weapons/power/technology .

After you have identified the general topic, you need to locate other keywords that give you more detail about the topic. In this question, the words world peace and cheap and clean energy in bold give you more information about the general topic. Therefore, your essay should only relate to these aspects of nuclear weapons/power/technology .

Now take a look at the question for our model answer at the end of this guide. Can you identify the general topic?

This is an important step that is often skipped by test-takers. By quickly writing down your key ideas, you will avoid repeating or missing any points and improve your score in both Task achievement and Coherence and cohesion .

You could use bullet points , columns , or another preferred method of writing down ideas . Here is an example for our sample essay:

Take a look at our Master Guide for a more in-depth look at idea generation and organizing your ideas.

Taking a moment to write down more uncommon vocabulary related to the essay topic will not only make you feel more relaxed in the exam but will also help you to improve your score in Lexical resources .

This doesn’t have to be a long list, just a few ideas that come into your mind. Here are some examples of the topic of studying abroad:

Culture shock
Language barrier
Broaden one’s horizons

4. Writing your Advantages/Disadvantages Essay

Your introduction should be the shortest paragraph in your essay (about 40-60 words is perfect).

You need to rephrase the IELTS statement in your own words. This is known as paraphrasing (a key skill to develop for the IELTS exam).

Take a look at our example:


In the past, when students did a university degree, they tended to study in their own country. Nowadays, they have the opportunity to study abroad. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

You can also briefly state what your essay will be about in one clear sentence. For instance:

This essay will discuss both points of view and then I will give my opinion.

If you are taking a thesis-led approach, you can use one of the following sentence starters to briefly give your opinion:

I believe that…
It is my belief that…
In my opinion,…

A note on the use of the first person ‘I’: Unlike writing task 1, it is appropriate to use the first person in your writing task 2 essay. In fact, it is unavoidable when giving your opinion. But , you should not overuse ‘I’ in your essay and we recommend you limit your use to your introduction and conclusion.

Topic sentences Usually, the first sentence of your main body paragraph will be a topic sentence . The purpose of your topic sentence is to introduce the main idea of your paragraph .

You should include one topic sentence for each advantage/disadvantage . This means that, if your main body paragraphs focus on two advantages/disadvantages , then you should have two topic sentences per paragraph.

Here’s an example: One advantage of studying abroad is that students can improve their language skills.

Here are some other sentence starters you can use for your essays (you can replace the underlined words with vocabulary linked to your topic):

One advantage of studying abroad is that ….
Another benefit of studying abroad is that…
One downside of studying abroad is that…
Another downside of studying abroad is that…

Supporting sentences You should then expand on your topic sentence with a supporting sentence/sentences . Your sentence(s) could either describe a result of the advantage/disadvantage, go into more detail , or explain the reason(s) why these benefits/drawbacks occur.

Our example supporting sentence describes a result of the advantage given in the topic sentence.

Topic sentence – One advantage of studying abroad is that students can improve their language skills.

Supporting sentence – This means that when the students return to their home countries, they will have more employment opportunities.

Here are some sentences starters you can use to begin your supporting sentences:

This is because…
The result/consequence/reason is that…
This means that…
As a result/consequence,…
In other words,…

Giving examples For all writing task 2 essay types , you must support your response with examples. Do not personalize your examples and link them to your life instead, Keep your examples more general . Also, do not refer to made-up statistics .

Here are some instances of suitable and non-suitable examples:

Suitable For example, many young people who study in an English-speaking country for a few years develop strong communication skills and have the confidence to work in an international company when they return home.

Not suitable My cousin spent three years in an English-speaking country and they got an excellent job with an international country when they came back to Spain. ( this example is too personal as it refers to the writer’s family ) ❌

According to statistics, international students are 30% more likely to get a job in an international company when they study overseas. ( this example contains a made-up statistic )

You must include a conclusion to achieve a good score in Task achievement . Your conclusion does not have to be very long, but it needs to be clear and do two main things:

Paraphrase yourself : summarise the key points in your body paragraphs
Give your opinion : It depends if you have taken an evidence-led or thesis-led approach, you will either be re-stating the opinion given in your introduction or giving your opinion for the first time.

Make your conclusion easy to identify for the examiner by starting with linking phrases such as:

To sum up,…
To summarise,…
In conclusion,…

When you are paraphrasing the main points of your essay, you need to state that you have examined both sides of the argument (as that is what the question has asked you to do). To do this, consider using a phrase like:

In conclusion, having looked at this topic in detail, it is clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad .

You would need to replace the underlined section with your essay topic.

To give your opinion, you need to use a range of cohesive devices to introduce each example such as:

From my perspective,…
In my view,…

You then need to clearly state which side of the argument you agree with (advantage or disadvantage). Remember, your actual opinion does not matter, it is how you present your opinion using English that is important.

Here are some example sentences to do this effectively:

In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
From my perspective, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits .

5. Example Advantage/Disadvantage Essay and Exercise

Now you’ve taken a look at how to write an advantage/disadvantage essay, let’s look at a model answer.

We have removed some of the words so you can put your knowledge to the test.

Select the correct missing words and complete the model answer.

years, it has become much more common for to complete their degree overseas instead of their country. Many believe that there are significant of doing this, while others argue that there are also connected to studying abroad. This essay will discuss both points of and then I will give my opinion.

One advantage of abroad is that students can improve their skills. This means that when the students return to their home countries, they will have more employment opportunities. , many young people study in an English-speaking country for a few years develop strong communication skills and have the confidence to work in an international company when they return home. benefit of studying abroad is that you can develop a better understanding of other cultures, for , learning about a country's customs, traditions and cuisines. The consequence of this is that people become more open-minded.

, there are some disadvantages of studying abroad. One is that students may miss their friends and family and feel . They may also find it difficult to connect with other students and make friends due to a . Another disadvantage is that students can experience a real culture shock when moving to another country. This is because the culture and language may be different which could lead to frustration for the student and with their study experience.

To , it is clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. In my , the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Although it is true that the experience may be challenging at first, on , if you study abroad you will have an enriching experience that will broaden your horizons and increase your future prospects.

/ 21

In recent years, it has become much more common for students to complete their degree overseas instead of their house country. Many persons believe that there are significant benefits of doing this, while others argue that there are also drawbacks connected to studying abroad. This essay will discuss both points of mind and then I will give my opinion.

One advantage of study abroad is that students can improve their employee skills. This means that when the students return to their home countries, they will have more employment opportunities. An example, many young people who study in an English-speaking country for a few years develop strong communication skills and have the confidence to work in an international company when they return home. On the other hand benefit of studying abroad is that you can develop a better understanding of other cultures, Example , learning about a country’s customs, traditions and cuisines. The consequence of this is that people become more open-minded.

In the other hand, there are some disadvantages of studying abroad. One backdraw is that students may miss their friends and family and feel homesad. They may also find it difficult to connect with other students and make friends due to a language barrier . Another disadvantage is that students can experience a real culture shock when moving to another country. This is because the culture and language may be different which could lead to frustration for the student and dissatisfaction with their study experience.

To overall , it is clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. In my thought, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Although it is true that the experience may be challenging at first, on balance , if you study abroad you will have an enriching experience that will broaden your horizons and increase your future prospects.

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays

Questions for IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays can be worded in several different ways. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of….?
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.

It is also common for synonyms of ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ to be used, such as ‘benefits’ and ‘drawbacks’, as can be seen in this sample question.

A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income. Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems if it is not well-managed.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world? Do you think that the benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks?

I’ll be using this question to guide you through the process of planning and writing an IELTS advantage and disadvantages essay later on in this lesson.

Here’s what the lesson covers:

Understanding IELTS advantages & disadvantages essay questions
Essay structures
How to plan
How to write an introduction
How to write main body paragraphs
How to write a conclusion

Want to watch and listen? Click on this video.

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics.

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay questions fall into two main categories:

Questions that ask for your opinion.
Questions that do not require you to state your opinion.

The first part of the question will always be a statement. You will then be asked to write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the idea stated. You may also be required to state your opinion.

Here are two more sample questions for illustration. For the first one, you must give your opinion but in the second, you should not.

1. Small businesses are disappearing and being replaced by large multinational companies.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

2. Most career choices demand vocational skills or specialist knowledge. However, despite this, most schools still teach academic subjects such as history or social studies.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Essay Structures

Now let’s look at two simple structures you can use to write IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays. They're not the only possible structures but are ones I recommend because they are easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

I’ll explain later why I’m giving you two slightly different structures.

These structures will give you a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

One Advantage and Disadvantage or Two?

The question will state 'advantages' and 'disadvantages' in the plural, that is, more than one. However, it is acceptable to write about just one.

This should give you an essay of just over the minimum 250 words. To write about two advantages and disadvantages will require you to write nearer 400 words which are a lot to plan and write in the 40 minutes allowed.

It is better to fully develop one advantage and one disadvantage than ending up with your second idea missing an explanation or an example because you run out of time, but you can write about two if you feel able to or more comfortable doing so.

Having said that, using essay structure 2, where you start with the examples, will enable you to easily add more than one advantage and disadvantage without having to write many more words.

It will be more suitable for some questions than others so bear this in mind when you're writing practice essays and try out both structures.

I’m going to use essay structure 2 to show you step-by-step how to write an IELTS advantage and disadvantages essay. I’ll also give you a model answer using essay structure 1 so that you can compare the two.

How To Plan IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays

The planning process only takes around 5 minutes but it is essential as it will save you time overall and will result in a far better essay and thus, higher marks. Th ere are the 3 things you need to do:

Analyse the question
Generate ideas
Identify vocabulary

# 1 Analyse the question

Analysing the question will ensure that you answer it fully. It’s quick and easy to do. You just need to identify 3 different types of words:

Topic words
Other keywords
Instruction words

Topics words are the ones that identify the general subject of the question and will be found in the statement part of the question.

Here is the question we’re going to be working on. I’ve highlighted the topic words in blue.

So, this question is about ‘ tourism’ .

Many people do this first step of the process and then write about the topic in general. This is a serious mistake and leads to low marks for task achievement.

What we need to do now that we know the general topic, is to understand exactly what aspect of tourism we're being asked to write about.

The other keywords in the question tell you the specific topic your essay must be about.

A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income . Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems if it is not well-managed.

By highlighting these words, it’s easy to see that you are being asked to write about the conflicting issues of tourism being ‘a main source of income’ in many places, yet also being ‘a source of problems’.

Your essay must only include ideas relevant to this aspect of tourism.

The instruction words are the question itself. They tell you exactly what to include in your essay.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world? Do you think that the benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks ?

Here, we are required to write about:

The advantages of tourism in relation to income generation.
The disadvantage of tourism in relation to problems it can cause.
Our opinion as to whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Note the use of the synonyms ‘ benefits ’ and ‘ drawback ’ in the second sentence of the question.

# 2 Generate ideas

The next task is to generate some ideas to write about.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the IELTS Essay Planning page.

I’m going to demonstrate two of them for you here – the ‘friends technique’, which is suitable for most IELTS essays, and the ‘example method’, which perfectly fits essay structure 2.

The ‘ friends technique ’ is the method I generally prefer as it allows you to take a step back from the stress of the exam situation and think more calmly.

Here’s how it works. Imagine that you are chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee and they ask you this question. What are the first thoughts to come into your head? Plan your essay around these ideas.

Doing this will help you to come up with simple answers in everyday language rather than straining your brain to think of amazing ideas using high-level language, which isn’t necessary.

Here are my ideas using the friends technique:

There are far too many ideas here to include in an essay of just over 250 words. Think up a few then pick one advantage and one disadvantage that you think you can develop well.

With the ' example method ', on the other hand, you start by thinking of specific examples related to the question. They can come from your own experience or be something you’ve read or heard about. These examples will generate ideas that will become the main points of your essay.

It works particularly well for the model question I’ve selected for this lesson which is why I’ve included the second essay structure.

Here are my ideas using the examples technique:

Now that we have some ideas, we’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay, but first, we have one more task to do.

# 3 Vocabulary

During the planning stage, quickly jot down some vocabulary that comes to mind as you decide what you're going to write about, especially synonyms of key words. This will save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing.

Writing an IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

We’re ready to begin writing our essay. For the first model answer, I’m going to take you step-by-step through essay structure 2. I’ll then give you a model answer for essay structure 1.

Here’s a reminder of the question and the essay structure.

We’ll now start work on the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

The introduction to an IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay should have a simple 2 or 3 part structure:

Paraphrase the question
Outline the main ideas
State your opinion (if required)

Our tourism question asks for our opinion so our introduction will have 3 parts.

1) Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question statement.

Question: A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income.

Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems if it is not well-managed.

Paraphrased question:

Although holidaymakers contribute hugely to the economies of many popular destinations, the influx of tourists can also cause serious issues.

Note my use of synonyms for some of the key words. It’s fine to repeat one or two words if you can't think of suitable synonyms. Above all, your language must sound natural.

2) Outline statement

Now we need to add a statement where we outline the main points that we’ll be covering in the rest of the essay, that is, an advantage of tourism and a disadvantage of tourism.

Here are the two main ideas I’ve chosen to write about:

Advantage – Poor areas are now prosperous tourist resorts
Disadvantage – Displacement of local people

Outline statement:

This essay will demonstrate how tourism can transform the economy of poor areas but will also show that this can lead to such problems as the displacement of local people.

3) Opinion statement

The question also asks for our opinion and it’s essential that we include it in the introduction.

Opinion statement:

Whilst acknowledging that there are drawbacks, the essay will argue that the advantages of the tourist industry outweigh the disadvantages.

So, let’s bring the three elements of our introduction together.

Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1 – Poor areas are now prosperous tourist resorts

Main body paragraph 2 – Displacement of local people

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main body paragraphs in IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays written using structure 2, should contain 3 things:

Topic sentence – give an example
Explanation – explain the benefits/advantages
Consequence – state the result

Main Body Paragraph 1

The topic sentence summarises the main idea of the paragraph. It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

In this instance, the topic sentence will introduce our first example, for which I’ve chosen Thailand.

Main idea – Poor areas are now prosperous tourist resorts
Example – Thailand

Topic sentence:

One country that has experienced a significant economic boost from tourism is Thailand.

Next, we must write an explanation sentence that states the main point of our example.

Explanation sentence:

Over the past 50 years, many of its small fishing villages, where people often struggled to make a living, have been developed into thriving holiday destinations.

Finally, we explain the consequence or result of the situation. This is where we give an example of one specific advantage. It is better to pick one and develop it than to just add a long list.

Consequence:

With all the hotels, restaurants, shops and other tourist facilities that have been developed, there are now enough jobs for everyone and the general standard of living has greatly increased. Many local people have spotted new business opportunities and become entrepreneurs which has further diversified the economy.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We’ll now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea – Displacement of local people

Example – Venice

First, we write the topic sentence to summarise the main idea.

Topic sentence:

In Venice, on the other hand, the huge popularity of the beautiful canals and stunning architecture with visitors from around the world has had a negative impact on local residents.

Now for the explanation sentence that states the main point of our example.

Explanation sentence:

The growing need for tourist accommodation, places to eat and shops has forced many people from their homes to make way for this new development.

Finally, a specific example to explain the consequence .

Not only have these people suffered by having to move away from their family and friends but the situation has also resulted in a lost sense of community in the worst affected areas.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

The conclusion is a summary of the main points in your essay and can generally be done in a single sentence. It should never introduce new ideas.

If you're below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add a prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay is already near the minimum word limit so we don’t need this extra sentence but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

Neatly end the essay
Link all your ideas together
Sum up your argument or opinion
Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS a dvantages and disadvantages essay with the words:

In conclusion

To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a great conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction.

Introduction:

Here's the same information formed into a conclusion:

That’s it. We’ve completed our advantages and disadvantages essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Finished IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

Example IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay for Structure 1

Now, here’s a model answer for essay structure 1. First, a reminder of the structure and the ideas I generated using the friends technique.

Ideas generation - Friends technique

I’ve underline the ideas I’ve chosen to write about in this second essay:

Advantages of tourism – source of income:

Provides jobs for local people
Opportunities for local entrepreneurs
Tourist spending boosts both national & local economy
Brings improvement in local infrastructure & facilities which benefit whole community
Helps maintain traditions & culture

Disadvantages of tourism – the problems:

Money goes to wealthy business owners not local people
Increased crime
Illegal activities, e.g. drugs
More pubs & clubs – changes the local culture
Increase in property values
Destruction of the natural environment to build hotels, airports & other facilities
Displacement of indigenous people

See if you can identify the different parts of the essay and how I have developed them.

That's it. Now it's time for you to get practicing.

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More help with ielts advantages and disadvantages essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2 – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

Opinion Essays

Discussion Essays

Problem Solution Essays

Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

IELTS Writing
Advantages & Disadvantages Essays
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IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay: Overview, Structure And Tips

1. ielts advantage disadvantage essay overview.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage essay raises a problem or an opinion and asks you to point out the benefits as well as drawbacks on that issue or point of view.

Typically, an IELTS Advantage Disadvantage essay question can be divided into three parts:

1st part: a specific problem or opinion (e.g. The development of tourism contributed to English becoming the most prominent language in the world. Some people think this will lead to English becoming the only language to be spoken globally.)
2nd part: requirement to give the advantages & disadvantages of the problem or opinion (e.g. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having one language in the world?)
3rd part: requirement for the time limit and word count (e.g. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words.)

There are normally 2 types of requirements to list the advantages & disadvantages of a problem or opinion:

Indicate pros and cons only
Indicate pros and cons & Explicate whether pros outweigh cons

Here are some examples of how an IELTS Advantage and Disadvantage question can be worded:

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of….?
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

If you are planning to take the IELTS, let’s start practicing with our free IELTS online test to get ready for your exam.

2. IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Structure

The three-part structure is also used for IELTS Advantage Disadvantage essay. However, as the IELTS Advantage Disadvantage questions can be either indicating pros and cons only or indicating pros and cons & explicating whether pros outweigh cons, you can refer to two types of structure below:

2.1 Indicating Pros and Cons Only

2.1.1 Introduction

– Paraphrase the question: (e.g. It is thought by some people that English, which is now the most widely spoken language in the world, may one day predominate over all other languages and result in their eventual disappearance.)

– Thesis statement / Outline sentence: (e.g. Having one language would certainly aid understanding and economic growth but there will also be some drawbacks.)

2.2.2. Body

– Body paragraph 1: Advantages

Topic sentence: state the advantages
State and explain the first advantage: give the first advantage of the problem/opinion and elaborate the first advantage (e.g. One evident benefit to having one global language is that it would enable greater understanding between countries.In other words, if everyone spoke one language, there would be complete understanding between not only countries but all people throughout the world which would promote learning, the flow of information and ideas.)
Example: support the first advantage with an example (optional)
State and explain the second advantage: give the second advantage of the problem/opinion and elaborate the second advantage (e.g. Another reason that one language would be advantageous is that it would help economic growth. With all people speaking the same language, there would be fewer barriers and therefore trade would flourish between countries, resulting in a healthier world economy.)
Example: support the second advantage with an example (optional)

– Body paragraph 2: Disadvantages

Topic sentence: state the disadvantages (e.g. On the other hand, there are obvious disadvantages to having only one global language.)
State and explain the first disadvantage: give the first disadvantage of the problem/opinion and elaborate the first disadvantage (e.g. Firstly, it would mean that all other languages would eventually disappear and, along with them, their cultures. The diversity of cultures is one of the joys this world has to offer. Each culture is unique with its own way of life and own perspectives of the world which would all be lost if there were only one language.)
Example: support the first disadvantage with an example (optional)
State and explain the second disadvantage: give the second disadvantage of the problem/opinionand elaborate the second disadvantage (e.g. Secondly, it would result in the collapse of tourism because there would be no reason to travel for pleasure and interest if all countries had the same language and similar cultures. This would devastate many countries economically that rely on tourism as a source of income.)
Example: support the second disadvantage with an example (optional)

2.2.3. Conclusion

– Summarize advantages and disadvantages:

(e.g. In conclusion, while there are plus points to having one global language, too much would be lost as a result. )

– Give recommendations (optional) (e.g. Maintaining local languages and cultures should be prioritised to ensure a rich world heritage for future generations.)

>>> Practice now: IELTS Writing Practice Test

2.2. Indicating Pros and Cons & Explicating Whether Pros outweigh Cons

2.2.1. Introduction

– Paraphrase the question: (e.g. Globalisation has been one of the most significant phenomena in the last few decades, and it has changed several aspects of human society both economically and socially. There has been remarkable progress in terms of economic and financial development for developing countries due to the expansion of global organizations. However, there are several drawbacks to this rapid progress that need to be addressed.)

– Thesis statement / Outline sentence: (e.g. Evidently, globalization has more advantages than disadvantages and the following paragraphs, will elaborate on the topic and justify these views.)

– Body paragraph 1: Stronger side

Topic sentence: state the stronger side
State and explain the first reason: give the first reason why it is the stronger side (e.g. First of all, the most advantageous aspect of globalization is the advent of numerous international companies and franchises in developing countries.)
Example: support the first reason with an example (optional) (e.g. Ever since global brands and corporations have expanded their operations in countries such as India, China, Sri Lanka and many more, there has been a notable increase in employment in these countries.)
State and explain the second reason : give the second reason why it is the stronger side (e.g. Additionally, due to the remarkable rise in the number of imports and exports, people from third world countries now have access to a vast catalogue of products and services that were previously unattainable.)
Example: support the second reason with an example (optional)

– Body paragraph 2: Weaker side

Topic sentence: state the weaker side (e.g. That being said, there are drawbacks to globalization that create concerning issues for a sizeable portion of the global population.)
State and explain the first reason: give the first reason why it is the weaker side (e.g. One of the most disturbing consequences faced is the exploitation of labour. Many corporations are known to outsource their operations to developing countries due to cheap labour costs. This enables them to accomplish their manufacturing operations without having to provide proper remuneration.)
Example: support the first reason with an example (optional)
State and explain the second reason: give the second reason why it is the weaker side (e.g. Also, due to the use of inexpensive labour, the quality of products is diminished, and customers receive inferior products.)

(e.g. In conclusion, there is no doubt that the effects of globalization are not entirely positive or negative.)

– Restate the position of each side: (e.g. Nonetheless, the benefits brought by this occupation outweigh the drawbacks.)

*** Note: For the IELTS Advantage Disadvantage question asking you to state your opinion (e.g. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.), you should add another Body paragraph to give your point of view on the issue with clarification and example (if any)

note what your point of view is towards the issue in the Conclusion part).

3. IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Strategy

3.1. analyse ielts advantage disadvantage essay questions.

The very first step you should do with IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay is not to write your essay immediately but analyze the questions in details so that you can deeply understand what the judges want you to perform. You had better highlight or underline keywords based on these criteria:

ielts advantage disadvantage essay strategy

Main topic (e.g. The development of tourism contributed to English becoming the most prominent language in the world. Some people think this will lead to English becoming the only language to be spoken globally.)
Requirements: (e.g. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having one language in the world?)
Instructions (e.g. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write at least 250 words.)

3.2. Make an outline

Your IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay had better be both coherent and cohesive simultaneously, so an outline should be your next step to write your essay. Your outline can be created in the form of a mindmap, a table, or a list of bullet points.

3.3. Write a complete IELTS problem solution essay

Once you’ve had your own outline and know well how to organize your writing, it’s time to write your IELTS problem solution essay using your grammar and vocabulary range related to the topic given.

3.4. Double-check your IELTS problem solution essay

Don’t forget to check your IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay in terms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling, etc. at least once before handing in the final paper.

4. IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips

Your IELTS Advantage Disadvantage should be written within the time limit of about 40 minutes with 250-290 words.
Try not to go off the topic but give the relevant ideas to illustrate each point in your essay.
Utilize linking words in order to make connections among sentences as well as paragraphs.
Don’t forget to quickly draft an outline with the main points for each part.
Elaborate your advantages, disadvantages, and/or your opinion with explanation and examples.
Enhance your grammar and vocabulary range on diverse topics before taking an IELTS Writing test .
Do as many online IELTS practice tests of Advantage Disadvantage essay as possible and you can score high in the real test.

IELTS Charlie

Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay: tips, mistakes, questions & essays

In this lesson we are going to look at how to answer an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages essay.

You will learn about this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay, using authentic IELTS essay questions , plus the most common mistakes. And I will finish with an IELTS model essay written by me in response to a sample IELTS essay question . So let’s get started!

What Is Your Task?

In this IELTS question type, you are presented with a situation, a development or a trend. Your task is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages related to this situation, development or trend.

In some tasks, you may also be asked to give an opinion on whether the advantages are more significant than the disadvantages. These “outweigh” questions are more common in the IELTS Academic Writing Test, but they can also appear in the IELTS General Training Writing Test.

In many countries, paying for things using mobile phone (cellphone) apps is becoming increasingly common.

Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?

Cambridge IELTS 15 General Training Test 4

How To Plan An IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

If you are aiming for a high band score (band 7 and above) it is absolutely vital that you plan your essay. A good plan will help you to see if you have answered the question, developed your ideas and organised them BEFORE you start writing.

We’re going to plan an essay using my 4 Step Planning Process .

Step 1: Understand The Task

First, you need to make sure you understand exactly what you need to write about. So you need to read the question carefully, not quickly!

Think about these three questions:

What is the topic about?

What is the topic NOT about?

How should you respond to the topic?

Let’s go back to this essay question, and answer those 3 questions:

The topic is about mobile phone payments, such as digital wallets, payment apps like Google Pay and Apple Pay, and QR code payments.

The task is NOT about mobile phone apps in general, so don’t discuss the advantages of mobile phones or mobile apps. The task is specific to payment apps.

The question “does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?” tells you how to respond to the topic. You simply need to answer that question.

Step 2: Decide Your Position

Next, you need to decide your position. In other words, you need to decide what you think.

In an advantages disadvantages essay, your position is your answer to the question .

So in the example question above, your position is your answer to the question: “does this development (i.e. paying for things using mobile phone apps) have more advantages or more disadvantages?”

Step 3: Extend Your Ideas

When you decided your position, you may have started thinking about the reasons for your position, the reasons for your answer. In other words, WHY are you taking this view?

Giving reasons for your view is essential in an IELTS essay. In fact, all IELTS questions tell you to “give reasons for your answer”. So in Step 3, you need to think about your reasons a little more.

However, just presenting your reasons is not enough. You need to develop them.

The two best ways of developing your ideas is by:

giving explanations of what you mean
giving specific examples which illustrate what you mean

Together, these add more detail to your answer.

You MUST do this to get Band 7. If you fail to develop your ideas in detail, your band score for Task Response may be limited to Band 6.

Read more about how to develop your ideas in an IELTS essay.

Step 4: Structure Your Essay

The final step in the planning process is to structure your essay. This simply means deciding which main ideas to put in which paragraphs.

I suggest you use almost exactly the same structure, regardless of whether you are taking the Academic or General Training Test:

Paragraph 1: introduction
Paragraph 2: discuss what you think are the advantages
Paragraph 3: discuss what you think are the disadvantages
Paragraph 4 (Ac): explain if you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages
Paragraph 4 (GT): summarise your views

IELTS advantages disadvantages essay questions are usually on topics where there are both advantages AND disadvantages. In other words, if you argue that there are only advantages, the IELTS examiner might decide your essay lacks balance, and this could limit your band score for Task Response.

How To Write Your IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

Let’s go through how to write the different parts of the essay.

How To Write The Introduction To an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

In the introduction to an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages essay, you need to do one or two things.

If you are asked “what are the advantages and disadvantages?” , then just briefly introduce the topic of the essay.

If you are asked for an opinion – e.g. “ do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages”, or “does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?”, then also add a second sentence where you present your answer to this question.

Introduce The Topic

You should begin with a background sentence which introduces your reader to the topic of the essay. The best way to do this is to paraphrase the topic statement.

How To Paraphrase

Think about the meaning of the topic statement, and briefly rewrite it using your own words. Try not to use the same grammatical structures as in the essay question, and try to move language around. In other words, be flexible. This is important if you are aiming for a Band 7 or higher.

In the example essay question above, the topic statement said:

“In many countries, paying for things using mobile phone (cellphone) apps is becoming increasingly common.”

Here is one way of paraphrasing this:

“Purchasing goods with apps on mobile phones has grown in popularity over recent years.”

This sentence has the same general meaning as the original sentence, but uses different vocabulary and different grammatical structures.

How NOT To Paraphrase

When you paraphrase, do NOT just change individual words with synonyms, or you will get some very strange sentences, e.g.

“In a lot of nations, buying items using portable communication software is becoming more customary.”

DON’T DO THIS! It sounds unnatural and can be confusing for your reader.

Give Your Opinion

If you are asked questions like:

“do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages”, or
“does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?”

then you are being asked for your opinion, in addition to a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages.

So write a 2nd sentence in which you clearly answer this question. e.g.

“In my view, this development has significant drawbacks overall.”

There’s little point in adding a scope sentence: “This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this development.” This kind of sentence doesn’t add much to your essay and the language is quite basic.

Just start writing the body.

How To Write The Body Paragraphs

In an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages essay, you need to present the advantages and disadvantages in the body paragraphs.

Write the advantages and disadvantages in separate paragraphs.

Each main body paragraph should contain:

An advantage (or disadvantage) – your main idea
A more detailed explanation of this
An example which illustrates this
You can also include a 2nd advantage or 2nd disadvantage in the same paragraph.

This structure is what is meant by developing your ideas, and it is essential for a Band 7.

You can read more about developing your ideas here .

How To Write The Conclusion

In the conclusion to an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages essay, what you write depends on the question.

If you are asked “what are the advantages and disadvantages?” then just write a summary of your ideas.

If you are asked for your opinion – e.g. “do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” – then answer this question in the conclusion.

Do NOT write any new ideas in your conclusion. If you think of new ideas while writing your conclusion, forget them! It’s too late

Common Mistakes in an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

These are the most common mistakes made by Test Takers when writing an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages essay:

presenting too many advantages and disadvantages: you MUST develop ALL of your ideas to get a high band score, so it’s best to present 3 or 4 advantages / disadvantages in total and explain them all
not answering the “do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” question. This question does not appear in all advantages disadvantages essays, but when it does, you must answer it
writing an overly general statement about the topic in the introduction (e.g. Education is a topic of hot debate)
The advantages / disadvantages are not explained and illustrated in enough detail. You need to develop all of your points to get a Band 7.
Not fully understanding the essay question. This is often caused by reading the question quickly, not carefully.
Using memorised phrases (e.g. “a hot topic”, “in a nutshell”, “pros and cons”)
Using “research studies” as examples: examples should illustrate your ideas, not prove them. Read about how to use examples in IELTS essays .
Trying to use rare or “novel” language: examiners are looking for groups of words used naturally, not rare words.

Sample IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Questions

In the future all cars, buses and trucks will be driverless. The only people travelling inside these vehicles will be passengers. Do you think the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages?

(Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Test 4)

In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?

( Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Test 4 )

Today more and more tourists are visiting places where conditions are difficult, such as the Sahara desert or the Antarctic. What are the benefits and disadvantages for tourists who visit such places?

(Cambridge IELTS 12 General Training Test 5)

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

(Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic Test 6)

Model IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

This essay provides a plan and model response for an advantages and disadvantages essay in your writing paper.

Essay question:

Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation.

Why might this be the case?

What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?

My initial ideas:

Advantages-

You can create your own schedule
You can dictate your own pay
You can travel with work
You can experience a wider variety of work
You’re in control
You can expand and personalise your skill set and knowledge base

Disadvantages-

It may not be consistently financially successful
There may be periods of unemployment
You are responsible for your income
You are competing with many others
It may feel lonely

Essay structure

Introduction

Paraphrase the question

Outline main ideas

State opinion (if required)

Main body paragraph 1- Advantage

Topic sentence- example

Explanation- explain the benefits/advantages

Consequence- state the result

Main body paragraph 2- Disadvantage

Explanation- explain the problems/disadvantages

Summarise key points

Loop back to beginning

Many people nowadays are opting to work for themselves, rather than for a company. There is a more palpable shift towards self-employment and a greater detachment from more traditional working structures. This essay will demonstrate how self-employment can lead to financial freedom and more flexibility of one’s output, but it will also show how financial freedom can be risky and the idea of creative flexibility can be illusionary. Whilst acknowledging the drawbacks, this essay will argue how the advantages of self-employment outweigh the disadvantages.

One clear benefit of working for one’s self, is the possibility of financial freedom and creative autonomy. By being self-employed, one has the room to create your own salary. Rather than being hemmed in by a fixed monthly amount, a person working for themselves can exceed this and create a salary that is reflective of their work and one that does not impede them by wider company policy. Although some people can see pay rises, this is seldom seen in many industries and despite the extra hours people work, their pay quickly hits a ceiling. Whereas, self-employment means you are not determined by someone else’s view of what you should be paid. As well as this, someone who is self-employed has more creative control. This is highly important as being passionate about what you do should be a key characteristic with any job. By having more creative control, we can determine what we produce and the effect we want it to have. Therefore, we are in control and can enjoy the work we ultimately decide to produce.

On the other hand, there are obvious disadvantages to being self-employed. Firstly, it can involve some financial risk where each month does not necessarily look financially the same. There may be dips and troughs where the individual is learning less than the previous month. This could seep into other aspects of their life and make certain things difficult, such as paying bills. Secondly, having to be constantly creative can be more difficult than perceived and its reality not as utopian as it may seem. For example, if someone is starting their own business or creating a course, the sole creative output rests on their shoulders and this can be difficult to routinely produce, rather than having a brief to fill which is passed down from a senior or fellow colleague.

In conclusion, whilst there are disadvantages to being self-employed, I believe the potential possibilities and benefits of being self-employed outweigh working for a company. Whilst working for a company is preferred by some, the working world is shifting to a model that is more innovative, creative and less reliant on the traditional ways of work.

word count- 446

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IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages with Sample Answer

Ielts task 2 writing – advantages and disadvantages essay, types of ielts advantages and disadvantages essays, type 1 – ielts task 2 writing topic, ielts task 2 writing sample, type 2 – ielts task 2 writing topic, more help with ielts essay writing.

Are you wanting to find out how to do well in IELTS Task 2 Writing? If so, you need to become familiar with the IELTS essay ‘Advantages and Disadvantages’ as this is a task type in both IELTS Writing Task 2 for Academic and IELTS Task 2 General Writing. This guide will share some IELTS Task 2 Writing topics, how to structure your response, and an IELTS Task 2 Writing sample. These will help you achieve success in this task on exam day. You should also go to E2 Test Prep and sign up for free. There, you can practise writing this essay type and every other part of your IELTS exam.

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The IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages essay task ( IELTS Writing Task 2) tests your ability to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of a particular phenomenon or issue. There are two types of Advantages and Disadvantages essays:

Type 1 asks that you simply discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
And Type 2 asks that you discuss the advantages and disadvantages AND give your opinion on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

IELTS Writing Task 2 sample with the following topic / question: The internet has made knowledge immediately available to people through computers and smartphones all around the world. Much of this knowledge is also free. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this trend.

For IELTS essay writing for an advantages and disadvantages essay, you need to use the following structure:

Introduction

Paragraph 1 (Advantages)
Paragraph 2 (Disadvantages)

Before you begin to write your IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay, you should make a brief plan. In your plan, be sure to include two advantages and two disadvantages, along with specific evidence or support for those ideas. Here is an example for this essay topic:

Plan for IELTS Writing Task 2 showing two advantages, two disadvantages and evidence or support for each.

Creating a good plan like this will mean that, rather than panicking about coming up with ideas mid-way through the test, you’ll be able to concentrate more on the actual writing of the essay.

In the introduction, you should:

first make a general background statement connected to the topic
then make a specific statement , e.g. by paraphrasing the exam question in your own words
finally, provide an answer by saying what you are going to write about in the essay

Sample introduction

(background statement:) The internet is a massive repository of human knowledge and it continues to accumulate more everyday. (specific statement:) At the click of a button, one can access information on just about any topic, from the abstract to the mundane. Not only is the information immediate, but it is also free. (answer:) This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of this trend.

To write your main body paragraphs, you should:

use topic sentences
link your ideas
use clauses of contrast
conclude with a final statement

Begin Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 with a topic sentence . This sentence introduces the paragraph and indicates to the reader what you intend to talk about in the paragraph.

Sample topic sentences

(paragraph 1) There are numerous advantages to internet-based learning. (paragraph 2) Readily available knowledge is not without its disadvantages, however .

Tip : It is a good idea to memorise some topic sentences such as these, as you can apply them to most advantage/disadvantage essays. e.g. There are numerous advantages to … shopping online / taking a gap year / assessing students through exams. Shopping online/ Taking a gap year/ Assessing students through exams is not without its disadvantages, however.

After your topic sentence, you can then communicate the ideas in your plan.

You will also need to link your ideas within your paragraphs. This shows that you have thought about structure and sequencing .

Use phrases like ‘In addition’ and ‘What’s more’ when introducing your second example.

Sample linking ideas

(paragraph 1) In addition to the speed at which one can find out some form of knowledge, the depth of the knowledge available is also more substantial. (paragraph 2) What’s more, we are at the mercy of electronics. While a book can last a century, the internet may be susceptible to failure.

You also have plenty of opportunities in the advantages/disadvantages essay to use clauses of contrast , which are introduced through words such as ‘although’, ‘while’ and ‘despite’. We use these clauses to show that we are contrasting and weighing up the advantages and the disadvantages.

Sample clause of contrast

Although the internet is effective in delivering us information at high-speed, we cannot always rely on computers in the same way that we can with books.

Remember the grammar needed with these structures:

Although + full clause (Although the internet is effective …)
While + full clause (While the internet is effective …)
Despite + verb-ing (Despite being effective …)
Despite the fact that + full clause (Despite the fact that the internet is effective …)

You should also conclude your paragraphs with a final statement .

Sample final statements

(paragraph 1) Overall, online knowledge nowadays is both efficient and broad. (paragraph 2) In short, there are drawbacks to the expanse of knowledge on the internet.

In the conclusion, you should:

say what the essay focused on
write a broad statement about the topic

Sample conclusion

(what the essay focused on:) This essay discussed both the advantages and the disadvantages of free and immediate information available on the internet. (broad statement:) In short, while the benefits are enormous, the drawbacks should not be overlooked.

Learn even more about this type of essay by watching this video with expert IELTS teacher Jay.

Sample Answer

The internet is a massive repository of human knowledge and it continues to accumulate more everyday. At the click of a button, one can access information on just about any topic, from the abstract to the mundane. Not only is the information immediate, but it is also free. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of this trend.

There are numerous advantages to internet-based learning. Firstly, it makes finding information much quicker. For example, using search engines such as Google, we can simply type in whatever we want information about, and the results are generated instantly. In addition to the speed at which one can find out some form of knowledge, the depth of the knowledge available is also more substantial. For instance, tools such as Wikipedia are much more comprehensive than traditional, paper-based encyclopedias. Overall, online knowledge nowadays is both efficient and broad.

Readily available knowledge is not without its disadvantages, however. One such disadvantage is that internet-based information may be inaccurate. Many people use online forums to share information, but there is no fact checking within these, which can lead to misinformation. What’s more, we are at the mercy of electronics. While a book can last a century, the internet may be susceptible to failure. In short, there are drawbacks to the expanse of knowledge on the internet.

This essay discussed both the advantages and the disadvantages of free and immediate information available on the internet. In short, while the benefits are enormous, the drawbacks should not be overlooked.

For more practice of this type of essay, go to E2testprep.com and sign up for free.

This type of question requires that you do more than simply state the advantages and disadvantages. You are also required to give an opinion on whether you think there are more advantages or more disadvantages. This means that you will need to change the content of your essay slightly, as you need to present a clear position.

The introduction that we looked at above would need to be extended to include a clear statement of your position .

The internet is a massive repository of human knowledge and it continues to accumulate. At the click of a button, one can access information on just about any topic, from the abstract to the mundane. Not only is the information immediate, it is also free. This essay will discuss how (statement of your position:) the benefits of this trend clearly outweigh the drawbacks.

Your first paragraph should be the opinions of others, and the second paragraph should be your position. This can create a stronger argument for your position. You also need to make your position clear in the topic sentences of your first and second paragraphs.

(paragraph 1 – opinion of others) Some commentators have noted the disadvantages of readily available knowledge (paragraph 2 – your position) However, despite the apparent drawbacks, it is clear that there are also significant advantages to internet-based learning.

Using extreme vocabulary such as ‘significant advantages’ demonstrates a strong stance.

You also need to restate your position in the conclusion.

(broad statement:) This essay discussed both the advantages and the disadvantages of free and immediate information available on the internet. (restate position:) Based on this information it is clear that the advantages of free and immediate information available on the internet far outweigh the disadvantages.

For more practice of this type of essay, go to our IELTS course and sign up for free.

Need more help with your IELTS essay writing? We have you covered! For help with IELTS Writing Task 2 for Academic, head to our IELTS Academic page and sign up for free to access method lessons, practice items, live classes with expert teachers and more. Or for IELTS Task 2 General Writing, click here . We have everything you need to help you quickly achieve the band score you desire.

Looking for help with IELTS Writing Task 1? Read our blog article on how to do well in Task 1, and see our free IELTS Task 1 Writing sample here .

Author Bio: E2 is the world’s leading test preparation provider. Our expert teachers are fully accredited English teachers, with TESOL, British Council or IELTS certification, and years of IELTS examiner or IELTS teaching experience.

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Task 1 Academic
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Task 2 (essay)

IELTS Writing: advantages & disadvantages essay

In this lesson you will learn how to produce a band 9 answer for advantages & disadvantages essay in IELTS Writing. As an example, we will use a topic of tourism in modern world . Basically, in all advantages and disadvantages essays your task is to describe positive and negative sides of a given topic + give your opinion.

In this lesson you will:

see a question sample
learn effective ways to quickly produce ideas for your answer
learn band 9 answer structure

for advantages and disadvantages essay in IELTS.

IELTS advantages & disadvantages question sample

For example, you can get this question for IELTS writing task 2:

A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income. Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems if it is not managed correctly.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world. Do you think that benefits of tourism outweight its drawbacks?

This essay topic is related to tourism. Of course, topics for questions will vary, but ideal answer structure is the same for all advantages & disadvantages essays in IELTS.

Producing ideas for your answer

Before you start writing your essay, you should always spend 1-2 minutes on producing ideas for your answer . This way, you’ll know what to write about and your answer will be more coherent and well-structured. In case of advantages & disadvantages essay , you need to think of 2-3 advantages and 2-3 disadvantages of the given issue.

Let’s think about advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world.

Advantages of tourism :

boost in country’s economy due to increased spending
new job opening for local people
opportunities to discover new places for individual travelers

Disadvantages of tourism :

destruction of popular tourist destinations by large numbers of tourists
development of illegal economic activities
local people can experience loss of privacy

Now, after we’ve collected some ideas, it’s time to use them in our essay.

Band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay

Though there are many ways to structure your IELTS essay, we’ll use this time-tested band 9 essay structure:

Introduction
Body paragraph 1 – advantages
Body paragraph 2 – disadvantages

Tip : before starting to write your essay, decide what you think: does tourism have more advantages or disadvantages? You’ll need to make accent on your opinion in one of the body paragraphs.

We’ll use the opinion that tourism has more advantages .

Introduction Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

Sentence 1 - paraphrase the question (restate the problem):

Nowadays tourism generates a significant portion of national income for many countries, but it has certain drawbacks too.

Sentence 2 - tell the examiner what you’re going to describe in your essay:

This essay will examine the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and provide a logical conclusion.

Body paragraph 1 - advantages

Sentence 1 - state 2 main advantages:

The two main advantages of developed tourism industry are boost in country’s economy and a large number of new job openings for the local people.

Sentences 2-4 - explain the first advantage + give an example (if possible):

Firstly, tourists spend money on a wide range of services, including hotels, amusements, transportation, food and medical services. This way, tourism yields an additional income, greatly supporting the countries’ economies.

Sentences 5-7 - explain the second advantage + give an example (if possible):

Secondly, tourism increases the level of employment by bringing new jobs. For instance, the influx of tourists results in a larger demand in restaurant workers, tour guides, hotel staff and employees of retail services, exhorting business owners to hire more people for these positions.

Sentence 1 - state 2 main disadvantages:

However, tourism also has some major disadvantages like destruction of popular tourist destinations and development of illegal economic activities.

Sentences 2-4 - explain the first disadvantage + give an example (if possible):

Ancient buildings, temples and monuments struggle to cope with a vast amount of visitor’s traffic and get damaged. Also, the large number of tourists can cause environmental problems. For instance, when places of interest are overcrowded, natural resources often become overexploited.

Sentences 5-7 - explain the second disadvantage + give an example (if possible):

What’s more, tourism can create more serious situations where criminal issues are involved. The presence of a considerable number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often carrying valuables such as cameras and jewelry, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing.

Sentences 8 - make an accent on your opinion (we’ll use the opinion that tourism has more advantages ):

However, proper hospitality management and correct usage of tourism revenue by the local government can eliminate these disadvantages.

Sentences 1-2 - briefly restate the advantages and disadvantages

To conclude, although tourism has certain disadvantages like destructive effects and growth of crime rate, it has an extremely positive impact on country’s economy and provides a large number of new jobs for the local people.

Sentence 2 - give your final opinion

I believe that these benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks.

Band 9 answer sample

Nowadays tourism generates a significant portion of national income for many countries, but it has certain drawbacks too. This essay will examine the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and provide a logical conclusion.

The two main advantages of developed tourism industry are boost in country’s economy and a large number of new job openings for the local people. Firstly, tourists spend money on a wide range of services, including hotels, amusements, transportation, food and medical services. This way, tourism yields an additional income, greatly supporting the country’s economy. Secondly, tourism increases the level of employment by bringing new jobs. For instance, the influx of tourists results in a larger demand in restaurant workers, tour guides, hotel staff and employees of retail services, exhorting business owners to hire more people for these positions.

But tourism also has some major disadvantages like destruction of popular tourist destinations and development of illegal economic activities. іAncient buildings, temples and monuments struggle to cope with a vast amount of visitor’s traffic and get damaged. Also, the large number of tourists can cause environmental problems. For instance, when places of interest are overcrowded, natural resources often become overexploited. What’s more, the presence of a considerable number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often carrying valuables such as cameras and jewelry, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing. However, proper hospitality management and correct usage of tourism revenue by the local government can eliminate these disadvantages.

To conclude, although tourism can have certain negative effects like destructive impact and growth of crime rate, it has an extremely positive influence on country’s economy and provides a large number of new jobs for the local people. I believe that these benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks.

(299 words)

Pros and Cons of Thesis Statements

Arguments for:.

Announces and focuses purpose The thesis is a declaration of the primary argument to both the reader and the writer. It must condense the author’s views enough to be manageable, and this often helps writers focus on exactly what they are going to argue.
Dictates scope The structure and content of the thesis can help a writer control the size of the topic addressed in the paper. This is particularly useful when there is a page/word requirement, because it helps the author plan just how much they will be writing.
Forces an argument Writing a thesis requires the author to take a definite position on an issue, to have an opinion, which is required for a convincing argument.
Gives the piece an easily identifiable “soul” or central theme A thesis provides a written “center” to the paper which can be returned to and referenced in order to keep a coherent argument and stay on topic.
Easy pattern A thesis (particularly within the structure of a 5-paragraph essay) is an easy way of organizing thoughts for a paper.

Arguments Against:

Can restrict speculation on the topic A formal thesis will generally not work very well in a paper whose beginning purpose is to explore an issue rather than immediately take a position.
Allows for little creativity in the opening paragraph in particular A traditional thesis can seem out of place in an opening which relies primarily on a conversational tone or humor. While these are not typical characteristics of academic, analytical writing, they are still powerful tools for making an argument, and loss of those and similar options gives the writer less to work with.
Can encourage premature/shallow arguments While it’s not always so, writing a thesis at the beginning can tempt students into forcing or manipulating evidence in order to support it, rather than examining the evidence first and then drawing a defensible conclusion.
Thesis-focused assessment may overlook other qualities If the thesis is “standard,” readers may automatically conclude that if a piece does not have one, it cannot have an argument, and unjustly judge its merit.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantage/Disadvantage Sample Essay

Thumbs pointing up and down to show advantages disadvantages essay

In this post, we’re going to look at an IELTS Writing Task 2 advantages and disadvantages sample essay. In this type of Task 2 question, you will read a description of a common situation or practice. From there, you’ll describe the advantages and disadvantages of the idea you were presented with. For more background info and advice on this particular question type, you can go to my post on the Task 2 question types in IELTS Writing.

In this article, I’ll show you a sample advantage/disadvantage prompt and a model essay that responds to the prompt. The model essay is an example of band 9 level writing—this is the highest score you can get on the Writing section. I’ve patterned the essay after this IELTS Writing Task 2 template , which was created by Magoosh IELTS expert Rachel Kapelke-Dale.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Sample Essay

Before we get started, you should of course first read the sample prompt.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Sample Essay Question

With modern transportation, workers and students are increasingly mobile, and have more and more opportunities to study and work abroad. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this development. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Get a higher IELTS score? Start your online IELTS prep today with Magoosh.

Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Model Essay (Band 9)

Nowadays, both work and study can easily take a person out of their home country. This can be good because people can explore new cultures now more than ever. At the same time, world travelers may become disconnected from their own home countries. In this essay, I will take a closer look at the aforementioned key advantage and key disadvantage.

To be sure, ordinary people now have unprecedented access to life abroad. It is easier than ever to work or study in a foreign land for months and even years. Many large international corporations offer overseas work to their employees, just as nearly all universities provide study abroad options at partner campuses overseas. Ultimately, nearly any adult anywhere in the world can potentially immerse themselves in another language or culture, with support from their bosses or teachers.

The problem is that international workers and students sometimes become unconcerned with the affairs in the nations they are from. This kind of apathy can prevent people from doing their civic duty. As one example, people from countries with compulsory military service may spend years abroad and even renounce their citizenship to avoid protecting their homeland. Even more commonly, people who go abroad may choose not to vote in elections back home, failing to make their voice heard on important matters. So modern mobility can undermine one’s ability or desire to make a difference back home.

Learning about other cultures by actually living abroad is a powerful tool for better intercultural understanding. However, as valuable as this is, sometimes going abroad can cause people to ignore the importance of their own culture and country. Not all students and workers should go abroad, and the ones that do should not forget their role in their country of origin.

Word count: 294

Scoring Rationale

This IELTS Writing Task 2 advantages and disadvantages sample essay is held to the same standards as any other Writing Task 2 essay. These standards are listed in the official rubric for IELTS Writing Task 2 . If you read the level 9 description carefully and compare it to this essay, you should see the reasons it has a top score. But I’ve also included scorer commentary immediately below.

Scorer Commentary (Advantage/Disadvantage IELTS Essay Sample, Band 9)

The score report below is based on the official IELTS Writing Task 2 rubric . This report also looks very similar to the Magoosh IELTS essay scoring service .

Overall Band Score: 9

CATEGORY	Task Achievement/Response	Coherence and Cohesion	Lexical Resource	Grammatical Range and Accuracy
SCORE	9	9	9	9

What was done well in the essay:

This essay has over 250 words. This is a small but important way to avoid needlessly losing points due to the IELTS Writing word count penalty .
The essay does a good job of covering both the advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of easy access to foreign experiences is explored in the first body paragraph. The disadvantages of becoming too distant from one’s home community is similarly explored in the second paragraph.
Each paragraph has a clear topic sentence, followed by supporting details, examples, and a concluding sentence that wraps things up nicely.
Transitional phrases such as “to be sure” and “even more commonly” are used to clearly link ideas between paragraphs and within paragraphs.
Vocabulary and grammar are used very fluently; this essay is free of any serious errors in this aspect of English.

More IELTS Writing Task 2 Example Responses

If you found this example essay helpful, you’ll love the rest of them. Click the links below to access model responses for the other common Task 2 question types.

Two-Part Question Essay
Causes/Solutions Essay
Discussion Essay
Agree/Disagree Essay

David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles , his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram , or connect with him via LinkedIn !

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2 responses to “IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantage/Disadvantage Sample Essay”

will it be correct to include brain drain and the problem of excessive number of immigrants in the disadvantage part?

Hi Paromita,

If you can support these ideas in the essay and explain why they are disadvantages, then that could work if your reasoning is sound.

Hope that helps! 😀

Ultimate Guide to IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

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Updated On Aug 01, 2024

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The article discusses the structure and strategies for writing an IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay, including planning, vocabulary use, and sample questions with answers and emphasizes practicing to improve scores.

Ultimate Guide to IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

Understanding the question and structure of the ielts advantages disadvantages essay, how to plan your task 2 advantages and disadvantages essay, how to write an advantages disadvantages essay for ielts writing task 2, tips for mastering advantages and disadvantages essay, advantages and disadvantages ielts essay questions and sample answers, practice advantages disadvantages essays ielts with ieltsmaterial, more related ielts advantages disadvantages essay topics:.

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We have all made a list of pros and cons when faced with a difficult decision. An advantages disadvantages essay in IELTS Writing is kind of like an organized pros and cons list.

In this article, we will go over the structure of Task 2 advantages and disadvantages, how to write an advantages and disadvantages essay and go over a few IELTS sample essays of this type.

The IELTS advantages disadvantages essay is a question type you will come across in IELTS Writing Task 2 .

You will be asked to write about the benefits and drawbacks of the topic given. It can be worded in different ways. Let’s see some examples.

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones in our daily lives.
Some companies and organizations require their employees to wear uniforms. What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing a uniform?
A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income. Unfortunately, tourism can also be a source of problems if it is not managed correctly. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world. Do you think that the benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks?
What are the pros and cons for children watching television? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example from your knowledge or experience.
Globalization has both advantages and disadvantages. Discuss both and give your opinion.

Discussing the Question of Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS

In some questions of Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages essay, you will be asked to share your opinion. However, in most cases, discussing the pros and cons/benefits and drawbacks/advantages and disadvantages is enough.

Question Types of IELTS Advantages & Disadvantages Essay

The first part of the question for advantage and disadvantage essays in IELTS Writing Task 2 will always be a statement. In the second part, you will get to know whether you have to discuss only the benefits and drawbacks or add your opinion along with it. So, no need to worry!

As you can see in the image above, the first question asks you to share your opinion, whereas in the second, you will have to discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Structure of the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

The IELTS Essay writing task is quite challenging as it requires you to write an essay on an unseen topic from any walk of life – it can range from social issues to environmental discourse. To make it easy, you can practice advantage and disadvantage IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essays based on the following structure breakdown.

Paraphrase the question statement.
State what the following paragraphs will discuss.
Mention your viewpoint (if asked in the question)
Discuss the advantages.
Explain the benefits with examples in 2-3 sentences.
Discuss the disadvantages.
Explain the drawbacks with examples in 2-3 sentences.
Summarize the benefits and drawbacks discussed in the essay.

Remember that there is no right or wrong structure for advantages and disadvantages writing task 2 . However, if you use this, it will enable you to plan your essay in no time during the exam.

Join us in our IELTS webinars to learn tricks to handle IELTS Writing Task 2 essays! Explore Now!

The planning for writing any essay type in IELTS Writing Task 2 requires around 5 minutes. The process covers essential aspects such as analysis of the question, organization of the points to be included, identifying relevant vocabulary, and understanding the IELTS Writing Task 2 marking criteria to obtain a good band score .

The following points will provide a concise guide on how to plan your answer for the advantages and disadvantages of essays in IELTS academic writing task 2, save some time to revise your response and achieve a good IELTS band score .

To answer the advantages disadvantages essay questions in IELTS Writing Task 2, first you have to identify the keywords and instructions in the question to discuss the positives and negatives of the statement.
Plan your structure, including your main arguments, advantages, and disadvantages, to present your answer in a well-structured manner.
Take at least 10 minutes to analyze and understand the given statement and evaluate its pros and cons.
Organize your thoughts and provide a clear and concise response.
Using appropriate writing task 2 vocabulary and phrases (lexical resource) is important. But avoid stuffing too many words into irrelevant places.
Ensure that your response remains relevant to the given topic.
Understand the IELTS writing band descriptors like Task Response, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy to obtain a high band score.

Once you have planned your advantage and disadvantage essay for Writing Task 2, it is time to write down your answer. For this of kind of practice, use authentic and updated IELTS Writing practice tests .

Writing The Essay Introduction

The first thing that you have to do is to write an introduction for an advantages disadvantages essay.

Your introduction should paraphrase the topic of the essay and try to use different vocabulary/synonyms for the words in the topic, wherever possible.
Then, give a brief idea about what could be expected in the essay, i.e. the advantages and the disadvantages of the concerned topic.
Finally, state which side you think weighs the most (when asked for an opinion.)

Body Paragraphs for Advantages And Disadvantages Essay IELTS

Although there is no strict rule about the number of paragraphs for IELTS essays, it is better to limit the number to two. It will not only help you to follow the word count but also keep your essay concise.

Body Paragraph 1

It should state the advantage/s of the topic.
This should be backed by practical points, and the examples would be even better.
Day-to-day incidents and instances can be brought to notice.

Body Paragraph 2

It should state the disadvantage/s of the topic.
This as well should be supported by valid points, and the daily incidents and examples can be highlighted to back your points.

How To Write An Essay Conclusion?

You should conclude the topic by providing a summary of the points put forth in the entire essay and how the advantages or disadvantages of the topic outweigh the other (if applicable).

Make sure to end the essay with a well rounded conclusion.
Link your ideas discussed in the essay to ensure cohesion and coherence.
The question/s along with the essay statement should be answered.

To help you to understand this type of essay better, given below are some essential essay vocabulary you must know as well as a sample essay with a detailed outline. We’ve provided you with ample IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay topics to help you hone your essay writing skills.

IELTS Essay Vocabulary

A strong command of vocabulary is crucial for writing an effective advantages disadvantages essay in IELTS Writing Task 2. Your proficiency in English language vocabulary will be evident in how expertly you can select the most suitable expressions to convey precise meanings. Diversifying your vocabulary will enable you to incorporate a greater variety of words in your essays. However, it is important to note that overusing uncommon words and phrases can reduce the relevance of your answer. So, create an advanced vocabulary word list for IELTS to avoid loss of word during the actual exam and utilize time in organizing your thoughts.

Tips for Mastering Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Writing an essay on IELTS advantage disadvantage essay topics needs careful preparation and planning. Here are some b est IELTS Writing Task 2 tips for achieving Band 9 with a high-quality essay:

Understand the Question: Make sure you understand the question and what is expected of you before you begin writing. Decide which advantages and disadvantages you need to talk about and if you need to share your opinion.
Generate Ideas: Spend a few minutes identifying the benefits and drawbacks of the selected subject. List the main ideas and instances you’ll utilize to support your claims.
Structure Your Essay: Write your essay with a logical and obvious structure. Begin with an introduction that briefly summarizes your key points and states the subject. After that, give each benefit and drawback a paragraph of its own, and then wrap up by summarizing your points in the conclusion.
Use Linking Words: To connect your thoughts and create a smooth writing flow, use a range of linking words and phrases, like “furthermore,” “however,” “on the other hand,” and “in conclusion.”
Support Your Points: Give particular instances, figures, or anecdotes to back up each benefit and drawback you discuss. This will improve the persuasiveness of your arguments and raise your score.
Plan your Time Effectively: During the exam, manage your time well. Plan your essay for a few minutes, then concentrate on creating paragraphs that are precise and to the point. At the conclusion, give yourself some time to review and make any required changes.
Practice is the Key to Success: It is the ultimate truth. The more you practice, the more you will become efficient in planning, organizing and structuring your advantages disadvantages essay for IELTS Writing Task 2. So, take up more writing practice tests and make the best use of them.

Ensure you’re using the right structure for IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays!

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Given below are some sample questions for the advantages and disadvantages type of essay and band 9 methodologies of answering them.

Sample Question 1

Sample answer.

Foreign education has become one of the most sought-after ventures in this day and age. A majority of students plan on pursuing higher education in a foreign nation, especially when it comes to a master’s degree. One of the reasons why studying abroad has become such a popular phenomenon is the relaxation of travel laws and procedures across the world. However, there are pros and cons to studying abroad and the following paragraphs will explore the topic and elaborate on why the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

One of the primary reasons for studying abroad is the presence of a more refined and sophisticated education system in several first-world countries. It is common for students from underdeveloped or developing countries like Brazil, China, India, Argentina and other countries to look for better opportunities than the ones available in their native country in terms of academics. Also, residing in a foreign country helps individuals to gain international exposure and also helps them develop social and interpersonal skills, which are extremely important for being eligible for lucrative job opportunities.

Nevertheless, there are numerous drawbacks to travelling abroad for education. First of all, from the beginning of applying to a foreign university to staying in the host country for the entire duration of your degree, it is an exorbitant affair. Such a costly endeavour is often unaffordable for the household of many people. That being said, becoming accustomed to the norms and conventions of an unfamiliar country can be a tough ordeal for many due to differences in culture and social traditions.

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that foreign education can be a blessing if it is financially feasible for aspiring students. That being said, the benefits of studying abroad surpass the drawbacks for the same.

Check Out – How to Plan an IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay (Best Strategy)

Sample Question 2

Globalization has been one of the most significant phenomena in the last few decades, and it has changed several aspects of human society both economically and socially. There has been remarkable progress in terms of economic and financial development for developing countries due to the expansion of global organizations. However, there are several drawbacks to this rapid progress that need to be addressed. Evidently, globalization has more advantages than disadvantages and the following paragraphs will elaborate on the topic and justify these views.

First of all, the most advantageous aspect of globalization is the advent of numerous international companies and franchises in developing countries. Ever since global brands and corporations have expanded their operations in countries such as India, China, Sri Lanka and many more, there has been a notable increase in employment in these countries. Additionally, due to the remarkable rise in the number of imports and exports, people from third world countries now have access to a vast catalogue of products and services that were previously unattainable.

That being said, there are drawbacks to globalization that create concerning issues for a sizable portion of the global population. One of the most disturbing consequences faced is the exploitation of labour. Many corporations are known to outsource their operations to developing countries due to cheap labour costs. This enables them to accomplish their manufacturing operations without having to provide proper remuneration. Also, due to the use of inexpensive labour, the quality of products is diminished, and customers receive inferior products.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that the effects of globalization are not entirely positive or negative. Nonetheless, the benefits brought by this occupation outweigh the drawbacks.

There is no doubt that you are preparing for the IELTS Writing Task 2. So, we would recommend you to take up advantage and disadvantage essay topics regularly. The more you practice, the better you will become at solving the IELTS Writing test and answers within the dedicated timeframe.

Check out our well-reviewed IELTS Writing study guide , which includes self-explanatory lessons and sample answers. If you need more guidance, don’t hesitate to contact our IELTS specialists . Make the necessary preparations to improve your score on the IELTS Speaking test and get a Band 8+.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an advantage/disadvantage essay? How do you identify that the essay falls under this category?

Is it mandatory to put advantages and disadvantages separately in two paragraphs or can I club them?

In case of questions where advantages outweigh disadvantages, I might have to write disadvantages first. Will it affect my score?

Do I have to write more than one point for advantages and disadvantages essays for IELTS Writing?

When can I note down the voc

What will happen if I write the exact question statement of the advantages disadvantages essay topic?

What is the importance of the topic sentence of an advantages disadvantages essay?

Is it mandatory to follow the word limit given with the IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay?

What can I do if my IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay is less than 250 words?

Is there any upper limit for word count for IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay?

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Kasturika is a professional Content Writer with over three years of experience as an English language teacher. Her understanding of English language requirements, as set by foreign universities, is enriched by her interactions with students and educators. Her work is a fusion of extensive knowledge of SEO practices and up-to-date guidelines. This enables her to produce content that not only informs but also engages IELTS aspirants. Her passion for exploring new horizons has driven her to achieve new heights in her learning journey.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement

This post will show you how to write a strong IELTS thesis statement. It will also explain why you should vary your thesis statement according to the question type you are given in the IELTS writing test.

This post will look at:

what a thesis statement is;
how to identify the different question types;
how to write a thesis statement for each question.

What is a thesis statement?

”A thesis is an idea put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed or analysed.”

A thesis statement is the most important sentence in your IELTS writing task 2 answer. It is contained in the introduction ; each introduction should have one, along with a paraphrase of the question and an outline statement.

A thesis statement is your main idea. I often describe it to students as “the way you feel about the whole issue in one sentence”. It tells the examiner that you have understood the question, and it will lead to a clearer, more coherent essay.

Let’s look at an example of an IELTS thesis statement:

Question: There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use contributes to global warming and has other undesirable effects on people’s health and well-being.

Do you agree or disagree?

Thesis statement : This essay agrees that increasing motor vehicle use contributes to rising global temperatures and certain health issues.

As you can see, this sentence clearly shows the examiner how you feel about the question. The rest of your essay should support this statement.

How do I know what to write?

The first thing we need to do is to identify which type of question it is and look at the action words. For example, in the question below, the action words are ‘do you agree or disagree?’

Question: There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is contributing to global warming and having other undesirable effects on people’s health and well-being.

Do you agree or disagree?

Therefore, we need to tell the examiner clearly whether we agree or disagree, which will influence our thesis statement.

Let’s look at other examples:

Computers are being used more and more in education.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Computers are being used more and more in education. Some people say that this is a positive trend, while others argue that it is leading to negative consequences.

Discuss both sides of this argument and then give your own opinion.

Students are becoming more and more reliant on computers.

What are some of the problems associated with reliance on computers, and what are some of the possible solutions?

The main keywords in each of the three questions above are more or less the same- education and computers. However, if we look at the action words, we can see that we must answer the three questions in very different ways, which will affect our thesis statement.

The action words are:

What are some of the problems, and what are some of the possible solutions?

Therefore, it is important to take some time to analyse the question and establish what it is actually asking us to do .

How do I write a thesis statement for each question type?

Once we have established what the question wants us to do, we can now think about our thesis statement. Below we will look at how to write a thesis statement for four different kinds of questions:

Opinion Question (Do you agree or Disagree)
Discussion Question (Discuss both points of view)
Advantages and Disadvantage
Problem and Solution.

You should remember that although IELTS writing part 2 questions normally follow a standard format as above, they sometimes change, and you should be prepared for that.

Opinion Question

Some aspects of celebrity culture have a bad influence on young people.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

We have three choices with this kind of question:

I both agree and disagree

I tell my students to only choose options one or two . Choosing option three will often lead to a confused and/or very long essay. If you have just one opinion and you stick to this, it will lead to a clear and well-argued essay.

Therefore, you have two choices.

I agree that some aspects of celebrity culture negatively influence young people.
I disagree that some aspects of celebrity culture negatively influence young people.

All of your thesis statements for this kind of question should start with:

This essay agrees that…..

This essay disagrees that…..

We should try to avoid using personal pronouns like ‘I’ and we, therefore, use ‘This essay….’ instead.

Also, remember that we should not copy the question as this is not allowed in the IELTS writing test, and instead, we should paraphrase.

For example, ‘ This essay agrees that some famous people’s lifestyles have a detrimental effect on today’s youth.’

Second Example Opinion Question

Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve the growing traffic and pollution problems.

Thesis Statement: This essay disagrees that the best way to resolve increasing pollution and congestion problems is to raise the cost of fuel.

Discussion Question

Computers are being used more and more in education. Some people say this is a positive trend, while others argue that it leads to negative consequences.

For this question, we need to clearly state both sides of the argument and our own opinion.

We do this by simply paraphrasing the question, thus stating both sides, and then giving our own opinion. Our own opinion will be just one side of the argument.

Even if you favour both sides of the argument, state one. Again, this leads to a clearer answer.

Thesis statement: Some argue that schools and universities increasing the use of computers is beneficial, while others oppose this view. This essay agrees that the growing use of technology by educators is a positive development.

As you can see, this student has clearly stated both sides of the argument and stated which side of the argument she prefers.

Second Example Discussion Question

Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others believe that school is the best place to learn this.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Thesis statement: Some argue that teachers should teach youngsters how to be upstanding members of the community, whereas others feel this is the role of the mother and father. This essay agrees that this duty should be filled primarily by parents.

Advantage and Disadvantages Question

In this question, we need to clearly state what we think the main advantage is and the main disadvantage.

Thesis Statement: The principal advantages are the instant information available to students and the ability to communicate with other students. The main disadvantages are the lack of discipline and motivation provided by computers.

Second Advantage and Disadvantages Question

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Thesis statement: The principal advantage is that exposing children to languages as early as possible leads to higher proficiency levels later in life, which outweighs the main disadvantage of young children being overwhelmed by too many subjects.

Problem and Solution Question

What is a problem associated with reliance on computers, and what is a possible solution?

Our thesis statement will need to state one main problem and one main solution.

Thesis statement: The principal problem is students allowing machines to do all the work for them without thinking for themselves, and a possible solution is to have stricter supervision from teachers and parents.

Cause and Solution Question

In some countries, the average weight of people is increasing, and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.

What do you think is the cause of this problem, and what measures could be taken to solve this?

Thesis statement: The principal cause of this problem is people’s sedentary lifestyles, and a possible solution is to educate society about the dangers of not keeping fit.

This is just a broad overview of IELTS thesis statements, and it should be read in conjunction with my article on how to write an effective introduction to be fully understood.

**Please note**

It should be reiterated that these are the four most common question types that come up in the IELTS writing test. However, these question types sometimes do vary, and you should be ready to change your IELTS thesis statements and introductions accordingly.

To do this confidently on the day of your exam, you must have practised many times beforehand.

You can browse the free IELTS Writing Task 2 materials on my website to improve your skills from home, but free materials can only help you so much. If you need reliable practice questions and feedback on your work, you should join the Waiting List to my VIP Course or contact my team here: [email protected].

Video Lesson: How THIS student scored a Band 8.5 in IELTS Writing

In this video, my student will show you how she scored a Band 8.5 in her IELTS Writing test.

Watch us break down her essay step-by-step, talking about her introduction, thesis statement, how she used vocabulary to score high, came up with strong ideas and much more. Check it out here:

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

IELTS advantage disadvantage essays

Three types of advantage disadvantage essays.

Updated: June 2022

Not only are there 5 types of essay questions in academic IELTS but there are 3 types of Advantage Disadvantage essays, here are some examples below and ideas on how to approach them.

Before we go further let me make something clear. IELTS tasks will ask in an advantage disadvantage essay something like:

Do the advantage s outweigh the disadvantage s ?
What are the advantage s and disadvantage s of this?

Notice the plural form here, advantage s and disadvantage s. Many students (and IELTS teachers) think they have to write more than one advantage and disadvantage. Yes, you can certainly do this but you can also make it much simpler by writing about one advantage and one disadvantage. I have heard from examiners that this is ok as long as you are able to support and fully exaplin your ideas. With this approach you can still write over 250 words.

The problem is that you will run out of time if you write 2 of each. You will have only 40 minutes for the essay. Planning time is around 10 minutes so that means 30 minutes of writing. Another danger of writing about 2 of each is that the word count will go well over 300 words and you could include irrelevant information.

One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Make sure you analyse the question well and then paraphrase it in the introduction. This kind of question asks about the advantages and disadvantages and an important word here is “ outweigh “. The question asks if the advantages are stronger than the disadvantages so you need to give your opinion here.

Some students just write about the advantages only but this is a wrong approach and you could lose marks. The essay needs to have balance. The first body paragraph could be about the advantages and the second body paragraph can be about the downsides with your opinion throughout the whole essay.

A lot of students fail to give their opinion in this type of essay, or maybe they just give their opinion briefly in the conclusion. Your position must be clear throughout the essay.

Let’s Review

1. analyse the question well then paraphrase it. write your opinion in the thesis statement. 2. make sure you state your opinion in the introduction, main body and also the conclusion. 3. give specific examples throughout the essay but be careful of giving too much information. keep it simple and do not overly complicate it. 4. make sure the essay is balanced and you are not just writing about advantages only., here are 2 possible structures for this type of task:.

Note: Structures are just guidelines to help you plan out your essay, there is no special magic structure that can get you a Band 7, there are many ways to structure an essay.

Some people think that consumption tax on food items is a good way to raise revenue for the government. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this policy

This type of essay does not ask for your opinion, it is more like a discussion essay so you need to write about pros and cons, you can see that the question does not ask : Do you think…? or Do you agree or disagree…? / What is your opinion ? So this is not asking a direct opinion.

First analyse the question and then paraphrase it. The essay needs to be well balanced just like in example 1 with explanations about how it’s an advantage or disadvantage. Don’t just write about advantages, give both sides in the essay. The conclusion is just a summary of the points that you made in the body paragraphs.

1. Analyse the question well then paraphrase it. 2. Give one example of the advantages in main body paragraph 1, after that give one example of the disadvantages in main body paragraph 2. 3. Do not give your personal opinion because the question does not ask for it. 4. Give good examples throughout the essay but be careful of giving too much information. Keep it simple, be careful about giving too many examples too. 5. Make sure the essay is balanced, not just writing about advantages only.

Here is a good structure for this type of task:

These days with advances in technology more and more people are working from home. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and give your own opinion

This essay type is quite similar to example 1, here you must give your opinion and discuss the pros and cons, the main difference compared to example 1 is that it does not mention the word outweigh. The main thing to look out for is the words Discuss and Give your own opinion. Just like in example 1 you need to paraphrase the question, give a balanced approach in the main body paragraphs and give your opinion in the introduction and again in the conclusion.

The examiner needs to see your opinion throughout the whole essay.

1. Analyse the question well then paraphrase it. 2. Give an example of the advantages in main body paragraph 1, after that give an example of the disadvantages in main body paragraph 2. 3. Make sure you state your opinion in the introduction, main body and the conclusion. 4. Give specific examples in the essay but be careful of giving too much information. Keep it simple. 5. Make sure the essay is balanced, not just writing about advantages only.

What structure should i use.

Structures are just guidelines to help you plan out your essay, there is no special magic structure that can get you a high score. I recommend 2 body paragraphs for this kind of essay but you can use 3 main body paragraphs if you wish, no more than that.

In main body paragraph 1, you can write about the advantages and explain further. Always remember to give an example. If possible write about the outcome of the advantages (prediction statement). Main body 2 is the same, write about the disadvantages with an example.
You must give your opinion in the introduction if the question asks for your opinion. You can also use the main body paragraphs to back up your opinion. You should rephrase your view in the conclusion also.

Key point to remember . Do not give too many examples or you may go off track. You can also go with one advantage and one disadvantage as long as it is well supported, relevant and explained. You haven’t got time to go into too much detail or into tangents. Don’t try to impress the examiner with too much information.

Plan your essay well, set aside 10 minutes planning time , think of at least one supporting point for your topic sentence in each main body paragraph.

Any questions? leave a comment below

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? IELTS Essay

“advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” is a common IELTS essay question in writing task 2 which many people struggle with. Below is an sample essay question to practice this type of essay and also some tips to help you.

What is an IELTS Advantages Outweigh Disadvantages Essay?

Take a look at the two essays below:

In recent years, more and more people are choosing to read e-books rather than paper books. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

The essay question asks a direct question to you which is a question of choice. Whenever you are asked for choose something, you know it requires an opinion. This type of advantage disadvantage essay is very different to the normal advantage essay:

The development of tourism contributed to English becoming the most prominent language in the world. Some people think this will lead to English becoming the only language to be spoken globally. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having one language in the world?

As you see, Essay 2 only asks you to present the advantages and the disadvantages rather than choose between them. This is the most typical type of essay question and you can find tips about it on this page: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ESSAY.

So, Essay 1 is the advantages outweigh disadvantages essay type and it is different. Read below to learn tips for tackling it.

Tips for IELTS Outweigh Essay Questions

To answer this type of IELTS essay question you must:

Brainstorm ideas supporting both sides first.
do you think the advantages or the disadvantages are most important? Which one?
you can use the word “outweigh” in your introduction if you want
or you can simply explain if there are more advantages and less disadvantages or vice versa
avoid formulaic statements for your thesis statement – this means don’t use a memorised phrase.
don’t write “this essay will…” this isn’t how you write your own opinion. You must use words such as “In my opinion” or “I think”.
Body paragraphs should cover both advantages and disadvantages whilst at the same time making it very clear which one is more important. This isn’t an advantages AND disadvantages essay – it is about presenting and arguing your opinion.
Make sure your support points in the body paragraphs are 100% relevant and don’t stray off topic.
Re-state your opinion in the conclusion using different language
The “outweigh” essay question is not exactly the same as the Advantages and Disadvantages essay question. Don’t turn it into a discuss without any clear opinion or you will get a low score for Task Response.

MODEL ESSAY FOR IELTS ADVS OUTWEIGH DISADVS

An increasing number of people are using e-books as a reading tool, such as a kindle, instead of traditional paper books. I believe there are significant benefits to using e-books over paper books with only a few minor drawbacks.

E-books have enormous advantages over the paper book mainly because of the vast number of books that an e-book device, namely a kindle, can contain. Kindles are able to contain thousands of books which you can categorise and organise on a device that is lighter than a tablet. For people who are travelling or those who want easy access to multiple books, these devices are perfect. Furthermore, e-books can be purchased with the click of a button giving instant access to the book without having to wait for delivery.

On the other hand, there is a downside to choosing an e-book over a paper book. The main issue is that it can be hard to find books on specialist subjects in electronic form. Many specialist and old books are only available as a paper book and can only be found in libraries. Another point to consider is that e-books are yet another device which people are glued to and that does have an impact on eye sight and health in general. It has long been known that people spend too much time on their devices and therefore reading a paper book might actually be preferable from time to time.

In conclusion, I think e-books have brought numerous gains to people’s lives through accessibility and convenience that truly benefit people’s lives, but there are disadvantages that should not be ignored.

Recommended for Writing Task 2 Advantages AND Disadvantages Model Essay Answer Advantage Disadvantage Sample Essay Questions ALL MODEL ESSAYS & TIPS FOR WRITING TASK 2

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Advanced Lessons & E-books for IELTS Writing Task 2

Advanced Writing Lessons for Target band 7, 8 & 9

I have never seen a band 9 sample for such question. But, I attempted to follow your instructions and took as an example your band 9 essays, particular advantage and disadvantage type (though you recommended not doing it).

It is important for people to take risks, both in their professional lives and their personal lives.

Do you think the advantages of taking risks outweigh the disadvantages?

Some people believe that taking risks is key for professional and personal growth. While there are, indeed, potential drawbacks to daring actions such as endangering one’s health, causing conflicts with loved ones, or making misguided work decisions, there are still numerous rewards in risk-taking, including leaving one’s comfort zone, improving the quality of life, and achieving career satisfaction.

On the one hand, adventurous behavior can create life-threatening situations. Take, for example, the act of jumping off a cliff, which can be fraught with serious consequences for one’s physical health or even result in disability. Moreover, risk-taking may cause conflicts within the family, as loved ones might feel neglected regarding their thoughts and feelings. Additionally, overconfidence in one’s actions can lead to misguided work decisions, ultimately damaging one’s reputation.

On the other hand, risk-taking can lead to significant life changes and career rewards. In other words, taking the chance to leave one’s comfort zone and finding energy and confidence within oneself can open the door to new experiences and opportunities, build self-confidence and resilience, and ultimately lead to a better lifestyle. Another reason that taking risks can be advantageous is that it can contribute to achieving career goals. With all the motivation and energy dedicated to trying new career opportunities, one could pave the way to professional success.

In conclusion, while there are drawbacks to taking risks, numerous opportunities would be missed, potentially leading to life dissatisfaction and depression. Overcoming fears and finding a middle ground with loved ones is important to trying out new opportunities, taking risks, to achieving life goals.

Hello Liz, thank you for these resources. I attempted the essay below

Nowadays, more people prefer to read e-books than the traditional paper books. In my opinion, I believe that the advantages of e-books far outweigh whatever disadvantages there may be. Firstly, e-books are weightless. In the world we live in today, most people have mobile devices such as phones and tablets with them most of the time which they can use to access their electronic books wherever they are without the need to take anything else with them. This is particularly useful when travelling as the space that would have been occupied by hard copy books can be used for something more important. Secondly, e-books are advantageous in that they can be shared with friends and loved ones that are miles apart. They also possess the benefit in that if available online, they can be accessed by people far away, even in other countries. This is especially beneficial to students in developing countries who may not be able to access hard copies of newer edition textbooks, however, if these textbooks are available online, they can simply be download on mobile devices. The third and perhaps the most important advantage of e-books is the conservation of trees. Traditional books are made of paper, which is derived from trees. Thousands, if not millions of trees have to be cut down yearly for the purpose of producing paper for books. This practice has contributed to climate change and harmed our environment. Moreover, these trees that are felled were once homes to abundant wildlife such as birds, snakes, frogs etc. which end up being displaced or killed. A few disadvantages of e-books is that they are limited to only those who have mobile devices and access to the internet. Also, the prolonged screen time can be damaging to the eyes especially when the print is small and the text is bulky. In conclusion, e-books are easily accessed at the click of a button on mobile devices, do not take up extra space in bags or luggage, can be easily shared to loved ones and friends, and have a wider coverage in terms of accessibility. Moreover, they preserve our planet by reducing deforestation. I strongly believe that the advantages of using e-books far outweigh their disadvantages.

Thank you Liz!

Go to the main section for writing task 2 on my website and learn about paragraphing. Also have a look at the model essays and how they are written. The model essays are there to learn from.

In the future, all cars, buses and trucks will be driverless. The only people travelling inside these vehicles will be passengers. Do you think the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages? The artificial intelligence technology may produce passenger vehicles in the near future that don’t require any drivers. There are a few negative aspects of this development like loss of jobs for drivers or dependency of humans on machines but from my perspective, the merits surpass the demerits because this advancement will lead to less smoother traffic, ease in travel and lesser accidents. The details of my argument are explained below. Traffic without drivers will cause complete follow up of rules resulting in peace on roads and also create easy journey. The drivers are ultimately humans who can make unintentional mistakes while driving. For instance, if a person is stressed out, his driving might be affected. However, the computers are error free and will follow the instructions installed in them making the driving flawless. In addition, driverless transport system will ensure less accidents securing the life of people and eliminating destruction of vehicles. As the computer operated vehicles will obey the commands inserted in them, the chances of mistakes on roads are diminished. This point cannot be neglected that these new cars and buses will drastically affect the job opportunities for drivers and also produce a sense of dependency in human population upon the technology. However, there may be other jobs to fill in for the drivers related to the new established system. Hence, such transport system will provide a great control over accidents resulting in security of life and assets. To sum up, in my opinion, driverless vehicles will be an exceptional addition to the world for better traffic system and easy journey for the people. Moreover, it will be best in terms of saving lives due to negligible chance of accidents. This advancement will thus flourish a wonderful and prosperous world.

Just a quick comment, try to keep your introduction shorter. You don’t get any extra points for having a long introduction and it wastes a lot of time writing it. Just state your position and don’t give details. All details are for the body paragraphs. It is the body paragraphs that will give you the high score. Review my model answer to see how I do it.

I have always been a sensory person and always appreciated the feel of a paperback on my hand and loved the new-book scent. Be that as it may, it is my conviction that I gain more by obtaining digital copies as opposed to indulging my senses.

First and the most important in this time of financial uncertainty, e-books are more economical than their paperback counterpart. As far as pricing is concerned, digital prices are up to twenty five percent cheaper than physical copies. Sometimes, edition updates are included in the pricing. This is not something that can be done with physical copies. Even with minimal changes in a physical book, a new edition would be released, rendering your owned copy non-current.

This inadvertently decreases your carbon foot print and even if you are not an avid environment advocate, every little thing that is an attempt to go paperless matters. This means no more bulky text books that you have to carry around. Although, I have to say that you may need to keep your devices charged, pay for internet services and and in some cases, buy cloud storage to hold your massive library in one place. After all, you are bringing all your books and making it accessible so that it can be shared across all other devices that you own.

This leads me to the accessibility aspect of the e-books. Gone are the days that you will forget, or worse, lose a book that is worth hundreds of dollars. There were times when an entire collection would be destroyed by a natural calamity. Well, no more. You no longer need to travel and bring five paperbacks and take space from your carry-on. You can even pull an all-nighter when the lights are turned-off, next to your snoring spouse, with the convenience of your e-book app from your mobile device. The draw back is the increasing eye strain brought about by increased screen time from e-book reading.

E-books are by far one of the gifts of this digital age that keeps on giving because it gave us an access to knowledge that we can carry anywhere and possibly connect with anything if we have the means and connection to do so. I strongly believe that the advantages far outweighs the disadvantages so much that I am more than willing to give-up the new-book scent, which is, by the way, saying a lot.

If you are preparing for the IELTS test, it is essential that you understand the way to write an essay for IELTS. It is not the same as any other essay. It has specific requirements which you must learn. This includes length of paragraphs, content, language, linking words, style etc. If you fail to learn this, you will struggle to get a high score even if your English is strong because you will struggle with Task Response and Coherence & Cohesion, which together count for 50% of your marks. See all my free model essays to learn the right way. Notice every detail of the essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . And consider my advanced lessons in my store which explain precisely how you should write your essay: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

In current era, the majority of the folks are preferring to read the e-book instead of the paper books around the world. Although, due to the reading on the screens can cause the problems in the eye-sight. I believe that the benefits are far more than the drawbacks because reading the books using laptops, mobiles or tables can be dynamic, and this is the more portable way.

The online reading is dynamic in nature due to the various reasons. Firstly, it contains the sitelinks that can be open in the browser. Secondly, the reader can navigate automatically to any part of the book either by using the index or other bookmarks. Lastly, e-books comes with the sound, one can read listen the part of book in spite of reading. The survey held online also suggest the same reason that more people are inclining toward the electronic edition of books due to its dynamic nature.

Moreover, the books are portable. These days due to the efficient storage systems, the books can be stored in the hard drives and can be taken with someone at any place. In addition to this, the e-books are instantly available in the marketplace. For instance, normally the publisher first publish the online version.

However, the reading of the e-books can also cause some problems as well. The major problems caused by continuously looking at the differenct types of screen can create the vision problems. Thus, a reader cannot read continously read the e-book. For example, the medical report published at University of health, that eye problems are rising due to the online reading.

In conclusion, although the reading caused the certain health problems such as eye vision problem, overall the e-books are more dynamic, can be taken with someone at any place, bought earlier from any part of the world. For these reasons I believe that the advanatages can outweigh the disadvantages.

Even after scrolling through the whole comments and replys, still didn’t find clearification for my doubt. Dear Liz, thanks for this wonderful site. I trust your health is improving ma. This is my doubt. For the adv outweighs disadv question; even if in my opinion I choose adv, am to write about both the adv and disadv and state clearly the adv as my opinion. Then for the to what extent do u agree or disagree/ what do u think type of eassy question, Iam to write only about one side of the opinion I choose through out the intro, body paragraphs and conclusion. Am I right?..Pls I need clarification

When it says “outweigh” it means which is more and which is less. So, if you think the advantages are more, you also think that the disadvantages are less. Understanding this key concept will help you structure your essay.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

What types of question is?

Teachers give essay types different names. I call this one example of a direct question essay. It is specifically asking you if you think there are more advantage with less disadvantages or whether you think there are less advantages with more disadvantages – you need to choose one.

“Do you think advantages OUTWEIGH disadvantages”

Is it an advantages and disadvantages essay type OR an opinion essay type? According to some videos, it will be an opinion essay type but according to you, it is an advantages and disadvantages essay type. Which is correct?

Teachers give names to essay types because it helps with classification. Each teacher is different. I classify adv/disadv essays as two kinds. 1) what are the advantages and disadvantages of X” – this type of essay requires you to present both sides. 2) “do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages” – this requires you to choose which is more important and that means you must present your opinion. An actual opinion essay is one where you are given an opinion in a statement by IELTS and are asked to decide if you agree or not. By classifying and teaching in this way, people are usually clearer as to what their aims are. So, don’t get confused with names of essays. You only need to understand what your task is and what your aims are.

Hello Liz, hope all is well.

Please let me know if I understood this; In the 2nd kind “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages” one needs to give the opinion on advantage is more important or a disadvantage, although one needs to discuss both of them.

Thank you so much for your time and effort 🙂 Kind Regards!

I want you to think more about the instructions and what the task is. 1) do you think the advantages are more and the disadvantages are less? 2) do you think the disadvantages are more important and the advantages are less important? Now choose which approach you take. As you see, each approach contains both advantages and disadvantages but with an opinion behind them.

In recent years, more and more people are choosing to read e-books rather than paper books. Do the advantage outweigh disadvantag? Recently, the majority of people prefer to read e-books instead of paper books. Although there are disadvantages, but in my opinion advantage of reading e-books outweigh disadvantage because of its convenient and availability for acquiring knowledge. To initiate the benefits of reading electronic books, firstly, reading electronic books are more convenient and portable, now days, due to technological advancement, everything is available anywhere and anytime, and people do not carry any paper-based documents with them. Therefore, we can easily access and read electronic books anywhere. For example, we have access and can read electronic books during a trip like inside a train, airplane, and car or even while we are walking on the beach or relaxing in a park we can access our desired book and start reading it, there is no need to carry a paper base books while going far away from home. This resulting acquiring knowledge easily.

On the other hand, there are also downsides for reading electronic books, as it can cause eyes problems due to light of screen. By looking for a long duration of time on a laptop or smartphone screen our eyes, get tired and light hurts, which it can cause serious problems, like losing sight, headache and other problems. For instance, if I look for more than 6 hours a day continuously at my phone or laptop screen, I will get severe headache that even I will be unable to open my eyes. Another disadvantage is that it does not give the feeling of reading a book like the one paper-based and we are not getting the knowledge the way we get from paper books, because by using a laptop or mobile, we somehow lose concentration while reading and we are not able to focus.

To conclude, besides the downsides of reading electronic books, the benefits are more than the disadvantages because it is accessible and convenient to read anywhere and anytime.

An increasing number of people prefer reading e-books over paper-based books. In my opinion, the advantages of reading on electronic devices instead of paper materials outweigh the disadvantages. I will explore through it the following essay.

To start with, e-book has its convenience in terms of accessibility, taking notes and understanding the content. If I were to buy paper books, I would physically go and get it from a store. On the other hand, we can easily make an access to e-book, getting heled by the internet. Furthermore, e-book helps people to get information and take notes faster. As an illustration, paper-based textbooks are replaced by digital materials in many lectures and courses in the present days, because it is easier and faster to get information we need and write down the contents.

Nevertheless, attention tends to drift while we are reading on digital devices such as phones, laptops. and tablets. There are many latent distractions in the devices, making people lose their focus. For instance, our attention can wander, ending up browsing through our social media account or checking up emails. Although there are concentration issues with e-book, this can be handled by turning off notifications or activate ‘Do not disturb mode’ in our digital devices.

In conclusion, there are more advantages in reading e-book compared to paper book due to high easier access and faster in collecting information and organizing it. Moreover, there are ways to stay focused on the content even if we are using electronic devices to read them.

In the last few years, a growing number of people prefer reading e-books instead of paper-based books. In my opinion, there are more advantages of reading e-books rather than paper books. Also, it is much more convenient. Even though e-books are the new trending form of reading, there are some things that may cause trouble for some who use this method. For example, one disadvantage can be that reading on a computer through a screen can be tiring, the long exposure of light hurts the eyes of the reader. It also can lead to eyesight loss in the long run if precautions are not taken. Other negative side of e-books is that it doesn´t give the same feeling as holding a book, some may even say that they cannot feel connected to the story and that it takes more to concentrate. Despite of this, there are several benefits of e-books. The most relevant for me is convenience. For instance, you can download a book or purchase it from an online store and save it in any device you want. In this way, you can take any book you want everywhere you go instead of having to choose for only one because carrying multiple paper books would be too heavy and would take a lot of space. In addition, e-books cost significantly less than buying paper books. This is because paper books have to be printed while e-books are just an online document. Another important advantage is that e-books are more environmentally friendly than paper books, in this way we are helping the environment by saving tons of trees that are taken down annually in order to use it for printing purposes. In conclusion, e-books advantages outweigh the disadvantages in numerous ways such as convenience for the reader, variety, costs, and it also helps the environment. We should all move to more sustainable ways of doing what we love the most like reading.

Some people think that everyone has a right to access a university education and that the government should make it free for all students, regardless of their financial situation. To what extend do you agree or disagree? A section of society believes that all people have the opportunity to get a higher education at academic institutes, besides the government needs to provide a free tuition fee to every student, regardless of their financial status. In my opinion, I strongly disagree with this statement, and the details with suitable examples will discuss in the following passage. Embark, the main drawbacks of getting free tuition fees at university for everyone will pave an unclearness of education and no vacancy for jobs. This is because, if the country – authority give access to pursue fee less education to everyone there will be overpopulate of students at collages, and this will create a demand in collages behalf of admission seats, shortage of professors and lack of class rooms. These will affect the education quality of other students by getting poor education. Take for example, countries in middle east, their government provides free collage studies for every people, but it creates huge flaws, that their university do not have enough teaching facility for everyone due to over strength, as a consequence they acquired a low-level degree and most of them were in backlogs. In addition, come up with free higher studies to every individual by the government will cause huge economic crisis in the country. This is happening because, the budget allotted for the country’s development will mostly be spent on universities and colleges for higher studies, that makes them to rise the price and tax in other commodities and facility. For instance, in India the government have provides a free education to all students, that their major money was spent on education makes them to increases the prices of other public amenities like rise in ticket price of public transport, rise in GST in grocery price and also rate of electrical bill in order to compensate the budget allotted. That negatively impacts the people in economic wise. To recapitulate, overpopulate of students due to free education makes them to acquire an unqualified degree, further the economic of country in struggle because to balance the finance allotted to universities for plenty of pupil. That illustrates it is not possible to provide fees less collage to everyone.

Please check my writing task 2

New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time. Do you think the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages? It is commonly found that, latest technology development has paved a great shift in the way how children spend their leisure time. This essay will demonstrate with relevant support that the drawbacks of this trend out shadow the benefits. PLEASE CHECK MY INTRODUCTION

Many an individual is ambivalent about whether the digital mode of reading holds more precedence over the conventional way of acquiring knowledge. This essay will demonstrate with relevant support that the benefits of electronic books definitely out shadow the associated drawbacks since there is a wide variety of knowledge available readily online than in printed books.

To initiate the benefits of using the digital mode of learning for most individuals, in the current era of modernization. firstly, it is irrefutable that most modern people are becoming conscientious about the perseverance of the environment. Since paper books involve chopping down trees, thus, fewer people prefer taking knowledge from them and choosing electronic types of equipment. Take Kindle, for example, which is widely used by young readers to acquire knowledge. This volume has resulted in lowering the use of wood to make papers in many developed nations.

Another benefit that makes people prefer more of reading more digitally is the cost and maintenance involved. For some, paper books may be good for concentration, it cannot be denied that the same can be there while reading from a device where information is extended along with audio and visuals at a less cost. For example, most of the reading material online does have free referral links to certain video clips which broaden the horizons of knowledge for creative learners. Moreover, electronic media does not require costly maintenance charges to keep them in good condition for long since the downloaded books can be accessed and stored digitally anywhere.

To conclude, it is evident from the aforementioned information that there are compelling reasons for many echelons to reap benefits from reading electronic books, ranging from saving the environment to being cost-effective. It appears that paying an extra amount to own electronic reading devices would surely benefit the readers in the long run.

I think you were supposed to have a body paragraph for the opposing side

In this present world, technology has made our lives faster and easier. Due to improvements in technologies, nowdays a number of people prefer to read books on their mobile phones and laptops rather than choosing physical books. I personally in favour of e-books and Strongly believe that its benefits overpower the drawbacks and in my next few paragraphs, i will discuss about this view.

To Start with, the main advantage of using e books is that we can carry any kind of book conveniently in our smart phones and tablets. In order to read articles or magazines, we do not have to purchase it physically if we may use e-books. For instance, ‘kindle’ a platform provided by Amazon company is famous for its ebook collections. It provides various kind of books with amazing features which can enhance the reading experience. It gives opportunity to Store more than thousand books without lack of any storage and it is not possible for us to store these numbers of book at home.

In addition, there are few more advantages of electronic media. Firstly, we can access it at any time without depending on its availability in shops. Secondly, many applications provide amazing features which can help reader to enjoy the process of reading.And last but not least, we can get a chance to read books without any cost. Various website provide access to free e-books which are not possible to read in shops.

On the other hand, there are few downgrades of e-books. First of all, it will cause serious eyes damages if we use them in long run Constantly without taking breaks. Moreover, Hardware is the most common problem, because of small screens of mobiles, reader has to concentrate more and this will Sometimes result in headache. Further more due to many unethical behaviours it will lead to problems such as piracy of content, which is not good for anyone who is related to making process of book.

In Conclusion, i personally think that it will alway depend on us that how we use the things for our self. If we use the e-books in appropriate manner then its merits are very much as compared to demerits.

Hello teacher Liz, thanks for these excellent materials

Is it ok to write the weaker paragraph, shorter that another one in this type of essay, and spend most of our time writing about what outweigh the other side?

Your main points are supposed to be equally developed. This means body paragraphs are of equal length.

If I am asked that “Do the benefits of this situation outweigh the demerits?”, should I mention my opinion? But if I am asked, “Do you think the benefits of this situation outweigh the demerits?”, I have to mention my opinion such as I think the benefits of this situation outweigh the demerits.

I will wait for your precious feedback.

With regards, Shahparan Islam

If you are asked – Is pizza healthy or unhealthy? Or do the benefits of eating fast food outweigh the health concerns? Are these questions asking your opinion? Yes, they are. When you are asked to choose or are asked to present your position – these are questions that require a clear opinion.

Im taking this saturday my third IELTS academic test (still dont improve writting above 6). And I have found your page very useful!

I have a question: For the type of advantages and disadvantages and outweigh… is it good to end the introduction with something like “…this has brought many benefits but has also created a number of problems” or should I really need to state my opinion on deciding wether there are more advantages than disadvantages? And should I tell which ones in the introduction?

Thank you so much for your response!

I suggest you learn how to write such an essay completely rather than a typed tip. This is about knowing precisely how to write each paragraph. Go to my store, get a lesson and if it’s useful, get more: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

At present, the number of people is getting more use to reading e-books than paper based books. The e-books have more advantages than paper-based books and one of the main advantage is that we can have any book from all over the world which is just one click away, and it can be done with the help of internet.

As said earlier, electronic book has its own advantages since we need to go physically to buy it or purchase it online and this process takes time and money, while for e-book we can save our time and money because free e-books are also available online, these reduces the efforts involved physically. The mobile phones have the ability to save the e-book and after downloading it from the internet it can be read offline also in train, buses and anywhere you want. These mobile phones are pocket friendly so for instance when your travelling and your bored so you have to go online, download the novel e-book or any book of your choice and enjoy reading it.

In-case of paper based books, it won’t affect your eyes health because in e-book you will be constantly staring at the screen of mobile phone or laptop or computer so this can affect your eyes as you read for long hours. This can be avoided by limiting permissible amount of time to read the e-book. However, the traditional books will a physical space while e-book don’t need it but still many people of older age will prefer the real books over the digital books.

In my opinion, e-books has outweigh advantage when compared to real books as the efforts involved to get an e-book is less and also you can have books from globally. Nevertheless, elderly people will choose paper books because it feels more appealing to them.

Today people spend most of their time working which results in the shortened time for pastime activities. In my opinion, this has more disadvantages than benefits because some people who work long hours can suddenly die from work-related health problems while others can feel guilty for neglecting their family. One of the main advantages of working long hours is a career-related success. Many career-minded people seek promotion and for which, they need to show that they are working very hard by sacrificing their time for hobbies and other activities. This, indeed, could be effective if a person wants to climb a career ladder and reach his or her professional goal. It is common that professionals who stay very late at work can suddenly die from a serious work-related illness. One evident example is that in Japan, men work 16 hours a day in the office and according to one study, many Japanese men die from a heart attack before they retire. Moreover, if a person holds a managerial job which means he was stressed most of his time at work, then it is most likely that he won’t reach his 50s and die as a result of a heart-related illness. Working long hours imply that there will be little time left for family. This can be saddening for workers who miss the most precious time of their growing child. As an illustration, in the US only, many working mothers feel very guilty when leaving their child at daycare from the age zero. Furthermore, these mothers are expected to work as much as regular people who don’t have children. In conclusion, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to spending a lot of time at work, however, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages because working long hours can be fatal for some, as well as can be a source of guilt for others who would prefer to spend more time with family.

Nowadays, modern technologies by meaning of gadgets make our life more comfortable. E-book is one of them. I support the point of view when benefits outweigh downsides. There is number of advantages of using e-book. For example, it is quite light thus there is no necessity to take a heavy book everywhere. Especially it is convenient when you are going to a holiday or a business trip. Second profit is e-books are cheaper than paper books. For instance, usually e-books are half or even more cheaper than traditional books. There is no need to buy many real books when it is easy to download e-books thus it is cost-effective and do not take a place for shore them afterwards. Last but not least important plus of e-books is a safety for eye-sight. Specific e-ink do not disturb eyes and do not allow them to get tired as fast as printed books. Additionally, it is simple to regulate a level of light for enjoyable reading. Meanwhile there are also some drawbacks. Plenty of people can not read e-books because they do not feel the real book so this fact hinders them to percept the book and its content from an aesthetic point of view. What is more some people believe that e-books effect on a well-memorizing that’s why the prefer reading traditional books. To conclude, the role of electronic devices will be growing and they provide more freedom. Clearly advantages of e-books outweigh disadvantages. Nevertheless, a plenty of people still choose paper books.

The pros and cons of information technology is a hot topic in every discussion nowadays. With the day to day advancement in the field, people are now able to work and get settled in any place they wish to. Another key factor which supports this development is the improvement of transportation facilities across the globe. This is in fact a positive trend. To begin with, there are plenty of facilities and online platforms which are designed solely to connect people worldwide. This improved communication systems will nullify the feeling of homesickness and missing loved ones to a lot extent. To name a few, whatsapp, duo etc provides videoconferencing facilities for unlimited time. Similarly, even if there is an emergency of some sort, there are plenty of transportation facilities that can be used. For instance, if a person has to travel overseas due to demise of a loved one, he or she can immediately book a flight without any further delay. Besides, many previously unknown places can now be accessed via different transportation means. This has led to development of all faces in those places which resulted in more people choosing to migrate to those countries. As an impact of the development of the Arabian countries, people during 1960’s fled the place in search of jobs and many of them choose to settle there. To conclude, the improvement in communication and transportation facilities is giving people freedom to choose any place to live and work. The advantages of this development therefore definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

E-books are slowly becoming popular among the younger generation day-by-day as compared to the option of paper books. In my opinion, the benefits of using e-books definitely outweighs the drawbacks of using a physical book.

There are a lot of advantages to using an e-book instead of a paper book, for example, e-books are easier to store as they don’t need any physical space and thus, they have a longer shelf life as compared to paper books. Being in digital format, e-books can be easily carried on any electronic device and can also be accessed conveniently from internet. This also includes sharing it with your loved ones.

There is one more particular benefit, which a paper book can never have and that is features like adjusting the font and brightness of an e-book according to readers comfort or quickly looking for the meaning of any word from dictionary just by tapping on it. Last, but not least, using e-books saves a lot of trees by reducing the demand for paper, thereby contributing to a healthier environment.

Despite of having so many benefits over a physical copy, e-books are not for everyone. For older generations, physical books will always be a preference. To some, the look and feel of a physical book is more appealing than an e-book. Some people also have a hobby of collecting books as a memory. Additionally, physical books can be personalized by making hand-made markings on them or signing them for fans.

As evident from above, clearly the benefits of digital books outweigh the disadvantages of using paper books. Nevertheless, paper books will always be prevalent in future for a particular set of people based on their preference.

It is true that people in the recent times prefer to read books on electronic gadgets such as laptops and mobiles instead of paper books. Although I accept there are some drawbacks of this trend, I believe that there are far more benefits. In my view, reading of e-books has some negative impacts on individuals’ health. Firstly, continuous studying of books from electronic equipments has bad impacts on reader’s eyes. Rays emitted from screens make the eye sight weak, and as a result, people need to use spectacles while learning. For instance, medical survey conducted by Indian health department reveals that most cases of low vision in the people are due to long time reading of electronic books. Secondly, digital books distract readers while learning as there are a variety of commercials reflect on the screen which not only divert learner ‘mind but also waste their quality time. However, I would argue that negative impacts are outweighed by positive effects. Reading e-books are cost effective as compared to paper books. One can download a range of digital books from internet, and read them. To illustrate, electronic books are available on different websites, there are various digital books available on one subject written by different authors, which sometimes are very expensive in form of paper books. Moreover, individuals can use digital books on mobiles which made them handy,and they can utilize their free time to go through their favorite subjects and novels at any time. In conclusion, it seems to me that positives of reading e-book are far more significant than the negatives

A government’s role is only to provide defense capability and urban infrastructures, such as roads, water, and power. All other services, such as education, health, and social security, should be provided by private groups or individuals in the community. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is true that protecting national security and maintaining the inviolate territory from other countries as well as furnishing the essential facilities including water and energy are an authority’s responsibility. I, however, completely agree with those who believe that the government should also supply the fields, namely curriculum, the healthcare, and the community welfare system, instead of organizations, individuals in the society.

To begin with, obviously, a state’s role is the macroscopic management, including enacting feasible policies and investing the national budget in the areas that initially serve benefits of the public. The education system that plays an important role in paving the way for the development of a country, would reap certain benefits of such policies, especially the government assists to build new schools and pays the wage for teachers, and forecast the manpower demand of the community. Some studies showed that associations tend to allocate their capital for the services such as vocational schools and language centers rather than for the science-related occupations because of the shorter payback on their investment and the lower the risks. Therefore, letting these companies provide the curriculum, is likely to create more disadvantages than the advantages.

In addition, perhaps, it seems to me that the idea, allowing individuals and personal organizations supply the health and social security area may be impossible for this service requires the great fund with a long-term period and the huge human resources.

Besides, the unequal competitive and exclusiveness also might stem from companies owning the health care and welfare field. In recent researches indicated that the expense of basic medical examination, the expenditure for insurance packages, and the price of medicine in some developed countries in which there are a variety of hospitals operated by private associations are higher than those in developing nations. Consequently, a number of poor cannot afford to pay the medical consultation and treatment expenses, which means the distance among strata in the society could be widened, the community, thus, would fail to thrive.

In conclusion, the concept that organizations and individuals furnishing the social services, education area, and the health-related and welfare filed in particular, is taken into consideration. However, I concur that the government should shoulder this mission.

Try to aim for 300 words or under rather than over 360 words. You won’t get a higher score because your essay is longer. In fact, you open yourself up to more errors and more possibility of a less focused essay. Also ensure that body paragraphs are equally developed.

is the ” do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages” the same as ” discuss the advantages and the disadvantages” ? and thankyou in advance

The discuss instructions ask you to present both. The “outweigh” instructions are asking you to evaluate – too choose. The latter requires an opinion, the former does not.

In last few years, many people have started preferring e-books over paper books. In my opinion, I think there are more advantages of choosing e-books compared to any drawbacks it may cause. Admittedly, there are some minor disadvantages of using e-books. Firstly, reading books on electronic devices for long hours may affect eyes and as a result, it may cause fatigue or lead to weak eye sights. Normally, people like to complete their books as soon as they start reading them, and focusing on a screen for an extended period of time can put a strain on their eyes. For example, one recent research has found that two in ten people who regularly read on mobile devices wear eyeglasses. Secondly, since mobile phones and tablets have limited battery capacity, they can only be used for a certain number of hours, and as soon as the battery runs out, they need to be recharged in order to be used again. This can be frustrating for those who read books on portable devices while travelling if there is no charging facility nearby. Nevertheless, despite the disadvantages above, I think people can benefit more from choosing e-books to read. One of the major advantages of using electronic books is the instant access to an online library that contains millions of books, which can be downloaded to electronic devices such as mobile phones in a matter of few minutes. As many people in today’s societies lead a busy life, they hardly get time for themselves, and going to a store to buy books can be time consuming and inefficient, given their busy schedules. Therefore, the majority of them find downloading e-books from the internet convenient. Another benefit of choosing e-books over paper ones is that they do not cover extra space or add additional weight especially when travelling. Generally, a plethora of adults like to read three to four books during travelling long distances and carrying several books around can be tiring and difficult to manage. In contrast, having multiple books in a single portable device will not only save space but it will considerably be easy to manage. In conclusion, time savings in buying e-books online and convenience while travelling far outweighs any of the drawbacks that may result from using digital books.

Really great essay. I like it. Great. I found new ideas for my essays. It is really useful. Thanks.

Learning a second language is becoming increasingly prevalent among schoolchildren. Some argue that this process should take place at primary school rather than secondary school. In my opinion, the benefits of introducing language lessons at primary education institutions far outweigh the drawbacks.

It is admittedly true that schoolchildren already have many subjects that need to study when starting their education at school. This is because there are some more important classes, which broaden children’s horizon and help with their development. For example, learning mathematics at an early age may help students with their intellectual growth and improve their problem-solving skills. If a language class was incorporated into the curriculum, pupils might not be able to spend enough time learning essential subjects. As this example shows, adding extra lessons at primary school might be undesirable for a child’s development and growth.

However, I believe that there are many advantages of learning a foreign language at an early age. The reason is that children often possess incredible linguistic and learning skills. In addition, children are proven to have better memory than adults by numerous studies. To illustrate this, unlike many educational institutions, a Danish primary school introduced English lessons for its students. Because they possessed the ability to speak English and have a higher proficiency of the language, pupils that graduated from this school were more likely to secure a job offer in the future than those from other educational institutions. Thus, learning a second language should not be postponed until secondary education because the knowledge of a foreign language can improve a child’s future career prospects significantly.

In conclusion, it is certainly true that adding extra lessons, such as language classes, can take away time that could be spend on other essential subjects. However, in my opinion, the advantages of learning a foreign language far outweigh the disadvantages. This is because studying a second language as early as possible can increase the chance of employment in the future.

wow perfect essay! i bet you scored 9

Over the past few years, more people prefer to read e-books over paper books. In my opinion, this scenario has more demerits than advantages. Excessive indulgence in reading e-books can have detrimental effect on health, and it also reduces Social interaction.

Spending multiple hours reading e-books over electronic devices such as Computers, Mobile phone or Tablets can cause adverse effect on health. The radiation emitted from these devices puts our eyes at immense stress, and it could damage or weaken our vision. Futhermore, incorrect reading posture may create tension at shoulder muscles causing headaches and neck pains. For instance, many individuals spend most of their time over computers either for their work reading emails or e-documents, online materials suffer from above mentioned issues at very early age. Secondly, excessive reading of e-books causes individuals to develop addiction to electronic gadgets and in-turn they tend to aloof themselves from others. Since they spend considerable amount of time over their devices, they develop a feeling of insecurity. Finally, ebooks are difficult to read and comprehend compared to hardcopy. With e-books, we cannot highlight or make notes of any important sections.

Of course, people who choose to read e-book save time in purchasing the book. E-books are cheap and easily available compared to paper books. Most of the e-books can be readily purchased from publisher’s website or any online bookstores. We can have access to e-copy within few minutes of our online purchase. To add, e-books are also cheap since there are no printing and distribution cost. To illustrate, my uncle gifted me a hard copy of famous book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” that costed $24.99. The online version of same book costs $8.99. However, cost and time to acquire the book is not the deciding factors. People who chose paper books have more ease to read them without affecting their health and social relations.

To conclude, there are many negative impacts on people’s health and life, who prefer to read more e-books. We should include more paper books in our reading habits to help mitigate the side-effects.

A growing number of humans have been preferring to read e-books instead of paper books for the past few years. While reading books online have many advantages, it will have some drawbacks as well.

One evident benefit that online books offer is that it saves a lot of time and effort. This means that going into a bookshop and search for the books is always time consuming and doesn’t guarantee the book’s availability. For example, a close relative of mine is a university research student and has completed his past assignments with the help of online books, blogs, and forums. Besides, another plus point is that a substantial amount of space can be saved by storing the books electronically in laptops and in mobile devices Of course, the shelves occupies a lot of space and maintaining the book shelf is also difficult. It is also flexible to carry a mobile to a remote location rather than carrying a paper book.

On the other hand, reading online books can cause health issues. By continuously reading a lengthy book online, the rays emitting from the mobile or laptop can cause harm to human eye. In addition, laptops and mobiles requires continuous charging. Reading rhythm is broken if a mobile device is discharged. Online books has caused a profound impact on the libraries. Aptitude towards libraries has almost come to an end and a majority of people prefer to search their required material on the internet. However, we cannot rule out this fact that we may still find some older people around us who loves to sit in the libraries and read newspapers.

In conclusion, as the Social Media has emerged as a strong alternative to Paper Media within the past decade and it is making its root stronger every day, it is most likely that future will become paper less and Online Culture will predominate.

Brother its a well written essay with a good combination of vocabulary and grammar. I got very useful ideas from it but problem is in conclusion you have not mentioned yours point of view regarding advantages or disadvantages. You have just enclosed it by telling future of the world . I thing it would be better if you add your suggestion also with it.

‘A growing number of humans’ well, it doesn’t seem right to start that in the essay.(in my opinion) However,your essay is great.

Hi Liz! I am confused about the grammer rule of this sentence. Could you please correct me if I am wrong? For instance: ‘’A wide range of people say that…’’ if I use ‘a wide range of ‘ structure, do I need to use verb+s or the just the verb is okay? I mean which one is correct? -A wide range of people say that.. -A wide range of people sayS that.. thank you so much!

When you use such a quantifier after a plural noun, the verb will be third person plural – a large number of people say … – a great number of people say …. – a wide range of people say …

Hi liz, when we face this type of advantage/disadvantage task (do the advantages outweigh the dis advantages?) could we bring two reasons for opposite stance in main paragraph 1 and two reasons for our stance in main paragraph 2 and mention that the advantages/disadvantages behind our stance are more important or vital so they outweigh the opposite side? In other words, is it wrong to mention same number of advantages/disadvantages for our stance and the opposite stance in this type of question?

Thanks in advance, Saman

It’s completely fine to do that.

Hy Liz Please write a model essay on this type too It will be helpful Thanks in Advance❤

Hi liz, this is Smruthi from kochi, India. Am giving test on 26th this month.

These days, increasingly people prefer to use electronic books instead of printed books, for reading. In my opinion, this tendency has more advantages when compared to the disadvantages.

Decline of the print media, is a serious disadvantage related to the reduced usage of paper books. Hence, this would result in the closure of libraries, which has been one the most significant part of human life during many phases. Libraries, contain precious and valuable records of numerous domains such as, historical, cultural, religious, scientific, literary, mathematical and so on, which would be lost if not used and managed properly.

However, there are several advantages for the growing trend of reading and studying through e-books rather than the paper books. Firstly, it is the most convenient method of reading as electronic books are easy to carry while travelling and do not have much weight which are some of the highlights of this advanced technology. Secondly, easy access to any topics under the earth at any time with the help of internet and the inexpensive purchase of any books online, are some other advantages of great paramount. Any books to be read can be downloaded within seconds and also be shared among friends, which is a great positivity about the new trend among people. Apart from that, it is not required to carry heavy books like the earlier days, specially which is an inconvenience while travelling, and whole content of a book may be viewed in a small device such as, the mobile or the tablet.

In conclusion, it is the advantages that outweigh the disadvantages when the growing trend of reading e-books, instead of printed books, is taken into consideration. In my opinion, eventhough reduced access to libraries might lead to decline of the print media, but the advanced technology is highly advantegous that it has become the current trend among many.

Please somebody comment on this.. Liz, cud u pls advice how much i wud get for this writing

Sorry I do not comment on writing and I don’t offer a marking service.

This is awesome , very useful thanks

Hi Liz, Thank you for supporting us with IELT. I purchased your advanced lessons. they are of great benefit for me. they open my eyes on very critical points. I have one question so far and hope you find the time and patience to answer it. Regarding the adv outweigh disadvantages alternative model. your sample mentions in the first paragraph ‘despite the drawbacks below I believe the benefits from children doing work experience are extremely useful for their future. in the second paragraph, you write about the few drawbacks that might appear. However, my question is, when we agree the adv outweigh the disadvantages can we organise our essay as follows, ??? Introduction with a clear opinion that adv outweigh the disadvantages Body paragraph one discuss some drawbacks that might appear, ‘ Admittedly, there are some drawbacks’ Body paragraph two, with the advantages ‘ despite the drawbacks above I believe the benefits are extremely useful’ Conclusion. As if we reverse the two paragraphs. Thank you very much for your extreme efforts in helping us. I did the test many times in the past my last attempt was L7 R8 S8 W6 still trying to improve my writing and looking forward to hearing your valuable advice. Thanks,

It’s up to you how you organise your essay. Just make sure it’s logical and not confusing. For example, stick to the order you present in your introduction. Think about what the reader is expecting. However, having clear signposts such as those you suggest is a great way to make things really clear – it all helps towards your score for Coherence & Cohesion.

Hi liz, i just took my ielts today. My question is outweigh. I have a question, i stated in my intro that the benefits does not outweigh the drawbacks. However, in the conclusion, i wasnt able to restate it, but i explained 1 benefit and 2 disadvantages on my conclusion making it clear that i am more on the disadvantage side but i did not literally restate outweigh. Would that be okay?

You don’t need to use the word “outweigh”. No essay requires any particular word. If you showed which side you leaned towards that is enough.

Thank you so much Liz. I hope i get at least a 6.5.

Hi ms liz, im cycy from the philippines and i would like to ask a favor if you could check my task 2 essay if it is enough to get a good score. Thank you so much and God bless.

Books are considered as one of our sources of information. Recently, most individuals prefer to acquire information through the use of e-books rather than paperbound.

There are broad of array of reasons why the use of internet-based books becomes more trendy than traditional ones. One of them is accessibility. Thanks to the internet, we can easily obtain all the books that we need without having a single sweat. E-books has become much available that it can easily bring forth all the latest editions from news to educational books in an upmost comfort. With this growing trend, people can do more things without the need to visit any libraries. People can now have more available time to do other things and it comes in handy especially to those men and women who have limited time because of work. It also opens great opportunity to writers both professionals and aspiring authors who publish and share their works so that other people would enjoy reading and also to gain avid readers and followers around the globe.

The drawbacks of using this growing trend is that people become too lazy since searching for wanted books is as easy as preparing a cup of tea. Moreover, there are malicious individuals whos main reason of using e-books is to steal especially to unprotected internet site by means of illegal hacking and frauds. Plagiarism is also one of the major concerns of our recent authors that are quite hard to irradicate due to easy access of these available books in the internet world.

Despite of the these disadvantages, there are still more people, both readers and writers prefer of using internet based books. Nowadays, work and personal demands has given us time almost nothing to spare and so, using e-books gives more advantages. Furthermore, there are internet sites that protects the rights of authors and purchasers from the dangers of internet frauds ang crackers.

In conclusion, people become more practical and much wiser of using internet based books. And so, the advantages of using this trend outweighs the disadvatages.

Er.. i see some typo errors.. sorry about that in advance..

And grammar.. ugh! Frustrating..

I’m from India. I want to purchase your Advanced Learning Videos but the payment Amount is in Dollars. I need to know, if i can subscribe to your paid lectures?

Paypal will change the currency when you choose the country.

Hello liz, How tougy will i be marked if an essay questions says go you agree with adv being more than dis adv and i answered with an dis adv out weigh dis adv rather than an opinion essay structure?

I do not understand your question. This is not an opinion essay. It is an adv outweigh disadv essay which requires you to give your opinion. I teach each essay type separately because they are not completely the same.

I hope you can comment on this different essay Essay Question: More People decided to have children in their later age than in the past. Why? Do advantages this outweigh disadvantages?

Essay: Nowadays, newly married couples prefer to have children after many years of their marriage which is completely different than people in the past. Moreover, parents in the past prefer to have many children compared to recent ones. So, I will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of having babies in later age and, Do parents aware that disadvantages is more than benefits.

Recently, People think that having children in later age will give parents high advantages for many reasons. Firstly, people in late thirtieth have more life experience than of younger age. So, they can give this life knowledge to their toddlers. Secondly, It thought that children of of older parents always have higher economical life than of younger ones, as a result these children can start their life with less problems.

Beside the benefits, there are drawbacks affect the relation between parent and children because of the age difference. Today, life style changes very fast compared to past which lead to difference in mentality. Although, older people can give larger experience to their children, they see life in older fashion not like their children which in turn can’t handle every problem faces his child. As well as, older parents are less energetic than younger ones, children need highly active parent to can play and tech them sports they are like.

In conclusion, Having children in later age can positively affect the children and increase their life patterns and negatively affect them by different way of thinking. So, having children in earlier age is much more better than older age for both children and parents.

*writing a title for the essay & subtitle for body paragraphs * Is it essential?

As you can see, I have not done that with any of my model essays. If it was necessary, I would have done it.

Hi Liz! Thanks for all the excellent webpage! I have a question too. The essay question is the following: Both governments and individuals are spending vast amounts of money on protecting animals and their habitat. This money could be better spent dealing with fundamental issues in society as poverty and health care. To what extent do you agree?

I prefer to write one-sided essay as it is easier to my mind. But the question is: is it ok to write 2 body paragraphs of reasons why animals and their habitats should be protected and not mention the poverty and health care part at all or is it a mistake and I should add a 3rd paragraph which discusses why additional money should not be diverted to poverty and health care?

Thanks for you answer Anne-Liis

You can’t ignore part of the essay question. This is a two issue question. Your opinion must relate to both issues. If you believe that money should be spent on animals and their habitat, you also do not believe this money should be re-directed to health care and poverty. That is your full opinion and it is one sided.

hi liz , Mam, I do have the same doubt, as you say that we need to accept a view and reject another view, so let’s take the above example. so mb1 will be the reason why it should be spent on protecting animals, so will our mb2 be about that I do not believe this money should be redirected to health care [won’t it be a discussion essay ] . can you please kindly elaborate with the above example.

A discussion essay would ask you to discuss both sides without bias: why people agree with protecting animals and why people agree with funding health care. Two sides, both explained why people support them. You are not supporting both sides. You are saying I agree with A and I don’t agree with B. It is your opinion. One you have a positive opinion for and the other you hold a negative opinion. If you are unable to see the difference, there is nothing more I can do to help you.

if i was not able to understand the question correctly,what they are expecting then at that time what could i do ??? how can i write that task?? i am not that much good in english so according to my english how can i get good band in writing ???any tips???

IELTS is an English language test. You get a good score if your English is a good level. Addressing the task in writing task 2 is only 25% of your marks. The rest is about paragraphing, linking, vocab and grammar.

Hi Liz I have a confusion in giving solutions to cause solution essays.. shall i write “these steps should be taken” or “we should take these steps” im actually confused in using “we” “us” “our” or shall i give solution generally? Please help i have exam tomorrow

Some teachers say not to use “we” or “us”, others say it’s ok. I choose the middle ground – use other phrases: One possible step towards solving this is …. The best solution is … One effective answer is to …

Hii Liz! I have a doubt. May I use “a good garden may have some weeds” when starting paragraph related to disadvantages.

Do not use idioms – they are informal and the essay must be formal. See this page for all tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Few experts believe that it is better for to learn a foreign language at primary schooling rather than high school Do advantages outweigh disadvantages My answer to to this question has

2 advantages and 1 strong disadvantages Which side should be my opinion? Advantages are 1. Easy for child to learn a language at early age and makes him easier to learn communication skills 2. As learning non native language makes individual to use more brain leading to improving his problem solving skills

Demerits are Foreign language often harm mother tongue of individual when he learn this nonnative language at early age As child tend to mix and add loan words of other language into his native language when he speaks his mother tongue

The aim of this essay is to present your opinion. You MUST decide if the advantages are more important than the disadvantages or vice versa.

I am disappointed that you didn’t give me a feedback, although you already gave feedback for others who submitted after me.

But thanks God, I have passed the exam with the score I want

Thanks anyway!

Unfortunately, I can’t answer everyone due to the hundreds and thousands of students who contact me. Well done with your results 🙂

Hi, I am Belinda from Ghana. I have my ielts exams next month(7th April). I’d appreciate it if i can get feedback on my essay below on the above topic.

These days, a lot more people are are often using e-books rather than the traditional textbooks. This essay will outline why the use of internet based books is more beneficial compared to paper books.

Over the years, paper books such as textbooks, journals, etc have been the source of information. Long hours are spent in libraries searching for books to complete assignments or to get term papers done. This can be very tedious and tiring. There are instances when there are limited numbers of a particular book. Hence, usage depends largely on its availability. This can cause delays and sometimes frustrations if deadlines are to to met. Another aspect of paper books is that, some of them tend to be big and very heavy. Thus, there is no ease of carrying them around.

On the other hand,the internet has made e-books easily accessible. Internet based books can be safely downloaded anytime, anywhere by so many people at the same time without having to worry about library closing times or when the last user is returning the book. This can either be free or at a fee. Portable technological devices like laptops, tablets or mobile phones can be used to accommodate e-books conveniently. E-book users have the additional benefit of easily carrying it around. Again, e-books can be kept for as long as the user wants and sharing of information from internet based books is easily done. For instance, if there is a group assignment to be done, an e-book version of a textbook can be downloaded and circulated among members without physically meeting each other.

In conclusion, i would like to say the benefits of e-books outweighs that of paper books. This is because e-books are readily available, easily accessible and convenient to carry about.

Nowadays, larger number of people are preferring e-books instead of paper books. In my opinion, I agree because our preferences change with time, and technology is everywhere now.

Due to the cheap prices of e-books, they might be absolutely the best choice for readers. Additionally, it is simply few clicks in no time and you can find the book you want from internet. Furthermore, keeping environment safe and clean require us to eliminate our usage of plastic covers, packaging, and non-recycled materials. Navigation, zooming, adding bookmarks, and highlighting favorite words, are so easy in electronic books.

On the other hand, no one can deny how physical books are comfortable for eyes. for some people searching for books in libraries and bookstores, are fun. some books are treasure and worth thousands of dollars if founded. many readers love the touch, smell of old paper books, they even remember some events in their lives when reading their private books.

Moreover, e-books may cause eye illness, especially when reading from tablets or mobiles with high brightness and with lights off. the darkness outside the screen causes eye to make extra efforts in order to see words. Additionally, non-licensed e-books are illegal and waste authors copyrights

To sum up, reading paper books will never be obsolete but e-books readers will continue growing. As we are technology addicts, we will always look for less efforts and free ways to get the books we need.

Hi Liz, may i ask, if my answer is the advantages outweigh the disadvantage, which side should i write first on the body paragraph? The side that i didn’t choose (disadvantages) or the side that i chose (advantages)?

Kindly reply. Thanks and have a great day!

Follow the same order you presented in your introduction. The examiner is checking your logical order of information. Keep topics sentences written clearly so the reader knows which paragraph is which.

Hi Liz, Please solve my confusion, the topic asked “are there more advantages than disadvantages of living in a house compared with living in an apartment?” What should be my strategy? adv of living in a house – BP1 disadv of living in a house – BP2 Please suggest .

This is not asking you to discuss. It is asking for your opinion. Are there more advs and less disadv or are there more disadv and less advs.

Hi Liz, Thanks for all your tips and advices . I’d like to ask you if it’s alright to list just ONE disadvantage, eventhough the question clearly states disadvantageS (ie plural form).

To illutrate : (in this case I’d like to say that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, therefore I’m implying that by putting TWO Advantages and only ONE Disadvantage):

Intro BP 1- Advantage 1 + Explanation BP 2- Advantage 2 + Explanation BP 3- Disadvantage + Explanation Conclusion

Would it be okay? Thank you in advance Liz 🙂

Sure it’s fine.

Thank you :))

Hi Liz, in your course you suggested three body paragraphs Incase there are one adv and two disadvantages. What if I write the one long advantage in one paragraph and combine two short disadvantages into one paragraph. Is it ok? Thank you!

There is no right or wrong. As long as your paragraphs are logical, it’s fine. But it does mean that one idea will be very developed and two will not be equally developed. Each idea should be equally developed in writing task 2.

Thank you Liz and happy new year!

Happy 2018 🙂

I am struggling with this question and tmr is the due date pls help me

I suggest you get my advanced lesson which explains this type of essay in depth: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Thank You Very Much Mrs.Liz

Can someone please comment on my essay. I be really greatful as I’m aiming for band 7.

Recently, majority of individuals are preferring to read books online rather than custom hand books. In my opinion, there are several advantage to reading books online as they are easily available as well as one can always look for the latest versions easily.

There are few disadvantages to reading e-books instead of paper books. Firstly, many readers find it difficult to read for a long time on screen whereas, reading a book is more pleasurable experience as it is tangible and involves fligging through the pages which many readers find amusing. Moreover, they are portable and a person can easily carry them along anywhere.

On the other hand, more and more people are opting to read books online due the many advantagess that out weight the disadvantages. To begin with, e-books are easily available anytime no matter how long ago they were published. As a result of advancement in the modern technologies, a mere touch can open up thousands of varieties to choose from and therefore lessened human efforts in search for the particular book. Furthermore, latest version of books can be viewed online easily anywhere in the world, unlike the paper books that require multiple months in publication and even more to get distributed. E- books don’t loose quality of the script over the period of time hence their material is everlasting. In conclusion, majority of pepole are opting to read e-books instead of paper books due to several advantages that outweigh the disadvantages of reading online including easy accessibility of books online along with the availability of latest modified versions at doorstep.

Hi, I cannot find any major errors in your essay. However, you could improve on paraphrasing the statement “advantages that outweigh the disadvantages”. I think you could use, “there are more benefits than its drawbacks” or ‘there are more good things to consider than the negative ones it brings”. 🙂 Good luck on your exam

I really appreciate your correction and indeed I find it difficult to paraphrase…hope I would improve. Many thanks for your time:)

Would it be alright to add questions in your essay to prove your point? For example, with regards to nuclear technology maintaning world peace.

I would really like to argue “How long could it maintain world peace before it destroys the world?”

Your task is not to present questions but to present supporting arguments “It certainly would not be able to maintain world peace for long before it destroyed the world…”

Hey Liz, What’s the difference between an outweigh type of essay and a disadvan/advan type of essay ?

Thanks in advance .

One requires an opinion and the other does not.

Hey LIZ I made a big mistake today. I forgot to put the disadvantages in the “do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” Essay . I just kept discussing the advantages in the body paragraphs. How bad did I goof ?

It will affect your score for one of the four marking criteria which is called Task Response. TR counts for 25% of your writing task 2 marks. you’ll score lower in that area but you can hopefully pull your score up in the other criteria and in task 1. Fingers crossed 🙂

Thanks a lot Liz. I passed. You’re the best. Your website is awesome

Well done 🙂

Hi Kaine. How was your score in this particular writing test? Did you manage to get above 7? pls reply

Hey! Yes I passed. I got 7 on the dot. Was really lucky. Maybe my paper 1 made up. Thanks. Goodluck with yours

I did that today as well.. I wrote three paragraphs on advantages ☹️☹️ Did you manage to get a 7?

Hey Natasha. Yes I got a 7 on the dot. I’m sure you’lo be fine *fingers crossed* . Please let me know how it goes. Goodluck

I am very thankful to you. Your website is very helpful to me. Thank you so much.

Just a quick question, if I completely agree that the disadvantages outweighs the advantages, do I still need to write the advantages or I could stay on one idea, which all about disadvantages?

Thank you in advance!

You need to explain why one is more important than the other. This means you will refer to both.

Copy that, thanks again! 😀

Thanks for all your help. You have be amazing. I have my test tomorrow but i just came across this “outweigh” question. Kindly clarify how i should go about it. After my Introduction, do i give advantages of e-copy, which i think is more advantageous, then proceed to give disadvantages of paper copies?

Help! I have a feeling it might just come up tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.

You express your opinion – which are more important? If you think the ads are more important than the disadvs, then you explain this in your essay.

Regarding the question: “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages” If, for example, my answer is that there are more advantages to this. Do I write the advantages in the body paragraph as an opinion format? Or do i just write my opinion statement on both the introduction and conclusion instead?

Your entire essay will show and explain why you think that the advantages are more important than the disadvantages.

Hi Liz, First of all,thankyou for your feedback.I took IELTS today and I didn’t much practice of writing.I just went through your tips about writing.Thankyou for that. My essay was “Some people believe that young students should be taught to put more effort and do better than others while some argue that everyone should work together for each other’s benefit”. Do the disadvantages of competition among students outweigh the advantages of working together?. I had no idea abot this type of question but I took it as opinon asking essay. I wrote in my introduction” I completely concur that pros of working in group are more than cons of it” (A thesis statement).Not exactly but it was something like that. Is it fine ? Then in 1st body paragraph I wrote the advantages of working together and gave two reasons with an example.After this,I wrote second paragraph with disadvantages of competition and working alone to excel than others and in the end I gave conclusion.Is it okay? I didn’t put the adv/disadv of both arguments but adv. of one and disadv. of other just to support my point of view in two separate paragraphs. Please reply briefly this is my first comment here and I am bit worried regarding this.

I think you’ve done very well if you hadn’t prepared for this question. Yes, it is asking for your opinion. It sounds like you’ve handled it just fine. Now try to relax and wait for your results. Let me know what happens – I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂

For sure! There is another thing with respect to reading and listening.I wrote some answers like: “The pronghorns”,”attitude” and in other “The Royal Antelope”. Different answers with different capital letters. Is it fine? Thankyou Mam,once again.

Capital letters are not marked so don’t worry for listening and reading.

Hi Liz, quick question! If the question asks: “adv outweigh the disadv.”. Should I start the first BP with advantages (following the same order as it is in the statement) or should I always start with the opposite side of my opinion (regardless of the statement order)?

Yes, keep the same order. It’s easier for the reader.

Hi Liz! I’ll be taking my academic next week and this was a practice I did timing 40min for task2. I’d love to hear your opinion on weather I explored the disadvantages enough and how I did overall! [* I kept the typos for a real assessment ]

“Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” Essay: It is expected in these days that by the end of secondary education years, students are familiar, wife not fluent, in another language. It is believed by many specialists in education that having an early start in learning can have a more positive outcome. By my own experience, I believe that being exposed to a second language from early childhood is essential. By starting e second language at first grade, children will get used, since day one, to having the subject and will know that it is as important as all the other subjects. Also, many agree that the earlier a person is exposed to new languages the easier it is to comprehend and speak. A clear example of that is children with parentes that come from different countries, they grow up in a bilingual environment, so they learn effortlessly. Nevertheless, these kids might not be interested in this language, which can be a challenge for teachers, who must create a inovative* and fun lessons. Another problem may be that parents also don’t have the knowledge to help with homework assingments*. On the other hand, if we think about students only getting in touch with this language later in life, this may result in slower process of learning and the scenario of less time throughout the years in school to get at least aqquainted* with the basics of the language. In conclusion, living in the 21st Century means having global connections. And the likelyhood* of using another language that is not your primary one is huge, especially for work and/or terciary* studies. Therefore, learning this skill as early as possible in school certainly has more benefits and facilitates ones possibilities.

Thanks in advance!

I generally don’t give free feedback on essays. However, I’ll make a couple of points: 1. “By my own experience” is not appropriate for an IELTS essay. It is informal. If you want to express your opinion, do it clearly – In my opinion. 2. “kids” is informal vocabulary and not appropriate for IELTS. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/kids-or-children-teens-or-teenagers-which-is-best-to-use-in-ielts/ 3. Your conclusion is about 50 words – much too long. You’ve got the potential to do well if you learn the right techniques and understand more about what is required and what is acceptable for an IELTS essay.

Thank you very much for the response and observations! Trying reeeally hard to learn all I can until Saturday! Your videos and blog are helping imensily!!!

Good luck!!

Heyy lizz i want to ask u , you said previously that we shoud write in the body paragrapgh (1 para) explaining the oppsite side : actually am a little bit confused because it’s really like the advantages and disadvantages essay , can u tell me the diffrence between them so i can be aware while am writing.

The advantages and disadvantages does not require an opinion – you present both sides equally. The outweigh essay requires an opinion – which one is more important – you explain your view why A if more important than B

Hello Liz, It seems that ”do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages” essay is exactly similar to the Advantage-Disadvantage essay seeking an opinion. Plz, guide me if I am wrong.

Thanks in advance 🙂

The instructions are asking for your opinion/ It is asking you to choose which is more important than the other.

Hello. Do we always have to put 2 main points for the opposite view and 3 on our side? Or is it fine to just give 1 for the former and 2 for the latter? Thank you so much,Liz.

Yes, it’s fine to do as you suggest.

Thank you for this free wonderful opportunity Liz.

Hi Liz; here’s my essay to the above question about e-books

There is an increasing number of people who prefer reading e-books over traditional paper copies. In my opinion, although there are some drawbacks to e-books, I believe that the advantages are far more significant than these disadvantages.

Some people consider e-books to lack the traditional essence of an actual paper book. Owning a book is different to having a digital copy as some say that it gives the book more value. For instance, a book can be kept for life and borrowed to friends whereas an e-book could be accidentally deleted in seconds. Others argue against e-books as it is thought that reading on a bright screen for long periods of time can have damaging effects on the eyes, however paper books do not cause problems in the same way.

In contrast e-books are believed to be far better than paper books according to some. They are easily accessible on many devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones which the majority of people own nowadays. In addition to this reference points within a particular book are found much more easily compared to flicking through pages of a paper copy which can be time-consuming and difficult. Furthermore, e-books saves people’s time by the lack of need to go to a library or book shop and can be accessed from home.

It is a lot cheaper to buy an e-book than a traditional book, especially compared to the hardback versions which can be very expensive. Money is saved once more as there are no travel costs to gain access to an e-book, but there is a paper book as mentioned before. As well as this, most e-books offer the first chapter for free to give the buyer a chance to see if the book is worth their money. On the other hand when buying traditional copies this option is not available and the reader must judge the book by it’s cover. Admittedly, there is a blurb on the back of paper books but this is not enough to see whether a book is worth the buy. Not to mention that the blurb is also available on all e-books too.

In conclusion, I think that in regards to e-books there are more significant and numerous advantages compared to the fewer disadvantages. E-books are more efficient for today’s busy lifestlyle and moreover encourages reading in this modern setting, which I believe to be very important.

Isn’t it longer than it is supposed to be ?

Great essay.. Well done

i think this is a great essay. 🙂

It sounds great.

People now have the freedom to work and live anywhere in the world due to the development of communication technology and transportation. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

The advancements in communication and modes of transport have resulted to more job opportunites abroad,which claimed by many to have more positive effects.However, others say that residing and working in other locations have only resulted in more negative effects.I believe that there are more benefits than drawbacks, if people start to accept work and live abroad. On the one hand, one major drawback of having a job in another country, is being away from the family members. To illustrate this, in the Philippines, the father of the family is sometimes forced to work overseas in order to provide better for his growing family.Eventhough, there are modernized applications like Skype, which let him see his relatives in the Philippines more often, still there is no physical contact between them. As a result, once the father goes home to his family, his children are sometimes less affectionate and behave awkwardly when he is around. On the other hand, one advantage why it is better to apply for an occupation abroad is for the reason that companies in other countries offer higher salaries. Let us take the nurses’ job as an example, in the Philippines, nurses working in non-government hospitals have a mere 200 USD wage per month, as compared to a 1200 USD monthly salary in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, more nurses take this opportunity to be employed in another country, to supply better for their family’s everyday needs. Another compelling reason why people move to abroad for work is because it gives them the opportunity to experience another culture. For instance, when people from Asia go to the West or Middle East for work, then this enriches their lives as they get to learn another languages, customs, and traditions. Thus, raising their cultural awareness and becoming less judgemental. In conclusion, although living and working abroad have some drawbacks, I believe that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages for the reasons that jobs overseas pay higher and enrich people’s lives.

Dear Liz, i have got serious misunderstanding about structure of opinion essays. For example topic : More and more students choose to go to another country for their higher education . do you think the benefits outweigh the problems associated with it. So, at first i have to write introduction, then positive side and of cource negative one. After it comes to opinion right? what i have to write in opinion if i agree that advantages outnumber it’s disadvantages. So, please can you explain me the structure fully and more clearly about oinion part of this essay. Thanks in advance

It takes time to explain the structure fully. I can’t do it in a few sentences. I think about purchasing my advanced writing task 2 lesson which covers this type of essay: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore

Can I use academic vocabolary for general essay task 2?

Yes, it’s fine.

Previous was wrong Introduction^ Cutting-edge technologies have altered human’s activities entirely including reading book habit.Hence, it is common nowadays to see people reading books by means of electronical devices accordingly reading less by using tangible books. Nevertheless, I believe that popularising of e-books will have relatively more benefits than traditional paper books for several broad reasons. I’m not quite certain about thesis. What do you think Liz?

Dear NICK, You have put your idea/argument in the Intro para. Your opinion should go to the Body paras. Here, in intro para, you should not add or omit what is given by the IELTS test. You are required to paraphrase the statement first and then answer the question by reflecting on your opinions.

Hi Liz, Just finished my official IELTS writing in the Philippines hours ago with a task 2 question:

People now buy more consumer goods because of cheaper price tags.

Do you think the advantages outweigh the Disadvantages?

My point of attack was I wrote the introduction with my opinion that it does outweigh the drawbacks

For body 1, I stated it enabled families to provide the needs of its members in terms of food and medicine + placed 1 disadvantage which was Quality which i pointed out as negligible.

For body 2 I wrote diversity of products to choose from. Brings in good competition for the manufacturers, further decreasing the prices, resulting to more work opportunities. + stated a negative which was biases by the masses for products leading to downfall of smaller companies.

Then i concluded with a brief summary of advantageous points as well as the negatives then reaffirmed that indeed the advantages are more important than the drawbacks

Was my attack acceptable? i just read from this article that i shouldve written both sides in two separate body paragraphs.

*people now live more and more in societies with plenty of cheap consumer goods

Do you think the advantage overweigh the disadvantages

whats your score for u approach?

Unfortunately i got a 6.5 for it. After reflecting i found out I need to have 2 body for adv and 1 for disad for it to answer the question more

exactly. Having your advantages in 1 paragraph and disadvantages in another paragraph make your the essay more orderly, thus, you will have a better score in your cohesion and coherence. 🙂

*make your essay more orderly 🙂

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to request you please could you post one more video for how to write body paragraph for writing task 2 ? is it not possible please tell me how i got your more video?

thank you. salim

See my advanced writing task 2 lessons for detailed training in IELTS essay writing for a high score: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore All the best Liz

Hi liz.Am from KSA and I want to purchase your advanced writing lessons but I dont have a paypal account ,is it possible to purchase them using visa card?!

Sorry for the delay in replying. There are two payment options. The first option is through a paypal account. The second option is using your credit or debit card. You can see the two payment options on the payment page: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore All the best Liz

People now use more and more internet to do tasks (eg. Shopping, paying bills, buy movie tickets) rather then in person. Do the advantages outweigh disadvantages?

= i have written all the advantages y people prefer internet and includes 4 examples and some disadvantages in 2nd body paragraph.. Let me know the correct answer please. M very upset…. (correct if any mistake is in the topic line)

https://ieltsliz.com/liz-notice-2015-2016/

Hi, Liz. I’ll be waiting for your response when you come back. My doubt concerns eletronic media language. The word ‘app’ is very common in everyday conversation about technology. Should I use the word ‘application’ or ‘computer software’ if I ever need to use the word ‘app’, or can I use the abbreviated form (app) in my essay? For example, in the sentence “Nowadays people are resorting to apps on their smart phones as a means of increasing access to daily services (…)” do you think the abbreviation rather than the word ‘applications’ would be inappropriate? Thanks in advance. 🙂

Hi Liz mam you are doing very good job. Actually I have a problem in reading module please could you help me

Hi Liz. What are the advantages and disadvantages? and Do the advantages outweigh disadvantages? these 2 questions are same right? responses to these 2 questions are almost same paragraphical order?

The first one (Advantages and Disadvantages asking to say about both) body paragraph 1 Advantage and body paragraph 2 Disadvantage . But the second one you need to say your opinion, that is the difference.

In the first question (what are the advantages and disadvantages)? you should discuss the advantage in the first body paragraph and the disadvantage in the second body paragraph. possibly in equilibrium. However, in the second question (do the advantage outweigh)? you must have a positional statement in your introduction for which you will devote two body paragraphs discussing it and utilize only one body paragraph for the opposite idea. This means your response is not in equilibrium, (say 80% and 20% or 70% and 30%). the position you choose in your introduction carries the higher percentage.

Dear Liz, you are great teacher

Rising a number of electronic book causes the decrease in paper books. However, some people think it is positive to go ahead, where as others contradict it. This essay will discuss its both sides. On one hand ,there are several benefits of electronic books. First, the group of people using this book can access to wide range of information, which means they can read unlimited informations that are available in e- books. Second, people do not have to carry bundles of paper book everytime beacause e-books are portable and less heavy that can be carried in pocket or in a small bag. Therefore, people can use them in public places, for example, while travelling in trains, buses , or even in aeroplanes and also in parks, supermarkets as well as at work and universities. Third, as e-books are small so, it do not require spacial space at home, where as paper books need more area and it creates more waste.

On the other hand, this has some drawbacks too. One problem is it make people more lazy. This is because of the minimal hand movement required in e-book , where only a button click is needed to get all information. Another issue is the uncertanity of electronic machine, which means it can stop working any time. Inaddition, long period of using e -book may create some health problems such as vision problem and headache. And finally, every consumer can not afford to buy it because these books are expensive in market.

In conclusion, although e-books can cause some problems and are expensive, overall it is positive because it do not create pollution and does not require special space and also it is necessary to step forward in this technololical era.

Sorry I don’t comment on writing. All the best Liz

“this essay will discuss both sides” is the one of the 10 sentences that are not useful and lower your score according to Liz anyway

Hi Liz, we are so grateful that you help so many students around the world especially those who can’t afford to pay for school fees like me. would you please explain a bit more about the tip you gave us above, “” have one body paragraph which gives details about the opposite side to your opinion” -Do i still need to follow that even if i chose one sided opinion? -Please correct if i am wrong : One sided opinion = introduction + 1st Body P which supports one side A + 2nd body P which supports the same side A (+ 3rd body P which supports the same side A) + conclusion? So i don’t talk or support the other side B. Please help, I am confused.

Hi Liz.. I am taking coaching for GT Ielts but confused on one matter..My teacher suggested that if you give only one side view with strong and comprehensible ideas then the chances of getting high marks is more..and if you will write partial view means some for agree and disagree both..then there will be less marks.. Can you please suggest that how it should be??I am targeting for 8 bands in writing section so this clarity is essential to me. Thanks a lot.

You don’t get more marks because you have chosen a different position. You get marked on your ability to present a position and support your position. It is easier to support a one sided approach and it is more difficult to present a balanced view. For that reason, teachers recommend students to aim for the one sided approach to avoid such mistakes. I also think that students who have not received professional training in the balanced view should not attempt it. All the best Liz

Thanks for your reply Liz..actually according to my teacher, I am good at writing on both aspects but she opines that I should write with single view approach.. That’s why I got confused.. If question is- to what extent do you agree or disagree..then if I am having vivid points on both aspects then is it good to write on both or only one view? Thanks!!

It is difficult to write a balanced view because it does NOT mean you agree with both sides at all. I suggest you follow your teacher’s advice. If you wish to get professional training in writing the one sided and also the balanced approach, see my advanced lesson: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore All the best Liz

Hello, please take a look at my essay, it is not 250words, i just want to know if i have written correctly. i think i got off-topic and don’t knnow exactly how i can improve my writting. Thank you in advance.

Recently, increasing number of people prefer reading e-books instead of paper books. In my opinion, drawbacks of this trend overweigh its advantages.

E-books are convinient, because of their size and memory. people can dawnload many of their favorite books in one technology and carry it with themselves. Another good side of electroic books is their screenlights which make us able to read even at dark. I always use my e-book during exams, because i do not want to put 4-5 books in my bag.

In contrast, as all electronic devices e-books are bad for eyes. To illustrate 60% of e-book users suffer from eye-related problems and complain that they see everything in blur. However, higher percentage of population tend to buy e=books, thatswhy demand for paper books countiniously decline by directly leading to increased unemployment rate. Book-publishing companies go to bankrupcy or merge with others, because of low sales and high competition. For example, in late twentieth century the number of books published exceeds current figures.

In coclusion, disadvantages of e-books are more serios and long-lasting than advantages.

Sorry I don’t give feedback on writing. Liz

U have to write 1 intro . 2 advantages 30 % 3 disadvantages 70 % and then ur opinion paragragh and then conclusion total 5 para

Hi Dear Liz, If I write BP1= advantages of using e-books rather than paper books BP2= disadvantages of using e-books instead of paper books

conclusion= there are more uses in using e books over paper books.

Please advice me is this the correct way or in BP2 do I have to write,the disadvantages of paper books,i’m confused of that

You present your opinion in the introduction, not conclusion. There is only one question to answer so answer it at the start of your essay not the end. Please see my coming paid video for training. Liz

when are you releasing the advantages and disadvantages video?

I have just a few more clips to film. Then I need to edit the film. So, hopefully it’ll be ready within two weeks. Fingers crossed. Liz

Thank you so much miss.

Hello, I have a question …. When I write the inntroduction of any essay I must paraphrase the sentence given at the beginning, but when I write my conclusion I must restate the ideas that I paraphrased it in the itroduction, this means can I restate it using the same words given in the sentence? Because I been in told that words that I used in introduction and in conclusion mustn’t be the same.

Yes your conclusion contains the main ideas paraphrased. Liz

answer the essay Q in the conclusion use paraphrasing summarize your ideas from the intro and body paras in the conclusion and never share new ideas two sentences can be adequate

Hello ms.liz, I wonder what type of essay I should practice, because I don’t really know what type they may ask us in ielts writing task 2? Is it discussion text, information text, description…..etc?

Thx anyway, Yassmin

WAtch the free information video on this page to learn about the types of essay in writing task 2: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore Liz

Hi Liz I need your advice please Is it ok to use this sentence as theise statement “This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of such a measure.” Or is it overused

Thank u in advance for your help 🙂

Don’t use learned phrases. That is a whole sentence which you have learned and copied. The examiner has seen it used many, many times. Don’t use it. All the best Liz

Hi Liz! Which is the correct order? To develop the opposite site and then the two body paragraphs with my opinion, the reverse or it doesn’t mind?

Put the advantages in one BP and the disadvantages in the other BP. Make sure you clearly show which outweighs which. Liz

Thank you for your response!

I’m interested in Constantinos’ question too. In your post you said put one body for the position you don’t support and one or two paragraphs for the position you support. So I have some questions:

1) It’s better to put the position you don’t support in your first body paragraph right – end with the stronger position in the subsequent body paragraphs?

2) You suggested in response to constantinos just one paragraph of each. But you can do it one paragraph for weaker position and two for stronger position right – as you recommended is possible in your post.

3) It’s ok to mention just one point for the weaker position even though the question says “advantages” or “disadvantages” – i.e. “s” plural. Thank you

You put adv in the first BP and disadvantages in the 2nd BP. Keep it simple and clear. However, it is possible to have just one adv and two disadv in separate paragraphs if you wish to support disad. If you can’t think of plural advs then that’s fine. Liz

Just few years back, plenty of people are selecting to read e-books instead of than paper books in my opinion, i concur reading papers books rather than reading e books because e-books need to charge a battery and handle with care, but sometimes e-books are most helpful in traveling i could download the number of books in on e-book system i dont have to carry number of books.

dear mam, is this correct in information.

Sorry but I don’t comment on writing. Please see my notice at the top of my blog. All the best Liz

How can i paraphrase “advantages & disadvantages”? Can i use this symble & in ielts?

Never use language symbols instead of common words. The only accepted symbols are percentage and currency symbols. Liz

Dear Liz, I’m confused about planning the structure for the advantages disadvantages essay? Can you do me a favour by point out what the possible structure are for advantages and disadvantages? Regards, Julie Great acknowledgement!

This is not an “advantage and disadvantage essay”, this is an “adv outweigh disadv” essay. However, got both, you will usually have two body paragraphs – one for each. Liz

It is a one side essay or two side? I mean to say

Intro Body 1 for merits Body 2 for merits Body 3 for demerits Conclusion

75% pros 25% cons

One side essay Intro= I think merits are morethan demerits? Body 1 adv Body 2 adv Conclusion

It is a direct question which you must answer. Do you think the advantages are more important than the disadvantages? You give your answer in the introduction and explain it in the body. Liz

excellent explanation. thanks

Hello miss Liz , Could you please give me an example about “memorized phrase” that we should not use it ?? Regards,

Here’s an example “it is a highly controversial issue” or “in this essay I will discuss both sides and give my opinion”. Liz

okay , it is fine Thanks

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The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

How to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Why Write An Advantages and Disadvantages Essay?

Tips for writing an advantage and disadvantage essay:, how to write an advantages and disadvantages essay:, why this essay is important:, the ielts exam:, other ways to say "advantages and disadvantages", what you will be evaluated on.

There are many different types of essays that students will be expected to write throughout their academic career. The same goes for students that are learning English as a second language or foreign language.

Teachers assign certain essays to students because they feel it gives the student a chance to practice their writing skills to the fullest, while it gives teachers a great medium through which they can evaluate their students' learning.

Out of all the different essays that are possible for a teacher to assign, one that serves both native English speakers and English learners well is an advantages and disadvantages essay .

With this essay writing process there can be advantages to essay writing and disadvantages of essay writing for different levels of writers with different experience and knowledge on the whole process.

Advantages of Essay Writing:

While essay writing can have its difficulties, it also shows certain advantages to the writer. Here are some possible advantages of essay writing:

It allows for critical thinking
It pushed writers to make different arguments
Writers learn to observe different perspectives and topic points

Disadvantages of Essay Writing:

Essay writing can also be a daunting task. Here are some possible disadvantages of essay writing:

Writers need to have a clear organizational plan
Structure and placement are essential to the flow of the essay's points and topics
Writers will need to have a clear conclusion and thesis statement outlining the entire essay's topics and thoughts

1. Understand an Advantage and Disadvantage

Before you can write an advantages and disadvantages essay, you must first understand what these two words mean.

Native English speakers are likely already familiar with these definitions, however, students in primary school may need some explanation.
Your teacher should explain what an advantage is and what a disadvantage is by giving an example that's age-appropriate and level-appropriate.

For example:

Younger students may understand an example like, "An advantage of doing my homework when I get home from school is that I have the entire evening to play. A disadvantage is that I cannot watch my favorite show as soon as I get home from school."

After this, the teacher can give less explicit examples and see if students can come up with some ideas on their own.

College students should already have experience with this kind of essay and they will, therefore, get a much more complicated question that requires research, planning and thought.

In addition to this, English learners who are university students should also be given an example by their teacher that's appropriate for their age and level.

For instance:

International students might respond well to something like "What's an advantage and disadvantage of studying abroad during college?"

It's also a good idea to look up synonyms of "advantages and disadvantages" to have the best understanding of the term possible.

"Pros and cons" is quite similar and might be easier for some students to digest since it's a term they've most likely heard before.

2. Think About Advantages and Disadvantages in Your Own Life

A great exercise to help you prepare yourself for writing an advantages and disadvantages essay is to think about your own experiences with the topic.

Think of a time you wanted to make a decision about something, but you had voices in your head telling you to do the opposite.
Or you had a discussion with your parents and they were trying to convince you to do things differently.
Whatever it was, there's a chance that you had to write your own version of an advantages and disadvantages essay in your mind, without even realizing it.
This will not only help you to get in the right mindset for writing this essay, but it will maybe even inspire you to choose a topic that you've already had personal experience with.
Of course, anything you've had personal experience with is a good place to start.

3. Choose a Topic

If you weren't able to think of any intriguing topics to write about in your walk down memory lane, you'll have to look elsewhere to find something else to base your essay on.

There are tons of places you can go online
You can take the time to visit the library to find ideas about advantages and disadvantages topics
You can also talk to your family and friends to see if they have any ideas that are worth writing about
It will also, of course, be easier to write your essay overall.

That being said, there will also be instances in which you won't be able to choose your topic.

Advantages and disadvantages writing prompts are very common on English exams.
This has both its own advantages and disadvantages to it.
An advantage is that you don't have to think of a topic yourself.
But a disadvantage is that if you're not familiar with the topic given or you're unsure about what it's asking, it can be difficult to write a strong advantages and disadvantages essay that will get you the points you need on the test.

3.1 List of Example Topics

Unless you're given the topic directly on your test, you will otherwise have to think of your own topic, especially if it's just for a regular assignment. Luckily, there are many topic examples out there you can use to help you get started, or that will at least help you find inspiration for a similar topic:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in the classroom?
Many people are able to work online and can, therefore, live anywhere. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a home instead of renting one?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a car?
E-readers have become extremely popular in recent years. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Many products you use are imported from other countries. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Today, recent graduates are choosing to live at home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

4. Brainstorm Advantages vs. Disadvantages

Once you've decided on a topic that intrigues you, or you know what topic you're being assigned on your exam, it's time to get down the meat of the essay, which is the actual advantages and disadvantages you'll need to write about.

The best and easiest way to do this is by simply folding a paper in half vertically, or creating a box with two side-by-side sections.
Label one as "advantages" and the other as "disadvantages" and write all the ideas that come to mind beneath each section.
You should then add some details and examples under each idea, and ideally, you should decide on which advantages and disadvantages are the most crucial to your argument.

5. Choose a Side

Although an advantages and disadvantages essay should be rather unbiased, it's okay to be leaning toward one side more so than the other.

This will help you to gain more perspective when writing your essay, and also leave the reader with your own thoughts in your conclusion.
However, sometimes your teacher will request that you completely leave your own opinions out of the essay.
Therefore, just be sure of what's required on the assignment because every teacher and every class is different.

The next thing you will need to do is outline your essay and eventually write it.

What will need to be included in your essay will be different depending on your level.
For instance, young students may only be required to have two body paragraphs, whereas college students will be required to have more than that unless it's a short answer response.
Nevertheless, there is ultimately a widely accepted standard when it comes to writing an advantages and disadvantages essay:
Introduction: Paraphrase the question/topic and briefly mention some of the advantages and disadvantages you will discuss in the paper.
Body Paragraph One: Introduce the main advantage. Give supporting details and examples.
Body Paragraph Two: Introduce the main disadvantage. Give supporting details and examples.
Conclusion: Re-iterate the topic question. Summarize the main points and if applicable, say whether you think there are more advantages or disadvantages.

For your outline, you can create headlines and write what you plan on saying beneath each one.

If you have to write more body paragraphs, do the same.
When it comes time to write the essay, drag your points from your outline to your paper, and make sure you use transitions in order to connect each point together.

Knowing how to write an advantages and disadvantages essay is part of perfecting your skills in English proficiency.

People need to understand how to think about the advantages and disadvantages of the choices they make in life every day.
Learning how to write an essay like this will help you feel calmer when making important decisions.
This type of work is one of the best ways to really practice writing a solid essay
This will help you out in your future when your assignments are more difficult

For students studying English as an international language, at some point, it's very likely that you'll have to take the IELTS exam.

The IELTS exam, or the International English Language Testing System exam, is required for people of non-English speaking countries that want to study or work in a country where English is the main language for communication.

For Instance:

A student who's from a country where English is not the native language will have to pass this test in order to get accepted into a U.K. university or universities in other English-speaking countries that require the same test.

Although you'll be writing an advantages and disadvantages essay, you'll want to try and find other vocabulary words to describe this.

There are plenty of other ways to say "advantages and disadvantages," and it's a good idea if you can use these other terms as much as possible in your essay in order to add some variety:

Pros and cons
Benefits and drawbacks
Nice parts and not-so-nice parts
Good and bad aspects
Pluses and Minuses
This outweighs this

Hopefully, you had no problem with writing your advantages and disadvantages essay, and you won't be too worried as you wait for your grade.

This in itself is a major advantage of essay writing because you can get feedback on how you're progressing as a student.
Teachers will have different criteria for grading different students, and this all depends on a lot of different factors.
For instance, English language learners will be graded on their use of vocabulary, their grammatical accuracy and the coherence and cohesion between the paragraphs.
Therefore, it's a good idea to brush up on these things and ask your teacher if you need any clarification on any aspect of the essay.

If you aren't an English language learner, then there are many different reasons you'd be required to write an advantages and disadvantages essay.

Because of this, your evaluation will be unique in many ways, too.
In the case of younger students who are just learning how to exercise their writing muscles, teachers may grade a bit more generously, but will really be checking for how well the students have followed directions, made their points and worked their way through the writing process.
It's also important to keep in mind that while most advantages and disadvantages essays can be written based on experience and common knowledge, college students may really have to do some research to support the content in their essay.

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IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages
Why is essay writing very useful for students?

I am a current senior studying at the University of Missouri - Columbia with a major in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. I have interests in photojournalism, documentary journalism and design fields.

256 Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics [2024 Update]

Is globalization a beneficial process? What are the pros and cons of a religious upbringing? Do the drawbacks of immigration outweigh the benefits? These questions can become a foundation for your advantages and disadvantages essay. And we have even more ideas to offer!

There is nothing complicated about writing this kind of essay. Arguably the hardest part is choosing a topic. This article by our custom-writing team will help you with that. Here, you will find:

great pros and cons essay topics for high school, middle school, and college;
essay prompts and writing tips.
🔝 Top 10 Advantages & Disadvantages Topics
👍 Other Advantages & Disadvantages Topics
⭐ Top 10 Pros & Cons Topics
🆚 Other Pros & Cons Topics
💡 Essay Prompts
✍️ Writing Tips & Outline

🔍 References

🔝 top 10 advantages and disadvantages topics.

Benefits of vaccination. 
Is living abroad worth it? 
Plastic surgery: for and against. 
Vegetarianism: benefits and pitfalls. 
Pros and cons of extreme sports. 
Disadvantages of having tattoos. 
Is a Master’s degree a good investment? 
Negative and positive aspects of animal testing. 
Are motorcycles convenient or dangerous? 
Learning a foreign language: pros and cons.

👍 List of Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics

Here’s a list of topics that touch on subjects such as education, work, traveling, living conditions, family, politics, technology, and more.

Advantages and disadvantages of computers . You can probably think of many positive aspects of using computers. They make communication easier, they can be helpful for your studies, and you get access to a wealth of information. Yet, if you think about it, you will find plenty of disadvantages. For example, computers can break down, or they may be hacked or infected.
Write about the advantages and disadvantages of the New Year’s Day celebration. New Year’s Day is primarily associated with family gatherings and new beginnings. However, preparation for the party often requires too much effort. Moreover, celebrating all night can have problematic consequences for one’s health.
Write all arguments for and against Christmas celebrations. During the Christmas holidays, we celebrate family traditions and hold fun meetings. All this is accompanied by delicious food and gift sharing. But sometimes, these events bring no joy. The expenses are too high, and dinner preparation is energy-consuming.
Advantages and disadvantages of couch surfing. Staying for free at places registered online is becoming increasingly popular among travelers. New friends and authentic communication are additional benefits of couch surfing. However, they don’t guarantee safety and comfort.
What are the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of gift exchange? Gifts are a crucial part of celebrations such as birthdays or wedding anniversaries. Most people enjoy receiving presents, but not everyone enjoys looking for them. The difficulties of choosing a gift can spoil the holiday mood.
Pros and cons of buying an artificial Christmas tree. A beautiful Christmas tree decorated with lights instantly creates the holiday atmosphere. If you have an artificial tree, you don’t need to get a new one each year. However, a real Christmas tree is unique and has a pleasant odor.
What are the pros and cons of school uniforms ? Standard uniforms can save students time while dressing up in the morning. Moreover, it prevents clothes-related bullying and contributes to the discipline necessary for studying. However, such standards impose certain restrictions on children’s individuality.
Is an official dress code at work a benefit or an obstacle? Almost every company and organization has its requirements for the employees’ appearance. On the one hand, a dress code disciplines workers and demonstrates the company’s seriousness. On the other hand, employees can resist suppressing their self-expression.
Keeping an online blog : for and against. The Internet provides people with colossal opportunities for finding new hobbies and occupations. For example, everyone can become a blogger: all you need to do is choose a topic and a platform. However, unflattering comments, lack of interest, or extreme popularity can become a serious problem for a blogger.
A hitchhiking journey: an enjoyable adventure or a dangerous undertaking? Hitchhiking can be a budget option for travelers. This way, people can learn more about the place they’re traveling to and make friends. However, some drivers can turn out to be dangerous.
What are the strengths and shortcomings of intellectual property rights? Valuable and original ideas are essential to the success of a person or a company. Intellectual property rights protect data from being stolen by competitors. Opponents of such measures believe that nobody should own ideas and that the information sphere is too vulnerable to manipulations.
Describe the pros and cons of learning a language with a native speaker. Modern technologies make it possible to communicate with people from all around the world. This ability provides additional opportunities to learn a foreign language with native speakers. A potential downside is the difficulty of finding good teachers or understanding their accents.
Talk about the benefits and disadvantages of alternative voting methods. Voting by mail or online is convenient for those who find it challenging to come to polling stations. Moreover, this way, people can save time. Nevertheless, the reliability of such methods is still in question.
Being successful: what are the benefits and pitfalls? Achieving success is the goal of millions of people. It is usually associated with wealth and happiness, but there is also the other side. Successful people often feel more pressure and responsibility and make sacrifices.
For and against family businesses. Perfect mutual understanding is what people typically expect from a family business. However, this description is more of an idea rather than a reality.
Being creative: a gift or a curse? Society admires inspiring and mysterious artists. The creative process seems to be an easy activity, but some artists may disagree with this statement. Creativity crisis, procrastination, and lack of understanding from the public are only a few of the shortcomings they have to face.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of managing your own business. In search of professional freedom, some people start a business. This way, they can have complete control and be their own boss. At the same time, entrepreneurship requires talent and significant effort. Moreover, some businesses may turn out to be unprofitable.
What are the possible advantages and drawbacks of being a professional athlete? Sport allows people to discover the hidden capabilities of their bodies. Such activities make them stronger and more disciplined, but doing sports full-time requires many sacrifices. Professional athletes endure significant stress and injuries, so this lifestyle is not for everyone.
Is having young parents a benefit or an obstacle?
Advantages and disadvantages of being married
For and against working part-time after school
What are the pros and cons of writing essays?
Positive and negative aspects of returning to school as an adult
Is it better to be living in a small town or a big city ?
The benefits and shortcomings of living in a large country
Do the positive aspects of living in the countryside outweigh the negative ones?
Is working on a rotational basis beneficial or harmful?
Is it better to be working remotely or in an office?
Is working with the help of technology beneficial or risky?
Advantages and drawbacks of physical labor
Working with customers: perks and shortcomings
What are the beneficial aspects of working with animals?
Pros and cons of working with children
Is making your hobby into a job profitable or disadvantageous?
What are the pros and cons of changing jobs?
Quitting a job or being fired: which option is better?
Working in a multilingual setting: benefits and drawbacks
Is having a job that requires a lot of traveling exciting or challenging?
Choosing to pursue a creative profession: pros and cons
Is hiring older or younger employees more beneficial?
Privately-owned companies : benefits and pitfalls
What are the advantages and disadvantages of working for the government?
Business competition vs. monopoly
What is better: owning a business with other people or partnership business models?
Owning a car vs. other modes of transportation
What are the benefits and shortcomings of using public transportation ?
Is being self-employed better than working for somebody else?
Describe the pros and cons of knowing or learning multiple languages
Choosing to pursue a technical profession: for and against
What are the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a humanitarian career?
Is receiving an education online a waste of time or a good investment?
Perks and disadvantages of studying on Saturdays
What are the pros and cons of reducing the length of the summer vacation?
Completing online courses, classes, or training: arguments for and against
Learning foreign languages online vs. in class
What is more effective: private tutoring or group learning?
Open group discussions during class: for and against
Is it more beneficial to work in groups or alone?
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of studying with textbooks
What are the pros and cons of learning with interactive media?
Using traditional vs. new methods of teaching
Is taking tests better than answering questions in a free form?
Advantages and disadvantages of using exams as a primary source of knowledge assessment
Giving students different tasks according to their grades: pros and cons
Is separating students according to their behavior and performance efficient or harmful?
Strengths and weaknesses of using  multilingual online dictionaries
Extracurricular activities: pros and cons
Studying and having a part-time job: benefits and obstacles
Going to a university in your town vs. moving to another town
Is living in a dormitory preferable to living at home while studying in college?
Entering a fraternity or a sorority during college years: arguments for and against
Living with parents vs. living separately from them
Is living alone burdensome or delightful?
What are the obstacles and benefits of having a long-distance relationship?
Having friends that live abroad or in other cities: advantages and disadvantages
Being in a relationship vs. being single
Pros and cons of early marriages
Visiting the most popular places for tourists: for and against
What hardships and benefits come with living in the most visited places in the world?
What positive and negative outcomes do countries and cities that encourage tourism face?
Pros and cons of visiting unexplored places
Is it better to travel on your own or with friends?
Having a tour guide vs. traveling without anyone’s help
Traveling by car: advantages and disadvantages
What is better: hiking alone or with other people?
Short vs. long hiking trips
Is it better to be tall or short?
Being a foreigner in a country where you live: benefits and pitfalls
Listening to music at home vs. live
Watching movies at home vs. seeing them in theaters
Is it better to have children early or later in life?
Being the only child: advantages and disadvantages
Perks and drawbacks of having siblings
Being the oldest vs. the youngest sibling
Describe the pros and cons of sharing items with other people
Is it better to be living together or apart while being in a relationship?
Living in a small apartment: pros and cons
What are the arguments for and against living in a big house?
Renting or purchasing a house vs. an apartment
What are the pros and cons of having a small pet?
Living in the city center vs. the suburbs
What benefits and pitfalls come with having a diverse cultural background ?
Is being a famous actor or musician a positive or negative experience?
Being a leader or taking up a position of leadership: positive and negative sides
Going to a private school vs. a public school
Is it better to have a big or small family?
Having many friends vs. having few friends
What is more efficient: being a night owl or an early riser?
Is waking up early more burdensome than waking up late?
What are the dangers and benefits of dieting?
Does fast food have any advantages?
Arguments for and against cooking at home
Bringing food to work or school vs. eating at a cafeteria
Positive and negative outcomes of regular physical activity
Rapid technological progress: arguments for and against
Is it preferable to live in a cold or hot climate?
Living close to the water (river, lake, sea, or ocean): pros and cons
What are the positive and negative aspects of countries that have rainy or windy weather?
Is direct democracy more efficient than representative democracy?
Pros and cons of various types of government (democracy, autocracy, monarchy)

The picture shows a quote by W. Clement Stone.

⭐ Top 10 Pros and Cons Essay Topics

Advantages of ecotourism
Pros and cons of facial fillers
Instant foods: good or bad?
Is international marriage worth it?
Classroom debates: pros and cons
Student loans: benefits and pitfalls
Working with friends: for and against
Drawbacks of having a double major
Arguments for and against quitting social media
Is working abroad a good or bad experience?

🆚 Pros and Cons Topics for Essays

Write about the advantages and disadvantages of the United Nations . The UN is a well-known international organization. Its activities aim to support human rights, establish friendly relations between countries, and promote peace. These goals are admirable, but is the organization effective enough in achieving them?
Is consuming sugar beneficial or harmful? Recently, the media started promoting the idea that sugar is the leading cause of many diseases. On the one hand, we are discouraged from consuming it. On the other hand, carbons are necessary for the human body to receive essential microelements, such as glucose.
Pros and cons of using Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia. It’s a popular source of information on countless subjects, from cosmology to literature. It often reveals various aspects of a topic that are interesting to the reader. However, since anyone can edit it, you can never be sure of the information’s accuracy.
Benefits and drawbacks of living in a multicultural society. Society is becoming more diverse, and immigration is commonplace. Moreover, freedom of choice allows people to adhere to any traditions that are attractive to them. Such conditions help us develop multifaceted humanity but can potentially lead to conflicts.
Write about the pros and cons of urbanization . In cities, the population is continuously growing, while in rural areas, it decreases. In a metropolis, people have a greater choice for their activities, and their social circle is wider. However, urbanization leads to overpopulation and an increase in stress levels.
What are the pros and cons of online therapy? Therapy can be a powerful source of motivation and emotional balance. Some people may find it challenging to visit mental health specialists, which makes online consultations a practical option. However, insufficient understanding of facial expressions or faulty Internet connection are some of the obstacles to using this format.
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of business investments . Investing is a popular way to receive additional passive income. Such activities don’t require too much effort and can be very promising. However, they also have disadvantages, including high risks and the need to have significant starting capital.
Arguments for and against watching TV shows. Watching TV shows is a trendy pastime. A good plot and interesting characters can be great entertainment. However, some TV shows take too much time to watch, and some plot twists can be disappointing.
Discuss the pros and cons of freelancing. The advantages include an opportunity to decide where and when to work and choose the tasks. At the same time, a freelancer needs to communicate more with customers, and the income can be uneven.
The ubiquitous use of surveillance cameras: guaranteed security or loss of privacy? We can see security cameras everywhere, including stores, banks, and houses. They are designed to contribute to our security. However, many believe that in this way, people are losing privacy. Moreover, surveillance technology is quite expensive, and its effectiveness is doubtful.
Advantages and disadvantages of an authoritarian teaching style . Representatives of the teaching profession often choose a specific model of behavior. For example, an authoritarian teacher is good at motivating and disciplining students. At the same time, this behavioral model can discourage children and cause resistance.
What are the pros and cons of clinical trials? Clinical trials are created to prove the effectiveness of a specific cure. Patients can get unique medical treatment, which may help other patients in the future. Trials are also associated with risks since unexpected side effects are possible.
Kindergartens: beneficial social interaction or stress for a child? Preschool is the first step in education for children. In kindergartens, kids form social skills and acquire basic knowledge. Nevertheless, some parents doubt whether it is worth it.
Write about the advantages and disadvantages of referendums. Referendums can be used to solve political problems. They help governments understand the public’s attitude towards possible changes. However, the conduct of a referendum can be subject to manipulation.
For and against women’s military service. Gender equality is becoming a part of various spheres of activity. However, in some fields, transformations are occurring slower. Women have already demonstrated their ability to be soldiers and continue to do so. Nevertheless, some army units still question their effectiveness.
Gun ownership: advantages and disadvantages. The issue of weapons ownership causes serious disputes between politicians. Those who advocate for this idea are sure that people need protection. The opponents of gun ownership believe that gun-related accidents need to be prevented.
Pros and cons of being optimistic . People who are positive worry less and achieve their goals easily. But optimism can also be an obstacle. For instance, an optimist can underestimate a threat and fail to take cautionary measures.
What are the pros and cons of being selfish? Selfishness is often perceived negatively in society. Individuals who are showing this quality risk becoming outcasts. However, people may misunderstand selfishness because it sometimes manifests as self-care.
Benefits of different societal classes
Market economy vs. free market
Outline the advantages and disadvantages of a planned economy
Pros and cons of party systems: one, two, or multiple parties?
Different voting systems (choice voting, Electoral College): which one is more efficient?
Different economic systems (capitalism, socialism, and mixed economy)
Is having a parliament a benefit or an obstacle?
Pros and cons of advertising and its  different mediums
Having a laptop vs. having a desktop computer
Is the development of artificial intelligence (AI) beneficial or harmful?
Cloning and genetic modifications: dangers and advantages
What are the pros and cons of using old research for new studies?
Is scientific advancement in medicine beneficial or dangerous?
The growing use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in people’s daily lives: pros and cons
Storing files in the cloud vs. on physical storage devices
Is having one full-time job more efficient than multiple part-time jobs?
Networking to build more connections: pros and cons
Advantages and disadvantages of volunteering
Having a fixed vs. a flexible schedule
Being a vegetarian  or vegan vs. eating everything
What are the strengths and weaknesses of having multiple jobs?
Are hot or cold climates more beneficial for farmers?
Choosing to pursue a rare profession: benefits and pitfalls
What are the possible benefits and obstacles of pursuing a trendy job?
Technical advancement in society: a threat or a welcome change?
Arguments for and against pursuing extreme sports as a hobby
Going to a music festival: an unforgettable experience or a nightmare?
Pros and cons of having access to the Internet
Are Internet regulations a safety measure or an infringement of rights?
The positive and negative  effects of globalization
What are the advantages and downsides of popular culture?
Are stereotypes productive in any way?
Positive and negative outcomes of the rising population on the planet
The increasing lifespan of people: pros and cons
The ability to obtain a driver’s license at sixteen vs. eighteen years old
The right to work without parents’ permission at sixteen years old: pros and cons
Dangers and possible advantages of global warming  
Space travel and exploration: a good idea or waste of money?
Arguments for and against television
Is open access to books and movies beneficial or damaging?
Is oral communication better than written communication?
Nonverbal communication: positive and negative sides
What are the positive and negative aspects of Facebook (and other social platforms)?
Is online dating dangerous or advantageous?
Having a pen pal: advantages and disadvantages
What is more efficient: using digital or film cameras?
Arguments for and against using email as the primary source of conversation
Is calling better than  texting ?
Describe the pros and cons of online communication
Is being open and active on social media dangerous or profitable?
Pros and cons of different sources of power (gas, oil, wind, solar, nuclear, and others)
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy
Recycling  and upcycling: benefits and pitfalls
Pros and cons of organic materials and products
Plastic and other synthetic materials: life saver or toxic waste?
Possible benefits and obstacles of using credit cards
Arguments for and against different types of financial aid
What are the advantages and downsides of having health insurance?
Life insurance : advantages and disadvantages
Free health care: a longer life expectancy or more logistical challenges?
Would a free introductory course in higher education improve academic performance or worsen it?
Describe the pros and cons of taxes
Is demonetization a success or failure?
Arguments for and against vaccines
Are plastic surgeries ethical or not?
Shopping online vs. in brick-and-mortar stores
What is more convenient: reading paper books or electronic books?
Using DVDs vs. streaming platforms for watching movies
What are the benefits and obstacles of buying music online?
Storing medical records and other important information online: pros and cons
Is online banking safe or not?
Possible risks and benefits of making investments
Video games and online games: good pastime or waste of time?
Making movies based on source materials in other media: pros and cons
Getting news from online sources vs. reading  print media
Hourly wages and salaries: what is more beneficial?
Can having a competitive working environment improve or decrease productivity?
Arguments for and against irregular working shifts : working at night, on weekends, or on holidays
Pros and cons of services with paid memberships and subscriptions
Sales, special offers, and coupons: a marketing tool or a real opportunity to save money?
Positive and negative effects of businesses outsourcing to different countries
Arguments for and against moving businesses from the city center to the outskirts
Recruiting one’s employees for new positions vs. hiring new people
Finding work through connections and relatives: benefits and downsides
Pros and cons of seeking a job online
Care facilities and nursing homes for elderly: advantages and disadvantages
What are the possible beneficial and harmful effects of having a routine?
Small business or a big organization: which one has more benefits?
Buying locally manufactured and grown products vs. buying imported goods
What are the possible pros and cons of spending more time with teachers than with parents?
Arguments for and against process automation
Are robots that replace humans at work dangerous or effective?
Is reducing the working week beneficial or harmful?
What are the major benefits and drawbacks of having many national holidays?
College: to go or not to go?
Working after high school: advantages and disadvantages
Taking a gap year before continuing education: is it worth it?
What benefits and obstacles come with continuing your education (master’s and Ph.D. degrees)?

Need more essay ideas? Feel free to use our topic generator !

The picture shows the fact that advantages and disadvantages essays are commonly used in IELTS.

💡 Pros and Cons Essay Prompts

Pros and cons of living in a big city essay.

For your essay, you can consider the following benefits of living in a big city:

There are many employment opportunities. Since big cities are places with many companies of different industries, it might be easier to find a job.
Big cities have better infrastructure. It includes international airports, various dining options, and other opportunities.

The main downsides of living in a big city include the following:

Higher living costs. Although you can find a job that suits you, living in a big city requires more money.
High crime rates. The statistics say that big cities usually have higher crime rates than smaller ones.

Pros and Cons of Abortion Essay

Here are some examples of the procedure’s benefits:

Abortions give women control over their bodies. The choice of whether or not to have children is a right of every woman.
Every child should be a wanted child. Having children is an enormous responsibility that requires time, money, and energy. Unwanted pregnancies might result in child abuse and maternal depression and have other negative consequences.

You can also write about the following disadvantages of abortions:

Abortion may lead to future medical problems for the mother. Negative consequences for a woman may include health complications such as infection or heavy bleeding.
Abortion might result in psychological trauma. Women who undergo an abortion have a high chance of having depression.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Essay

Consider these arguments in favor of social media for your essay:

Social media is an excellent place for online marketing. Nowadays, every big and small company promotes its services online.
Information spreads online instantly. Thanks to social media, we can immediately receive and share all the urgent news.

And these are the cons you might want to write about:

Lack of privacy. Location and personal information can be easily shared online and used against you.
Lack of intimacy. Whether it is a family or friends’ reunion, everyone tends to be less engaged in conversations, instead preferring to scroll on the phone.

Federalism Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Here are some advantages of federalism for you to write about:

Federalism supports political participation and policy innovation. Thanks to federalism, we have benefits such as child labor laws and women’s right to vote.
Federalism encourages groups, individuals, and social movements to help shape public policy and participate in it. It is possible because of the two levels of government that federalism creates.

Now, have a look at the cons of federalism:

Federalism creates economic disparities across states. It leads to competition between states to attract businesses by lowering regulations and taxes.
Federalism cuts off federal efforts to address national problems. For example, health care insurance could not be made more accessible to Americans due to legal challenges.

Pros and Cons of Immigration Essay

Immigration has benefits as well as pitfalls. Take a look at the positive aspects first:

Immigration stimulates economic growth. Immigrants contribute to the labor force, which results in economic development.
Immigration builds a multicultural society. Because of the immigrants, one country can be more diverse.

And here are the cons that you may consider writing about:

Immigration might result in a higher unemployment rate. Since immigrants are often willing to work for a lower wage, native-born workers might be displaced.
Immigration might lead to higher housing costs. Immigrants in limited housing stock areas might contribute to reducing living standards and increasing housing prices.

Pros and Cons of Working in a School Cafeteria Essay

Here are some of the arguments in favor of working in a cafeteria:

Free lunches for workers. Working with the food, you get to have lunches at your workplace for free.
Flexible shifts. You can work short hours to keep up with your studies.

However, there are also plenty of downsides, including the following:

Low wages. The school cafeteria pays minimum wage, which is often not enough.
Reduced working hours. In a cafeteria, there’s no opportunity to work and earn more.

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet

The Internet has plenty of advantages you can cover, including the following:

You can learn about virtually anything you want online. There are countless resources on the Internet, and it’s possible to access them from any part of the world.
Unlimited communication. You can reach out to anyone from any part of the globe.

It also has many drawbacks, such as:

There is a lot of spam on the Internet. We receive advertisements and other unimportant information through emails. Besides, there are many unconfirmed facts online.
Leaking of personal information. We regularly upload a lot of personal information online. Unfortunately, it might be easily leaked or stolen.

✍️ How to Write a Pros and Cons Essay

Even if you do not have the necessary writing experience, your chances of getting an A+ for this task are relatively high. All you need to do is:

Think of a good pros and cons topic. Keep reading to find the best topic for your paper.
Make a list of all advantages and disadvantages and give details about each item. It can help you make a template for your future essay. Make sure to have enough points to cover.
Draw conclusions on whether something is overall good or bad. Show the results of your research and answer the question your essay asks.
Check out our article on essay writing to learn how to complete your assignment successfully.

Pros and Cons Essay Outline

The advantages and disadvantages essay should have the following structure:

Introduction. Briefly introduce your topic, give some background information, and write your thesis statement that covers both sides of the issue.

Studying abroad might be a great experience filled with unforgettable memories, but it also has some financial and psychological pitfalls.

Main Body. This part introduces both sides of the argument, starting with the positive aspects.
Pros: introduce the advantages.

Being an international student, you get to meet people from all over the world and experience a new culture first-hand.

Cons: introduce the disadvantages.

However, you might feel homesick and experience culture shock while studying in another country.

Conclusion. Summarize your essay by restating your thesis and illustrating your most important arguments for and against the thing in question. If necessary, state whether the pros outweigh the cons. Finish your paper with a strong statement connecting all of your ideas.

Although being an international student has both positive and negative sides, it can bring you many unforgettable memories.

We hope you found the best topic for your pros and cons essay. Let us know what topic you’ve chosen, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends!

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Advantages--disadvantages (templates for ielts essays, writing task 2).

IELTS Writing Task 2 (Essay)

Question type: Advantages--Disadvantages (Template)

Possible Question(s)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of ______?

1. (One paragraph) Introduction (General statement; paraphrasing; thesis statement)

2. (One or two paragraphs) Advantages (Topic sentence; at least 2-3 advantages)

3. (One or two paragraphs) Disadvantages (Topic sentence; at least 2-3 disadvantages)

4. (One paragraph) Conclusion

Thesis statement templates

This essay shall discuss the positives and negatives of _______
In the following paragraphs, I intend to explore the merits and demerits of _______
There are a plethora of positives of ________.
There are many obvious advantages of ________
The topic sentence can be combined with the first point. E.g., One of the (major) benefits of _______ is that _______
On the positive side, _______
Advantages of _______ are that _______. Also, _______
However, _______ does have a few drawbacks as well.
On the negative side, _______
Disadvantages of _______ are _______. Also, _______
To begin with; Firstly
Secondly; Thirdly...
Also; Moreover; Furthermore; Additionally; In addition
Then (E.g, Then another possible benefit of _______ is that _______.)
Last but not the least
The same is true for
If _______, _______
Therefore; So; Hence; Thus; As a result
For example For instance To exemplify
The first (major) benefit/drawback of ________ is that
One of the major benefits/drawbacks of ________ is that ________
One way in which ________ is beneficial/disadvantageous is that ________
It is also ________
________ is also important for ensuring ________
Furthermore, another merit/demerit of ________ is that it ________
How ________ is done is important. Therefore, ________ is advantageous as it ensures ________
How ________ is done is important. Therefore, ________ could be disadvantageous as it leads to ________
There are a number of advantages responsible for ________ such as ________ and ________. However, in some ways, ________ can be problematic too.
In conclusion, it is obvious that ________ is very essential nowadays. In contrast, the negatives are negligible (very few) as compared to the positives.
If you are writing many advantages and very few disadvantages, you could write in a single sentence how the disadvantages can be easily avoided/reduced. For example, There are very few disadvantages to making sports compulsory in school. These disadvantages can, however, be easily avoided or reduced by ensuring that the medical history of every student is considered. (This is the ending of an Advantage--Disadvantage essay about making sports compulsory in school. There are many advantages. But the only disadvantage is that some students may not be deemed medically fit for certain kinds of sports.)
Another possibility is that the disadvantages are conditional, that is, only in some situations or conditions, there are problems. So, this can be mentioned either in the 'disadvantages' paragraph or in the conclusions or in both.
This is largely advantageous (to both -- and --) but has a few disadvantages as well.
________ has pros as well as cons but definitely the advantages have an edge over the disadvantages.
________ has both merits as well as demerits but the pros certainly outweigh the cons.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in a Medieval City

Categories: Middle Ages

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Published: Aug 1, 2024

Words: 648 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Advantages of living in a medieval city, disadvantages of living in a medieval city.

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More From Forbes

Advantages and disadvantages of using tod accounts to avoid probate.

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An increasingly popular way to avoid probate and other estate planning issues is the transfer on death or payable on death account. There can be more to these accounts, which I’ll refer to as TODs, than many people realize.

Most financial institutions now have a specific form that is completed to designate an account as a TOD and name the beneficiary (or beneficiaries). Most states have laws recognizing the accounts and setting rules for them.

The original TOD account was created informally by the way the account was titled and became known as a Totten trust, after the name of the 1904 court case recognizing it.

A TOD avoids probate and isn’t covered by the will. Those qualities make TODs attractive for relatively modest balances and estates. TODs also can be good for asset transfers the owner wants to keep private.

A TOD also can be used to ensure the beneficiary has cash available for daily needs after the owner passes away and before the bulk of the estate is settled.

Some people like the benefits of the accounts so much that they have multiple TODs. The potential downside is the beneficiaries and estate executor might not be aware of all the TODs. The accounts could become lost property after the owner passes away if the beneficiaries don’t claim them.

To avoid that, an owner should keep a record of all TOD accounts. Be sure the estate executor or some other trusted person has the list and will notify beneficiaries of their interests.

The owner also must remember the TODs when creating or updating the rest of the estate plan. Otherwise, the plan might have inconsistencies, such as a beneficiary receiving more or less wealth than intended.

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Also, the owner needs to review the beneficiary designations periodically. Beneficiaries might pass away, become estranged, or experience other changes. Or the owner’s goals and objectives could change.

Many TODs don’t allow the owner to name a contingent beneficiary. If the primary beneficiary dies first and the owner dies before updating the account, the account will go through the probate estate. Owners should be aware of this before electing to use a TOD.

A TOD doesn’t provide creditor protection for the beneficiaries the way a formal trust does, and most financial institutions don’t allow TODs to name formal trusts as their beneficiaries. The institutions allow only individuals as beneficiaries of TODs. For asset protection, you might want to create a formal trust.

The account owner should be clear with the beneficiary about the purpose of the TOD and expectations for its use.

Sometimes most of a person’s liquid assets in are TODs. That ensures people in the family have enough cash to pay expenses. Otherwise, the family could be have to wait for the executor to be appointed, gain access to cash, and distribute the estate.

But putting too much of a person’s liquid assets into TODs also can mean the executor doesn’t have access to enough cash to pay estate expenses, distribute specific bequests, and handle other obligations.

The beneficiary of a TOD isn’t obligated to help the estate and might not be inclined to. Some TOD beneficiaries will help the estate with cash flow problems but expect to be reimbursed later from the estate.

Consider all the advantages and disadvantages of TODs and be sure the accounts are part of a comprehensive, consistent estate plan.

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IMAGES

How To Write An Advantages Or Disadvantages Essay
Thesis statement of 1.ADVANTAGES and DISADVATANGES 2.ADVANTANGES
THESIS Statement
Thesis Advantage and disadvantages
Advantages and Disadvantages of theory x and y Essay Example
256 Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics & Pros and Cons Essay Ideas

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COMMENTS

IELTS Essay Structure
2. Essay Structures for Advantage/Disadvantage Essays . There is more than one way to structure your advantage/disadvantage essay. You could take a thesis-led (opinion in the introduction) or an evidence-led (opinion in your conclusion).. You could also choose to focus on one or more than one advantage/disadvantage in each of your main body paragraphs.. The next two sections will give you two ...
How to write an IELTS thesis statement.
For each essay type this is what should be in the Thesis statement: 1. Opinion essays: write 2 reasons for your opinion. 2. Advantage disadvantage essays: state the advantage and the disadvantage, 3. Problem solution essays: briefly state 1 or 2 problems and possible solutions. 4.
IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays
Example IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essayfor Structure 1. Now, here's a model answer for essay structure 1. First, a reminder of the structure and the ideas I generated using the friends technique. Ideas generation - Friends technique. I've underline the ideas I've chosen to write about in this second essay:
IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay: Overview, Structure And Tips
2nd part: requirement to give the advantages & disadvantages of the problem or opinion (e.g. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having one language in the world?) ... - Thesis statement / Outline sentence: (e.g. Having one language would certainly aid understanding and economic growth but there will also be some drawbacks.)
IELTS advantage disadvantage (outweigh) essay model answer
If you have 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages, you may run out of time and end up with a very long essay at well over 300 words. Keep the essay concise. You will notice in the thesis statement that I state: 'Although there are downsides, this essay argues that the advantages are stronger as this has positively changed work life because people ...
Tips for writing advantages and disadvantages essays
There are at least two different ways to write an advantages and disadvantages essay. However, we suggest the best and the easiest ones to complete the task if you get in your IELTS exam. Step 1. Analyse the task. Do not start writing immediately. First, read the statement and underline key information.
IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Model Essay With Useful Tips
In 'advantages-disadvantages' essays, what if one don't think there isn't any advantages or disadvantages ? In the sample esssay, you tell the advantages in one body paragraph, and you tell the disadvantages in the following paragraph then you give your own statement in the conclusion (if I understand correctly.) ...
IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay: tips, mistakes, questions & essays
In an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages essay, you need to present the advantages and disadvantages in the body paragraphs. Write the advantages and disadvantages in separate paragraphs. Each main body paragraph should contain: An advantage (or disadvantage) - your main idea. A more detailed explanation of this. An example which illustrates this.
IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
Enhance your IELTS Advantage and Disadvantage essays. Learn from examples to present pros and cons convincingly, and adopt a clear structure. ... Feb 15, 2022 • 3 min read. This essay provides a plan and model response for an advantages and disadvantages essay in your writing paper. Essay question: Nowadays many people choose to be self ...
IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages with Sample Answer
Sample topic sentences. (paragraph 1) There are numerous advantages to internet-based learning. (paragraph 2) Readily available knowledge is not without its disadvantages, however. Tip: It is a good idea to memorise some topic sentences such as these, as you can apply them to most advantage/disadvantage essays. e.g.
Advantages & disadvantages essay in IELTS writing
Sentences 1-2 - briefly restate the advantages and disadvantages. To conclude, although tourism has certain disadvantages like destructive effects and growth of crime rate, it has an extremely positive impact on country's economy and provides a large number of new jobs for the local people. Sentence 2 - give your final opinion.
Pros and Cons of Thesis Statements
Announces and focuses purpose. The thesis is a declaration of the primary argument to both the reader and the writer. It must condense the author's views enough to be manageable, and this often helps writers focus on exactly what they are going to argue. Dictates scope. The structure and content of the thesis can help a writer control the ...
Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Lesson
IELTS advantages and disadvantages questions normally give you a statement and ask you to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of that statement. The problem is that there are 2 different types of advantages and disadvantages essays, each requiring a different approach. If you answer them differently, you risk losing many easy marks.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantage/Disadvantage Sample Essay
IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Sample Essay. Before we get started, you should of course first read the sample prompt. IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Sample Essay Question. With modern transportation, workers and students are increasingly mobile, and have more and more opportunities to study and work abroad.
Ultimate Guide to IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays
To answer the advantages disadvantages essay questions in IELTS Writing Task 2, first you have to identify the keywords and instructions in the question to discuss the positives and negatives of the statement. Plan your structure, including your main arguments, advantages, and disadvantages, to present your answer in a well-structured manner.
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages. In this question, we need to clearly state what we think the main advantage is and the main disadvantage. Thesis Statement: The principal advantages are the instant information available to students and the ability to communicate with other students. The main disadvantages are the lack of discipline and ...
IELTS advantage disadvantage essays
Let's Review. 1. Analyse the question well then paraphrase it. 2. Give one example of the advantages in main body paragraph 1, after that give one example of the disadvantages in main body paragraph 2. 3. Do not give your personal opinion because the question does not ask for it. 4.
IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Sample Essay Questions
Below is a list of IELTS sample essay questions for advantage / disadvantage essays in writing task 2. These essay types are often taught together with discussion essays but I think it is worth studying them separately to be better prepared. Advantage / Disadvantage Essay Tips. spend time planning the benefits and drawbacks of the statement given.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? IELTS Essay
Which one? put your answer to the question in the thesis statement in your introduction. you can use the word "outweigh" in your introduction if you want. or you can simply explain if there are more advantages or disadvantages in your opinion. avoid formulaic statements for your thesis statement - this means don't use a memorised phrase.
How to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
Out of all the different essays that are possible for a teacher to assign, one that serves both native English speakers and English learners well is an advantages and disadvantages essay . With this essay writing process there can be advantages to essay writing and disadvantages of essay writing for different levels of writers with different experience and knowledge on the whole process.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages
Body paragraph 2: The disadvantages (Stronger) Main idea: two main drawbacks. Support 1: Addictive: nonstop rewarding→player … in front of PC all the time→ Causes problem: do it instead of homework or replace social interactions. Support 2: Sedentary lifestyle: most day… sit and play→health problems: obesity & high cholesterol level ...
256 Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics [2024 Update]
Positive and negative outcomes of the rising population on the planet. The increasing lifespan of people: pros and cons. The ability to obtain a driver's license at sixteen vs. eighteen years old. The right to work without parents' permission at sixteen years old: pros and cons.
Advantages--Disadvantages (Templates for IELTS Essays, Writing Task 2)
Even though this (Advantages--Disadvantages Essay) is a discursive essay (that is, it only requires you to discuss the positives and negatives of something), some things can improve your essay. If you are writing many advantages and very few disadvantages, you could write in a single sentence how the disadvantages can be easily avoided/reduced.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in a Medieval City
This essay explores the advantages and disadvantages of living in a medieval city, examining various aspects such as economic opportunities, social structure, and cultural richness. By analyzing these factors, we can gain a deeper understanding of what made medieval cities both appealing and complex. ... Get custom essays. We use cookies to ...
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using TOD Accounts To Avoid ...
Consider all the advantages and disadvantages of TODs and be sure the accounts are part of a comprehensive, consistent estate plan. Follow me on Twitter . Check out my website or some of my other ...
Advantages and Disadvantages of a 529 Plan
Tax advantages: Contributions to a 529 plan grow tax-free, and withdrawals used for qualified education expenses are also tax-free. This means you won't pay federal taxes on the earnings as long as the funds are used for approved purposes. High contribution limits: 529 plans generally allow for high contribution limits, often exceeding $300,000 per beneficiary, depending on the state.
Is boiled food healthy? Here are some advantages and disadvantages of
Retention of nutrients. When done properly, boiling can retain a large portion of the nutrients in the food. Nutrient loss can be reduced by using the appropriate amount of water for the amount of ...

Guide to Advantage Disadvantage IELTS Essay Type

Table of Contents

3.2 Organise your ideas

2. Essay Structures for Advantage/Disadvantage Essays

3. Planning your Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

3.1 Identify keywords and phrases

4. Writing your Advantages/Disadvantages Essay

5. Example Advantage/Disadvantage Essay and Exercise

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays

The Question

Essay Structures

One Advantage and Disadvantage or Two?

How To Plan IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays

# 1 Analyse the question

# 2 Generate ideas

# 3 Vocabulary

Writing an IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

How To Write an Introduction

1) Paraphrase the question

2) Outline statement

3) Opinion statement

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main Body Paragraph 1

Main Body Paragraph 2

How To Write a Conclusion

Example IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay for Structure 1

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IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay: Overview, Structure And Tips

2. IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Structure

2.1 Indicating Pros and Cons Only

2.2. Indicating Pros and Cons & Explicating Whether Pros outweigh Cons

3. IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Strategy

3.2. Make an outline

3.3. Write a complete IELTS problem solution essay

3.4. Double-check your IELTS problem solution essay

4. IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips

IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay: tips, mistakes, questions & essays

What Is Your Task?

How To Plan An IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

Step 1: Understand The Task

Step 2: Decide Your Position

Step 3: Extend Your Ideas

Step 4: Structure Your Essay

How To Write Your IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

How To Write The Introduction To an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

Introduce The Topic

Give Your Opinion

How To Write The Body Paragraphs

How To Write The Conclusion

Common Mistakes in an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

Sample IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Questions

Model IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

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IELTS Writing: advantages & disadvantages essay