how to write a advantages and disadvantages essay

How To Write An Advantages Or Disadvantages Essay

how to write a advantages and disadvantages essay

In writing task 2 you will be asked to write a discursive essay ( 250 words minimum ). You will be given a question asking you to give your opinion, and discuss a problem or issue. You could also be asked to provide solutions, evaluate a problem, compare and contrast different ideas or challenge an idea. In this post, we will be focusing on how to write a advantages/disadvantages essay .

One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes.

You should be able to give the examiners exactly what they want, in order to get a 7+ band score.

Do you want to learn how to write an advantage/disadvantage essay faster and score a higher band score? Download our 24 page PDF resource that is designed to help you prepare systematically for a 7+ band Score.

WRITING TASK 2 Advantages/Disadvantages STRUCTURE

The structure that I advise my students to use, will be sure to get you a band score of 7+. You need to practice using this structure, with as many questions as you can, before sitting your IELTS test. This writing task 2 structure has been proven to be successful for my students and when perfected, can easily help you to achieve a high band score.

TIP >> Before you start writing, plan your ideas so that you can organise the information clearly. You must decide what the main advantages and disadvantages are. Take 5 minutes and plan out your ideas, opinions and examples.

TIP >> It is very important that spend a full 40 minutes on this task as the score you get for writing task 2 is two-thirds of your total writing score. You also need to write a minimum of 250 words and use your own ideas.

TIP >> Remember to write in a formal tone, this is an academic essay, therefore your writing should be formal.

This is one possible way to structure your essay;

4-PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE >>

Paragraph 1 – The Introduction

This is the introduction to the essay and where you should start off by paraphrasing the question.

Do you understand what I mean, when I say ‘paraphrase’ the question?

This means that you rewrite the question in your own words using synonyms. You can’t just copy the question again or use the same words in the question. Paraphrase and show off your vocabulary knowledge by using synonyms. When practising your essay writing, use an online thesaurus to help you. This is a great tool and can help you to learn many new words.

Then your next sentence should introduce the essay, this will tell the examiner exactly what you will discuss in the main body paragraphs. For example, Firstly this essay will discuss……… Secondly, this essay will discuss…….

There are two sentences you need in the introduction >>

Paraphrase the question

Introduce the specific advantages/disadvantages that will be discussed in the main body paragraphs.

Paragraph 2 – Main Body Paragraph 1

In this paragraph, you should describe the main advantage.

Start the paragraph by introducing the main advantage. This is where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s) should explain, going into detail. The third sentence should give an example that supports the advantage.

The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study.

This is how the paragraph should look >>

Introduce the advantage (topic sentence)
Explain/give detail

Paragraph 3 – Main Body Paragraph 2

In this paragraph, you should write about the main disadvantage.

Start the paragraph by introducing the disadvantage. This is where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s) should explain, going into detail. The third sentence should give an example.

This is how the paragraph should look >>

Introduce the disadvantage (topic sentence)

Paragraph 4 – The Conclusion

In the fourth paragraph, you write the conclusion giving a summary of your main points and say what you think were the most important pros and cons. You should not enter any new information or ideas in this paragraph.

You can end your conclusion with a balancing statement that tells the reader why one side is better than the other. For example, using words like outweigh, balance out, compensate for, exceed and make up for.

Summary of the main points
What you think were the most important pros and cons?

Another possible way to structure your advantage/disadvantage essay is this;

You may want to add paragraphs to explain further advantages or disadvantages, but there should be only one main idea in each main body paragraph. Don’t list all of your advantages/disadvantages in one paragraph.

Introduction
Paragraph 1 – Describe an advantage
Paragraph 2 – Describe an advantage
Paragraph 3 – Describe a disadvantage

TIP >> If the question asks you if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of something then your essay structure will change slightly. You should make sure you write about how one side is better than the other. You will also have to include this in your introduction. The side that you think outweighs the other should be written about first in main body paragraph 1. Followed by main body paragraph 2 – the more fragile argument.

TIP >> If the question asks you to write about advantages/disadvantages and give your opinion, then y

You need to add an extra paragraph that clearly states your opinion. You would also need to write about your opinion in the introduction.

SAMPLE Advantages/Disadvantages ESSAY >>

**All questions have been reported by students who have taken the IELTS exam.**

There is an ongoing debate on the merits of having a rigid discipline system in place for all crimes committed. This essay will firstly discuss, how having fixed punishments could lead to a more competent judiciary system as the biggest advantage. Secondly, this essay will discuss how this may lead to people being punished in the same way for both minor and major crimes as the primary disadvantage.

On the one hand, the main advantage of having a standardised punishment system could lead to a downward trend in crime, as the system would serve as a deterrent. This would allow the courts to easily hand out justice to all criminals, in order to make the judiciary system more powerful. For example, in some states in the USA, there are tough sanctions in place for criminals, including death by lethal injection. In 2014, the New York Times reported that up to 65% of criminals who were incarcerated for high-level crimes (murder, manslaughter) received the lethal injection.

On the other hand, the primary disadvantage of having fixed punishments is that people who have committed low-level crimes may also be given harsh sentences, in the same way as those who have been sentenced for high-level crimes. This may make the system unjust, as the punishment should befit the crime. For instance, a person who may have acted in self defence, should have their case heard in full, before being given a punishment befitting of someone who has been part of a violent act.

In conclusion, fixed punishment offers an interesting choice for effective crime deterrence and a faster judicial process. However, its inherent flaw in generalising all crime without carefully considering mitigating circumstances would compromise the very essence of justice and should warrant a closer study before fully implementing it to any modern judicial system.

(Word Count = 302 / Band Score 9)

Task Achievement – The answer provides a paraphrased question, to begin with, followed by stating an advantage and a disadvantage. Both the advantages/disadvantages are fully supported in the main body paragraphs in the essay, with fully extended and well-supported ideas. the style of the writing is appropriate for an academic essay.
Coherence and Cohesion – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs and between most sentences. Examples are highlighted with discourse markers like – for example, and for instance .
Lexical Resource – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures.

TIP >> Remember to give both an advantage and a disadvantage. Use each of the main body paragraphs to support your ideas, giving examples that are relevant. In the conclusion, this is where you summarise your main points.

WRITING TASK 2 BAND SCORE 9 CRITERIA >>

If you would like to view more high band score advantages or disadvantage essay examples please click here .

Advantage Disadvantage Essay Sample

Transport Work Environment Transportation Communications Additional Advantage/Disadvantage Essay Practise Questions

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Ultimate Guide to IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

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Updated On Apr 12, 2024

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Ultimate Guide to IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

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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.

Understanding the Question and Structure of the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

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 of Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS

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 essay topics 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!

How to Plan Your Task 2 Advantages and Disadvantages Essay?

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 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 and save some time to revise your response.

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 .

How to Write an Advantages Disadvantages Essay for IELTS Writing Task 2?

Once you have planned your advantage and disadvantage essay for Writing Task 2, it is time to write down your answer.

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 forIELTS 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.

Wondering the Trick to Score a Band 8 in Writing Task 2? Know the Secret!

Tips for Mastering Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Writing an essay on IELTS advantage disadvantage essay topics needs careful preparation and planning. Here are some tips that you can use to write 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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Advantages and Disadvantages IELTS Essay Questions and Sample Answers

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.

Practice Advantages Disadvantages Essays IELTS with IELTSMaterial

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+.

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?

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

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Post your Comments

10 comments.

Ashlin Devi

Posted on Oct 5, 2023

Nowdays, technologies are in high demand. People are possessed with their own computers and cell phones, so it is quite easy for them to do their job at home. Even though it is acknowledged with several points that working from home is quite easier, the essay will argue that the drawbacks of working from home will outweigh its strength. The main disadvantages are ineffective communication and the relationship amongst people becoming distant. First of all, people need internet to communicate. The internet connectivity is very poor at times, especially in the remote areas. Furthermore, during virtual meetings, discussion gets difficult due to connection issues where meeting is not worthwhile since no voice or no video. Moreover, working from home gives distance amongst people where you will not be able to have interact with colleague. Face-to-face discussion is very important where you get to work more effectively and efficiently. On the other hand, working from home is indeed benefit. People do not have to travel to reach work. The time which are spend on travelling, can be utilized on other activities such as house cores, leisure activities or even can work extra hours to meet the given deadline. Furthermore, people get flexibility in working hours, since there are no superior workers supervising employee. To conclude, there are some strengths on working from home but drawbacks overweigh strengths since working from home is not as easy task as people think since ineffective communication and people interaction is very important.

ria mahajan

Posted on Oct 6, 2023

Overall Band 5.5 Main ideas are relevant, but some are insufficiently developed and lack clarity, while some supporting arguments and evidences are missing for the question.Simple vocabulary is used accurately but the range does not permit much variation in expression.A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used but flexibility is limited. For detailed analysis,you can avail a Free trial class Find the link below: https://ieltsmaterial.com/signup-1/ or you may reach out to us: +91 8929053019

Posted on May 15, 2023

More students prefer foreign colleges and universities. Although studying abroad is costly, a concerning drawback, the global exposure a student gets is the primary benefit that outweighs any disadvantage. On the one hand, pursuing education abroad is quite expensive, which is the primary concern. The tuition fee in the universities of developed countries is relatively high, and it is challenging for a student from an average financial background to afford it. Furthermore, people need to find part-time jobs to handle their daily expenditures. For example, a study by the University of Dubai revealed a drop of 25% in the enrolment of international students in the year 2023 compared to 2022 among the Gulf nations due to an increase in college fees. However, many universities provide scholarships to merit students, and youth can get global exposure which is of considerable significance. The primary benefit of choosing foreign universities is that the pupils get excellent global exposure. In many developed nations, the education system is quite advanced and leans towards practical knowledge than textbook learning. Moreover, people can build a strong network with locals which helps them in their professional careers. For instance, one of my friends, Ravi, who runs a garment business, is able to expand his work abroad due to the exposure he got while pursuing his master’s in abroad and the network he built during his education period. This is why youth prefer foreign universities. In conclusion, although studying abroad is quite expensive, the undisputed benefit of getting global exposure surpasses any hindrance.

Posted on Dec 3, 2022

“Nowadays online shopping becomes more popular than in-store shopping. Is it a positive or a negative development? Give your reasons and examples.” Isn’t this an opinion question though you have categorized it under advantages and disadvantages? I believe we have to describe only one aspect in our body paragraphs rather than describing both positive and negative aspects?

Posted on May 29, 2022

Nowadays, studying abroad is a new trend among students. Undoubtedly, there are positive and negative aspects of studying in a foreign country. However, the benefits of attending colleges and universities in a foreign country outweigh the drawbacks. The next couple of paragraphs will explain the topic and justify these viewpoints.

To begin with, studying abroad has several advantages for students. For instance, a student who is studying in a foreign country will probably improve language skills better than others. Learning a foreign language is extremely significant in a global environment. Moreover, living outside of a home country will enhance students’ worldview thanks to the culture of the host country. Therefore, it can be said that studying abroad paws the way for great career options.

However, there are undesired sides to education in a foreign state. One of them is education expenditure. Studying abroad might be expensive. Thus, it might lead to a huge economic burden for both student and his family. When a student moves to another country for education, he must face several challenges caused by living alone. For instance, some students might have some psychological problems during the first couple of weeks following their move. It can be claimed that being homesick is a common problem among young students.

In conclusion, having a graduate degree from a foreign country has both negative and positive sides. Although there are significant advantages, the benefits of studying abroad surpass the drawbacks for the same.

Posted on May 30, 2022

Band Score – 6

Concentrate on the correct usage of quantifiers and subject-verb agreement.

In some places words are used incorrectly, pay attention to them.

Use C2 level of words.

Purnima Koli

Posted on Oct 25, 2021

Parents tend to give the children better resources as compared to their own childhood. This way they also feel compensated in the process while bringing up their own child. While having a huge collection of toys to play with is not all that bad, at the same time can lead to some issues.

Firstly, having a diversity in the range of toys have multiple benefits. The child can learn how to manage or organize better. Varied exposure to different themes of toys makes one more aware.

Secondly, sharing can also develop social skills among the child’s friend circle. To get hands-on-experience with toys such as Rubix’s cube, puzzles hone mental capacity of the kid. Similarly, educational and infotainment toys help shape likes and dislikes, opinions, communication skills. Thus, caters to holistic development which is often a cause of worry for parents.

On the other hand, if the child is given more and more, this may result in losing the value of individual toy. Not only is this expenditure wasteful but also teaching consumerist tendencies to the child. Perhaps unconsciously the child stops valuing his toys and takes them for granted in desire for more.

To have enough needs to be inculcated rather than frivolous costs being incurred. The parents need to be also mindful of teaching holistic habits like outdoor games, reading, painting apart from playing with toys for all round development.

Having many toys is also burdensome when it comes to maintenance. If that could be sorted then it’s much easier to assemble and play as per the child’s convenience. Gifting once in a while is a good option to keep the spirits of the child happy.

Posted on Nov 13, 2021

If you would have presented this same as a 4 paragraph structure and added the conclusion you would have score 7 easily.

Overall band: 5

Coherence: It is better to follow a 4 paragraph structure so that it is easy for the examiner to mark you for coherence. Conclusion is missing in your essay. Conclusion is where you sum up and restate points.

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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 Advantage: IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Lesson
IELTS Buddy: IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Lesson
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.

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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:

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.

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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Apr 17, 2023

Writing Task 2: How to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

In this class, we're going to:

🗒️ Look at a model essay

🔬 Analyse the question

🗺️ Look at the bullet-point plan

✍️ Examine how to paraphrase the question

🎯 Look at how to write a thesis statement

🧱 Analyse the structure of the main body paragraphs

👏 See how to write a conclusion.

1. 🗒️ The Model Essay

Look at the question below.

How would you answer this question?

Then, compare your ideas with the model essay below.

Would you have written something similar?

A large number of museums charge visitors for entry while others do not. One drawback in doing this is that these museums might be too expensive for some people, but in my opinion, there are more benefits to charging for entry as it allows for better maintained museums with better exhibitions.

The main disadvantage of charging people an admission fee to enter museums is that it may cost too much for some potential visitors. Some people only earn enough money to pay the rent and for basic necessities such as food and electricity, and for them paying to visit a museum is an unnecessary luxury. For example, in developing countries such as Thailand, there are families who cannot afford to enter their local museums. As such, museums which charge for admission can be relatively inaccessible to these economically disadvantaged people.

Nevertheless, despite this disadvantage, charging people for entry to museums provides great benefits as it allows them to maintain and improve their exhibitions. When exhibiting important historical artifacts or world-famous works of art, it is crucial that museums have the funds to ensure that these items are kept in optimum conditions, as well as to repair and refurbush spaces when necessary. The Louvre in Paris is a prominent example of a museum which charges for entry and then reinvests this money in its own upkeep. Further, due to the revenue gained through entrance fees, museums like these are also able to continuously innovate in how they display their contents.

In conclusion, charging an entry fee could make it difficult for people who have tight budgets to enter museums; however, the advantages of doing this outweigh the disadvantages, as the fee paid by visitors can be used to maintain exhibitions for the future and to make them better.

297 words, band 9.

2. 🔬 Analyzing the Question

This is how I read the question, and began to think about the content and structure of my essay.

In most Advantages vs. Disadvantages essays, you need to give your opinion about whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but occasionally you don't - you just have to describe the Advantages and Disadvantages without giving your opinion about which outweighs the other.

Make sure you always read the question to understand exactly what you have to do.

3. 🗺️ The Bullet Point Plan

I then planned all of the ideas I would include in my essay.

The plan for my intro and conclusion is just two main bullet points for my two main arguments; the plan for my main body paragraphs has one bullet point for every POINT , EXPLANATION , and EXAMPLE .

______________________

1) Main argument

2) Main argument

- Explanation / Development

_______________________

1) Disadvantage: Museums can become too expensive for some people

but this is outweighed by the fact that

2) Advantages: Musuems which charge can maintain and improve their exhibitions

- Charging for entry makes it too expensive for some people

- some people only have enough money to pay for basics and museums would be a luxury

- in developing countries such as Thailand, people can't afford to go to local museums

- museums are inaccessible to these economically disadvantaged people

- However, charging helps musuems pay for maintainence and improvements

- museums need money to store artefacts in good conditions and to pay for refurbishment

- the Louvre charges for entry and reinvests this money in its upkeep

- Further, by charging, museums can innovate in how they display their contents

Notice how the above plan corresponds to the finished essay below.

A large number of museums charge visitors for entry while others do not. One drawback in doing this is that these museums might be too expensive for some people , but in my opinion, there are more benefits to charging for entry as it allows for better maintained museums with better exhibitions .

The main disadvantage of charging people an admission fee to enter museums is that it may cost too much for some potential visitors . Some people only earn enough money to pay the rent and for basic necessities such as food and electricity, and for them paying to visit a museum is an unnecessary luxury . For example, in developing countries such as Thailand, there are families who cannot afford to enter their local museums . As such, museums which charge for admission can be relatively inaccessible to these economically disadvantaged people .

Nevertheless, despite this disadvantage, charging people for entry to museums provides great benefits as it allows them to maintain and improve their exhibitions . When exhibiting important historical artifacts or world-famous works of art, it is crucial that museums have the funds to ensure that these items are kept in optimum conditions, as well as to repair and refurbush spaces when necessary . The Louvre in Paris is a prominent example of a museum which charges for entry and then reinvests this money in its own upkeep . Further, due to the revenue gained through entrance fees, museums like these are also able to continuously innovate in how they display their contents .

In conclusion, charging an entry fee could make it difficult for people who have tight budgets to enter museums ; however, the advantages of doing this outweigh the disadvantages , as the fee paid by visitors can be used to maintain exhibitions for the future and to make them better .

This is a 'concession' style essay, meaning that I'm considering both sides of the argument; first by introducing the weaker point which I might only partially agree with, then by comparing it to the stronger point which I do agree with more strongly.

This type of essay is very effective for answering Advantages and Disadvantages and Discussion questions. It can also be used for other types of questions but it's especially useful for essays where you have to consider two sides of an argument.

In the following sections, I'll explain how to organise a concessional essay and will highlight useful language which indicates that I'm comparing two arguments while making a concession.

4. ✍️ Paraphrasing the Question

The Question:

Many museums charge for admission while others are free .

The Paraphrasal:

A large number of museums charge visitors for entry while others do not .

'A large number' is a useful synonym for 'many' . You can also say ' a great number '. I'd avoid saying 'lots of' or 'a lot of' because these sound too conversational/informal.

Here, I've added the key word ' visitors ', but I've kept the key word 'charge' the same.

Here I've changed ' admission ' to ' entry '.

And here I've used a differently grammatical structure (' do not ') to say ' are free '.

5. 🎯 Writing the 'Thesis Statement'

The first part introduces a disadvantage, and it tells the reader what my first paragraph will be about , the second part tells the reader that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and the third part introduces the advantages and tells the reader what my second paragraph will be about.

Notice how I make a 'concession' in that I admit there ' might be ' a disadvantage, ' but' that this disadvantage is outweighed by by the advantages.

The use of ' might be ' weakens the disadvantage by making it less definite, and the order of the ideas with the word ' but ' show the reader the whole structure of the argument throughout the essay.

6. 🧱 The Main Body Paragraphs

Notice how in the topic sentence of the 'concession' paragraph, I've also used the words ' may ' and ' some potential visitors ' to make the point less strong.

For the second, stronger paragraph which I actually agree with, I've used started with the phrase ' Nevertheless, despite this disadvantage ', which reflects the ' but ' used in the introduction; I've said that there are ' great benefits '.

I've also included two arguments in my topic sentence - that charging for entry allows museums to 1) ' maintain ' and 2) ' improve ' their exhibitions. These two points are then developed in this order in the paragraph.

Nevertheless , despite this disadvantage , charging people for entry to museums provides great benefits as it allows them to maintain and improve their exhibitions . When exhibiting important historical artifacts or world-famous works of art, it is crucial that museums have the funds to ensure that these items are kept in optimum conditions, as well as to repair and refurbush spaces when necessary . The Louvre in Paris is a prominent example of a museum which charges for entry and then reinvests this money in its own upkeep . Further, due to the revenue gained through entrance fees, museums like these are also able to continuously innovate in how they display their contents .

7. 👏 The Conclusion

The conclusion is just a brief summary of the main arguments - a repetition of the main points in the introduction and the two topic sentences. It is more or less the same as the introduction, but without the paraphrasal.

Notice how my conclusion follows the same 'concessional' structure as the introduction and the main body paragraphs. I concede that there ' could ' be a disadvantage for certain people; however , the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

In conclusion, charging an entry fee could make it difficult for people who have tight budgets to enter museums ; however , the advantages of doing this outweigh the disadvantages , as the fee paid by visitors can be used to maintain exhibitions for the future and to make them better .

IELTS Writing Task 2

How to Write An IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

How to Write and IELTS Advantages - Disadvantages Essay - IELTS Luminary

Are you aiming to achieve a high band score in the IELTS exam? Do you find yourself puzzled by the task of writing an 'IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay'? Then you've landed in the perfect place!

In this comprehensive guide, we'll unlock the secrets to acing this challenging yet rewarding part of the IELTS writing exam. We'll take you step-by-step through understanding the structure of an 'IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay', crafting an effective outline, and using a practical template to write a well-balanced essay.

Whether you're a seasoned IELTS test-taker or new to the game, our guide is packed with actionable tips and examples to help you shine in the exam. Our aim is to make your IELTS preparation journey as smooth as possible.

So, sit back, grab your notepad, and let's dive into the world of IELTS writing. By the end of this guide, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to write an outstanding IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay. Let's start the journey towards IELTS success together!

IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Structure

Introdu ction

An effective introduction is vital for setting the tone of your essay. It should introduce the topic in a clear and concise manner, provide some context, and outline the structure of the essay. The intr oduction should be designed to pique the reader's interest, prompting them to read on. Here's a sample introduction for an essay on "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning":

"With the rapid advancement of technology, online learning has become a prevalent mode of education. This essa y will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this modern educational approach."

Advantages and Disadvantages

The body of your essay will consist of two main sections: the advantages and the disadvantages. Each of these sections should contain one or two paragraphs explaining the relevant points.

For each advantage or disadvantage, start with a topic sentence that clearly states the point. This should be followed by supporting details and examples. A balanced view is crucial here; try to give equal attention and depth to both sides of the argument.

Here's an example for the aforementioned topic:

Advantages:

"One significant advantage of online learning is its flexibility. Unlike traditional classroom settings, online courses allow students to learn at their own pace, making education more accessible for people with busy sc hedules. For instance, working professionals can take up online courses to upskill themselves without compromising their job commitments."

"Another benefit is the vast amount of resources available online. Students have access to a plethora of learning materials like videos, eBooks, and online forums, thereby diversifying their learning experience."

Disadvantag es:

"Despite its numerous benefits, online learning also has its drawbacks. One major disadvantage is the lack of face-to-face interaction. This can lead to feelings of isolation and can also hinder the development of essential social skills."

"Additionally, not everyone has reliable internet access or the necessary technological devices, which can exclude some individuals from accessing online education, thus widening the digital divide."

The conclusion is the final section of your essay. It should not introduce any new information but rather summarise the main points discussed in the essay. It should also reiterate the significance of the topic and provide a clear and compelling concluding statement.

Here's a sample conclusion for our example:

"In conclusion, online learning presents numerous advantages, including flexibility and vast learning resources. However, it also has its pitfalls such as lack of personal interaction and potential exclusion of those without adequate technology or internet access. Thus, while online education is a powerful tool in the modern world, these considerations should be addressed to make it more effective and inclusive."

Remember that the structure outlined here serves as a general guide. The specific requirements might vary depending on the given essay prompt, so it's essential to read the instructions carefully. Keep practicing, and soon you'll master the art of writing an excellent IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay.

Exploring the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Outline

An effective outline is your roadmap to a successful essay. It helps organise your thoughts, ensuring a logical flow of ideas from start to finish.

Introduction

Introduce the topic: Your introduction should set the stage for your essay. Begin with a general statement about the topic, then narrow it down to the specific issue you'll be discussing. For example, if you're writing about online learning, you might start by discussing the role of technology in education.

Give a brief overview of what will be discussed in the essay: Following the topic introduction, your next sentence should preview the points you'll discuss - the advantages and disadvantages of the issue. Using our online learning example: "This essay will explore the advantages, such as flexibility and access to vast resources, along with disadvantages like potential isolation and technology disparities, of online learning."

Topic sentence outlining the first advantage: The first sentence of this paragraph should clearly state the advantage you're discussing. For instance: "A key advantage of online learning is its unprecedented flexibility."

Explanation and examples supporting the advantage: Next, explain this advantage in more detail, providing relevant examples or evidence. You could say, "Online courses allow learners to engage with materials at their convenience. For example, a working professional might study after work hours, something not possible with traditional, scheduled classes."

Disadvantages

Topic sentence outlining the first disadvantag e: Like the advantages section, begin with a clear topic sentence stating the disadvantage. Example: "Despite its benefits, online learning also presents challenges, notably a lack of personal interaction."

Explanation and examples supporting the disadvantage: Explain this disadvantage further, again providing examples or evide nce. You could explain, "In online classes, students miss out on face-to-face engagement with peers and teachers, which can lead to feelings of isolation and a lack of essential communication skills."

Summarize the main points: The first part of your conclusion should briefly recap the main points of your essay. Avoid introducing new information here. Using our example, "Online learning, while offering flexibility and a wealth of resources, also presents challenges in terms of personal interaction and technological disparities."

Restate the significance of the topic: Reiterate why your topic is important. You might say, "As technology continues to evolve, understanding the pros and cons of online learning is crucial for educators and students alike."

Provide a clear and compelling concluding statement: Finally, end with a powerful statement that ties your essay together. For instance: "Thus, while online education is a powerful tool in the modern era, its challenges must be addressed to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive learning experience."

Remember, an outline is a flexible tool. It should guide your writing, but don't be afraid to deviate from it if your essay's flow requires it. Use it as a roadmap, not a strict rulebook.

Utilizing the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Template

The IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Template is a powerful tool for shaping your thoughts and ideas into a coherent and persuasive piece of writing. Let's delve into the specifics using an example topic: "The rise of electric vehicles".

Your introduction should succinctly introduce your topic and provide an overview of what the essay will cover. For our example, this might look like:

"The increasing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) is a significant trend in today's automotive industry. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this growing shift towards electric transportation."

Now it's time to discuss the benefits. Each advantage should be addressed in its own paragraph, beginning with a topic sentence, followed by an explanation, and then an example.

Advantage 1:

Topic sentence: "One notable advantage of EVs is their contribution to environmental sustainability."

Explanation: "Unlike traditional vehicles, EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions, reducing the amount of harmful pollutants released into the environment."

Example: "For instance, replacing a conventional car with an electric one can save approximately 1.5 million grams of CO2 per year."

Advantage 2:

Topic sentence: "Another b enefit of EVs is their potential for cost savings in the long run."

Explanation: "Although the upfront cost of EVs can be higher, their lower operating costs over time can offset this initial investment."

Example: "Research shows that EVs can be 2-3 times cheaper to run per mile compared to petrol or diesel vehicles, depending on electricity prices and driving habits."

Next, outline the drawback s of th e topic, again devoting one paragraph to each point.

Disadvantage 1:

Topic sentence: "Despite their benefits, EVs also have drawbacks, including the current limitation s of battery technology."

Explanation: "EV batteries often have a limited range and can take a considerable amount of time to charge, which can be inconvenient for users."

Example: "For instance, a typical EV may need to be recharged after 150-200 miles, and full charging can take up to 12 hours, depending on the charger type and battery size."

Disadvantage 2:

Topic sentence: "Another disadvantage is the insufficient charging infrastructure, particularly in remote or rural areas."

Explanation: "The lack of widespread, accessible charging stations can make long-distance travel with EVs more challenging."

Example: "In certain rural regions, charging points can be over 100 miles apart, making EV usage less feasible."

Conc lusion

The conclusion shou ld recap the main points, restate the topic's significance, and provide a clear concluding statement.

"In conclusion, the rise of electric vehicles brings substantial benefits, including environmental sustainability and potential long-term cost savings. However, challenges such as battery limitations and insufficient charging infrastructure remain. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, addressing these challenges will be crucial to fully realize the potential of electric transportation."

Remember, the template provided here is a guide, and should be adapted based on the specifics of your essay prompt and the ideas you want to convey. With understanding, practice, and perseverance, you'll be well-equipped to master the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay.

10 key tips How to write a High Band Advantages Disadvantages Essay

Understand the Structure: Familiarize yourself with the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Structure. Your essay should have an introduction, two body paragraphs (one for advantages, one for disadvantages), and a conclusion.

Create an Outline: Before you start writing, make an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts, ensure a logical flow of ideas, and make sure you don't miss any crucial points.

Use the Right Template: Use the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Template as a guide to structure your essay appropriately. This template ensures you don't miss any crucial elements in your essay.

Balance Your Arguments: Make sure to present a balanced view. You should provide an equal amount of information for both the advantages and disadvantages. This shows the examiner that you can objectively discuss a topic.

Use Examples: Include relevant examples to support your points. Examples make your points more concrete and persuasive.

Mind Your Language: Use clear, precise, and formal language. Avoid slang and contractions, and make sure your grammar and punctuation are correct.

Stay on Topic: Stick to the topic throughout the essay. It's easy to go off on tangents, but staying focused on the topic ensures you address the question effectively.

Use Transition Words: Transition words like "However", "Moreover", "Additionally", and "On the other hand" can help your essay flow better. They guide the reader through your thoughts, making your essay easier to follow.

Practice and Review: Regular practice is key to improving your essay writing skills. After each practice, review your essay to identify areas where you can improve.

Manage Your Time: You will have a limited amount of time to write your essay during the IELTS exam. Practice writing essays within a set time frame to ensure you can effectively manage your time during the actual test.

Remember, writing a compelling essay takes practice and patience. Keep refining your writing skills, and you'll be well on your way to achieving a high score on the IELTS exam. Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

An IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay is a type of essay that appears in the writing section of the IELTS exam. It requires candidates to discuss both the pros and cons of a given topic, displaying a balanced and objective understanding.

2. How do I use the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Template?

The IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Template is a guide to help structure your essay. It typically includes an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence, followed by explanation and examples.

3. What is the best way to structure an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

The best way to structure an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay is by following the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Structure, which includes four main sections: introduction, advantages, disadvantages, and conclusion. Ensure to maintain balance in your arguments, providing equal attention to both pros and cons.

4. How can I create an effective IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Outline?

To create an effective IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Outline, start by listing the main points you plan to discuss in your essay. Break down each section into smaller parts, including topic sentences, explanations, and examples for each advantage and disadvantage.

5. How important is it to use examples in an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

Using examples in an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay is very important. Examples provide solid evidence to support your points, making your arguments more persuasive and relatable.

6. What are some tips for writing an excellent IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

Key tips for writing an excellent IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay include understanding the structure, creating an outline, using the right template, balancing your arguments, using examples, sticking to the topic, using transition words, practicing regularly, and managing your time effectively.

7. What are the common mistakes to avoid while writing an IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

Common mistakes to avoid include straying off-topic, presenting unbalanced arguments, skipping the conclusion, failing to use examples, and not using transition words to link ideas. Additionally, using informal language, not managing time effectively, and not reviewing your work for errors can negatively impact your score.

Please note, if you want to boost your IELTS Writing score, check these comprehensive eBooks and personalised Essay Feedback by an experienced IELTS examiner.

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Practice Tests

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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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)

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IELTS Writing Task 2
Advantage Disadvantage Essay

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Lesson

This lesson is about IELTS advantage disadvantage essay questions when you are told to assess whether the benefits of something outweigh the drawbacks.

The topic of the essay which is used as an example is about the trend to live and work abroad.

Take a look at the essay question we are going to analyse:

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?

Understanding the Task

When you have this type of advantage disadvantage essay it is important to distinguish between this and one that asks you to discuss advantages and disadvantages but does not ask your opinion.

If you are asked “ What are the advantages and disadvantages of….. ” you are not being asked your opinion. You simply have to discuss the benefits and drawbacks.

You could do this in two body paragraphs:

Body One: The positive points
Body Two: The negative points

However, if you have the word “ outweigh ” or “ Will this trend have more positive or negative effects? ” then you are being asked for your opinion and you must say which there are the most of – positive or negative impacts.

If you do not do this then you may get your score reduced on ‘ Task Response ’ for not fully addressing the question.

If you look at the IELTS public band descriptors (available to download if you do an internet search or available from your local IELTS centre), you will see that this could reduce your band to a 5 for this criteria (it would not necessarily affect the other three criteria).

(Check this lesson on IELTS Band 7 for an overview of the criteria for getting a band 7 if you are unsure of what the criteria are).

Take a look at these examples:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

This advantage disadvantage essay is not asking for your opinion. You could simply write one paragraph on the advantages and another on the disadvantages.

However, this one does:

Will this have more positive or negative impacts?

What does 'Outweigh' mean?

Another point to be careful of is using the word ‘ outweigh ’. It is common for IELTS students to get mixed up when they write the thesis statement, and actually say the opposite to what they write in the essay!

For example, they will say the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, but then give more benefits in the essay. This makes no sense.

So if you are not sure you can use the word correctly, I would recommend not using it in this type of IELTS advantage disadvantage essay. You can just say what your opinion is, as in the thesis in the model answer:

I believe that this has more benefits than drawbacks.

This will avoid any mistakes.

Writing your Thesis

You then need to think of 3 supporting ideas . One for one side and two for the other side.

So you will then have three body paragraphs, one with the drawback / benefit and two with the advantages / disadvantages.

It is common academic practice to start with the opposing opinion to yours, so you can start with the point that you have one idea for.

As explained above, it is very important, especially if you are looking for a band 7 or higher, that your opinion reflects what is in your essay. So if you have said there are more benefits, then you would have two benefits and one drawback.

Now take a look at the advantage disadvantage essay model answer.

Model Advantage Disadvantage Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

Advantage Disadvantage Essay Model Answer

These days many people choose to live or work in other countries, which has been made possible because of the convenience of air travel and modern communications. I believe that this has more benefits than drawbacks.

The disadvantage of this development is the distance that is put between family members. If a person moves away it is true that air travel and devices such as skype mean that communication and contact can be maintained. However, it is likely that a person will only be able to return one or two times a year during holidays, and speaking on skype or via email is not the same as face-to-face contact.

Despite this, there are significant advantages it can bring to people’s lives. Firstly, it means that people have the opportunity to see other parts of the world and the way people live. For example, people from the West often go to work in Asia or the Middle East and visa-versa. This enriches many people’s lives as they get to learn about other languages, traditions, cultures and different ways of working from their own country.

In addition to this, on a wider level it may also benefit other countries. If someone moves abroad for work, it is usually because their skill is required there. To illustrate, nurses and Doctors often move to work in hospitals in other countries when there is a shortage, so this is very valuable to the place they move to.

I would therefore argue that although there are disadvantages of the current trend to live and work abroad, they are outweighed by the advantages. It can enrich people’s lives and lives of the people in the countries that they move to.

( 283 Words )

As you can see in the essay, the writer believes there are more benefits so the essay is biased towards this opinion, giving more advantages than disadvantages.

The opinion is very clear, and repeated in the conclusion, and the body of the essay reflects this opinion so there will be no confusion when someone reads it.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

Getting to an IELTS Band 7 is a struggle for many candidates. This lesson explains exactly what you have to do to reach this band score.

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Strategies and Tips

In IELTS problem solution essays you have to discuss a particular issue and present ideas to solve that problem.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

How to Write an IELTS Essay: The key steps

Learn key steps on how to write an IELTS Essay. This guides you on how to write a great essay plus other lessons to improve your writing skills.

IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

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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

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! 😀

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Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Writing: How to Begin

Essays present a writer’s idea and illuminate their knowledge of the topic. An academic comes across various types of essays, and knowing the correct method to write a well-thought-out essay is essential. However, the advantages and disadvantages differ from those you have come across to date. While you can pay for essays on a website that can help you write one, learning how to write one is crucial. These pieces form a vital part of the IELTS exams, and if you are hoping to study abroad, you’ll need to ace it. But what are these essays?

Are these similar to an argumentative paper? Not really! These types of essays make you look into both sides of a coin. You cannot take a side and share your opinion on it. Instead, you must decode the topic, find information, and write about the pros and cons.

So, how do you start planning such pieces? Let’s take a deep dive and understand the correct methods to write advantages and disadvantages essays.

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Writing: How to Begin - 1

Identify keywords and phrases

There’s no way to ace these tasks if you don’t go through the topic properly. With 70% of students failing to clear IELTS writing tests, it is crucial to learn how to write these papers correctly. The best way to avoid such consequences is to read the question carefully and analyze the various aspects.

For example, if you are asked to write on ‘ The impact of technology on the education system ,’ understand the main question and other keywords. Here, the main question is on the ‘ education system ,’ and the words ‘ impact ’ and ‘ technology ’ help you plan the essay. You need to discuss both advantages and disadvantages of technology in education in the paper.

Organize your ideas

It is impossible to justify a write-up if you don’t organize your ideas. These pieces aim to shed light on all aspects of a topic. Hence, to avoid missing out any point, it is better to jot down the ideas before you start writing. Using bullet points or a numbered list to organize the ideas is wise.

You can refer to samples on various essay writing websites to understand how each write-up maintains a logical flow of information. These tasks need a lot of information, and you must not leave any stone unturned while writing one. You should jot down the points when you research the topic.

Identifying the correct vocabulary

One thing that makes a composition stand out from the crowd is the words you use in it. So, before writing the article, consider looking for unique words related to the topic. It not only sets you apart but will also help the readers understand how well-versed you are with the topic.

Very few students work hard to improve their vocabulary to ace these articles. That is why only a few can pass tough tests like IELTS in the first attempt. Improving and identifying the correct vocabulary adds value to your composition and helps you beat the competition.

Once you finish the preparations, you must follow the right ways to write one. Here’s a look into the steps to write the piece:

Introduction

An introduction to the advantages and disadvantages essay sheds light on the topic. You need to paraphrase the topic to help readers understand what it is all about. The section must also have a sentence highlighting the main points you will discuss in the piece. You can also go ahead and share your opinion on the topic if you feel that is necessary. Ensure the introduction is not too long and wrap it up within 40 to 60 words.

The body paragraph is where you explain the main points. You must start with the advantages. Summarize the paragraph’s central idea and shed light on the advantages of the topic. The paragraph must have a sentence with an explanation of the advantages. Adding an example to example the result of advantages will add value to the entire essay.

Suppose you are writing on online education; include some examples that have changed your perspective towards the system and how it has helped you. Readers can relate to it and understand what you are trying to convey.

Disadvantages

Once you have explained the advantages, focus on the disadvantages. The paragraph will be similar to the previous one. The readers need to understand why you feel the points to be disadvantages and be convinced about it. Sharing some examples supporting your views while explaining the disadvantages is wise.

So, if you are working on a topic on online education, use examples to highlight how technology is ruining the traditional education system, also, how students are reluctant to learn the lessons and put effort into finding new information for a better future.

The conclusion is where you put together all the points and revisit your opinion and the essay’s main points. The readers must be able to relate to what you are saying and be reminded of the main discussion points. This section will not be too lengthy. Hence, avoid starting a new point or explaining things too much. Your conclusion must have the correct ending points readers can relate to.

Advantages and disadvantages essays cover a lot of things. You must be careful with placing the points while explaining both aspects. Look for professionally written samples, understand how these essays are written, and work on them accordingly. You need to understand how these essays are important and learn the correct ways to write one. Consider all the points above and craft a flawless advantages and disadvantages essay.

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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
make sure you have relevant supporting points
put your advantages together in one body paragraph and the same with the disadvantages
follow a safe advantage disadvantage essay model

Advantage / Disadvantage Essay Questions

It is becoming increasingly popular to have a year off between finishing school and going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Some people think that it would be better for large companies and industry to move to regional areas outside large urban centers. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

With the rise of e-books comes the decline in paper books. Some people see this as a good step forward while others do not. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

The rise of convenience foods has helped people keep up with the speed of the modern life style. What are the advantages of this trend? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

There seems to be an increasing trend towards assessing students through exams rather than continual assessment. What are the advantages and disadvantages of exams as a form of assessment?

Space exploration costs tax payers an exorbitant amount of money each year. What are the advantages and disadvantage of spending money on space exploration?

Many elderly people are no long looked after by their families but are put in care homes or nursing homes. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

It is often considered that change is more beneficial to people than trying to avoid it and have everything remain the same. Do you think the advantages of change outweigh the disadvantages?

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How to Write Advantages & Disadvantages Essay Questions in IELTS Writing Task 2?

The first step to scoring well in IELTS writing task 2 general is to correctly identify the type of essay being asked to write. In advantages and disadvantages essay type , IELTS examiners want you to discuss both advantages and disadvantages separately and at the end, you need to write conclusive statements for the latest IELTS writing task 2.

Therefore, you must find out relevant points of advantages and disadvantages respectively after reading the question.

Example Question:

Below is an example question which you can refer to and learn more about this section easily.

Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, people can work and live anywhere they want.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages –

With this type of essay, you have two points to be discussed:

The positive impact of working and living anywhere.
Negative effects of working and living anywhere.

You must discuss both of them by giving reasons and support them with examples.

If you do not discuss any of the above two points in the essay, you will lose marks in the IELTS writing task 2 general. So, in this type of essay, you must explain both the points.

How to Structure IELTS Writing?

There are 3 types of advantages and disadvantages essay questions that require a different approach to solve them.

Essay Type 1:

Nowadays, with the advancement of technology and transportation facilities, people can work and live anywhere they want.

Discuss its Positive Impacts and Negative Effects:

This type of question requires you to describe the positive impacts in one paragraph while the negative effects in the other paragraph. In the latest IELTS writing task 2, you should not mention your personal opinion on this question.

The Best Structure you can use for this type of Essays:

Introduction.

Paraphrase the question
Outline the sentence
The topic of the sentence (advantage 1)
Explain how it is an advantage
Write an example

Disadvantages

The topic of the sentence (disadvantage1)
Explain how it is a disadvantage

Write a summary of the main points

Four paragraphs are sufficient to explain your point of view.

You may use any other structure you are comfortable with but this structure is approved by the IELTS examiners for the latest IELTS writing task 2 to help the students write effectively and cohesively.

Also Read: Model Answer for Previous IELTS Writing Task 2 Test: Copying Famous People

Essay Type 2:

Do the positive impacts of this advancement outweigh its negative effects.

This type of question requires you to describe the advantages in one paragraph while disadvantages in the other paragraph, but you need to explain which of the two, advantages or disadvantages, is stronger than the other. You should not mention your personal opinion on this question for IELTS writing task 2 general.

The Best Structure you can use for this Type of Essays:

Paraphrase the Question
Write a thesis statement (which one outweighs the other)

Body Paragraph 1 (The Strong Side)

The topic of the sentence
Explain how it is a strong side

Body Paragraph 2 (The Weak Side)

Explain how it is not a strong side

Write a summary of the main points and restate the position.

Essay Type 3:

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this essay.

Give your own opinion.

This type of question requires you to describe the advantages in one paragraph while disadvantages in the other paragraph. Furthermore, you should mention your personal opinion also in this question.

Write a thesis statement (your opinion)

Body Paragraph 2 (Disadvantages)

Explain your opinion
Explain or give an example

Sentence 1- Write a summary of the main points.

Vocabulary and Phrases for IELTS Writing Task 2 General:

Useful vocabulary for joining supportive ideas.

In addition
What is more
Furthermore
Besides this

Useful Vocabulary for Joining Opposite Ideas

On the other hand
In contrast
Nevertheless

H2- Sample Question for the Latest IELTS Writing Task 2:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write About the Following Topic:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer for IELTS Writing Task 2 General:

Over the past few decades, it has become possible to commute and work in different parts of the world due to the convenient transportation modes provided by modern technological methods. Advantages of this advancement are comparatively more as compared to the disadvantages.

To embark upon, there are various advantages of technological advancements. By travelling to other countries, people get the opportunity to visit new places and discover other parts of the world.

Insert Your Example

For example, people travelling from East to the Western part of the world can come to know various aspects of culture, tradition, values, language and many more. This can enhance their knowledge and experience when meeting new people.

In addition to this, it would also benefit other countries in terms of meeting the shortage of skilled professionals. If there is a requirement of professionals with specific skills in a country, it can hire skilled and experienced professionals from another country.

Provide Example

For example, health professionals such as doctors and nurses are often relocating to other countries for meeting the skill shortage in those countries.

Again Continue

On the other hand, one of the disadvantages of modern means of communication and technology is that it has widened the distance between family relationships. If a person has travelled far from his home, it is not possible for him to meet his family members face to face. Due to this reason, he can only talk to them using software such as Skype via video calling or through the phone.

It can be argued that though there are disadvantages of working and living in other countries, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages since this benefits both the person who is moving and also the country which is hiring that person.

(287 words)

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REVIEW article

On the advantages and disadvantages of choice: future research directions in choice overload and its moderators.

1 Department of Political Science and International Relations (DEMS), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
2 Atkinson Graduate School of Management, Willamette University, Salem, OR, United States
3 Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Researchers investigating the psychological effects of choice have provided extensive empirical evidence that having choice comes with many advantages, including better performance, more motivation, and greater life satisfaction and disadvantages, such as avoidance of decisions and regret. When the decision task difficulty exceeds the natural cognitive resources of human mind, the possibility to choose becomes more a source of unhappiness and dissatisfaction than an opportunity for a greater well-being, a phenomenon referred to as choice overload. More recently, internal and external moderators that impact when choice overload occurs have been identified. This paper reviews seminal research on the advantages and disadvantages of choice and provides a systematic qualitative review of the research examining moderators of choice overload, laying out multiple critical paths forward for needed research in this area. We organize this literature review using two categories of moderators: the choice environment or context of the decision as well as the decision-maker characteristics.

Introduction

The current marketing orientation adopted by many organizations is to offer a wide range of options that differ in only minor ways. For example, in a common western grocery store contains 285 types of cookies, 120 different pasta sauces, 175 salad-dressing, and 275 types of cereal ( Botti and Iyengar, 2006 ). However, research in psychology and consumer behavior has demonstrated that when the number of alternatives to choose from becomes excessive (or superior to the decision-makers’ cognitive resources), choice is mostly a disadvantage to both the seller and the buyer. This phenomenon has been called choice overload and it refers to a variety of negative consequences stemming from having too many choices, including increased choice deferral, switching likelihood, or decision regret, as well as decreased choice satisfaction and confidence (e.g., Chernev et al., 2015 ). Choice overload has been replicated in numerous fields and laboratory settings, with different items (e.g., jellybeans, pens, coffee, chocolates, etc.), actions (reading, completing projects, and writing essays), and populations (e.g., Chernev, 2003 ; Iyengar et al., 2004 ; Schwartz, 2004 ; Shah and Wolford, 2007 ; Mogilner et al., 2008 ; Fasolo et al., 2009 ; Misuraca and Teuscher, 2013 ; Misuraca and Faraci, 2021 ; Misuraca et al., 2022 ; see also Misuraca, 2013 ). Over time, we have gained insight into numerous moderators of the choice overload phenomena, including aspects of the context or choice environment as well as the individual characteristics of the decision-maker (for a detailed review see Misuraca et al., 2020 ).

The goal of this review is to summarize important research findings that drive our current understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of choice, focusing on the growing body of research investigating moderators of choice overload. Following a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of choice, we review the existing empirical literature examining moderators of choice overload. We organize this literature review using two categories of moderators: the choice environment or context of the decision as well as the decision-maker characteristics. Finally, based on this systematic review of research, we propose a variety of future research directions for choice overload investigators, ranging from exploring underlying mechanisms of choice overload moderators to broadening the area of investigation to include a robust variety of decision-making scenarios.

Theoretical background

The advantages of choice.

Decades of research in psychology have demonstrated the many advantages of choice. Indeed, increased choice options are associated with increase intrinsic motivation ( Deci, 1975 ; Deci et al., 1981 ; Deci and Ryan, 1985 ), improved task performance ( Rotter, 1966 ), enhanced life satisfaction ( Langer and Rodin, 1976 ), and improved well-being ( Taylor and Brown, 1988 ). Increased choice options also have the potential to satisfy heterogeneous preferences and produce greater utility ( Lancaster, 1990 ). Likewise, economic research has demonstrated that larger assortments provide a higher chance to find an option that perfectly matches the individual preferences ( Baumol and Ide, 1956 ). In other words, with larger assortments it is easier to find what a decision-maker wants.

The impact of increased choice options extends into learning, internal motivation, and performance. Zuckerman et al. (1978) asked college students to solve puzzles. Half of the participants could choose the puzzle they would solve from six options. For the other half of participants, instead, the puzzle was imposed by the researchers. It was found that the group free to choose the puzzle was more motivated, more engaged and exhibited better performance than the group that could not choose the puzzle to solve. In similar research, Schraw et al. (1998) asked college students to read a book. Participants were assigned to either a choice condition or a non-choice condition. In the first one, they were free to choose the book to read, whereas in the second condition the books to read were externally imposed, according to a yoked procedure. Results demonstrated the group that was free to make decisions was more motivated to read, more engaged, and more satisfied compared to the group that was not allowed to choose the book to read ( Schraw et al., 1998 ).

These effects remain consistent with children and when choice options are constrained to incidental aspects of the learning context. In the study by Cordova and Lepper (1996) , elementary school children played a computer game designed to teach arithmetic and problem-solving skills. One group could make decisions about incidental aspects of the learning context, including which spaceship was used and its name, whereas another group could not make any choice (all the choices about the game’s features were externally imposed by the experimenters). The results demonstrated that the first group was more motivated to play the game, more engaged in the task, learned more of the arithmetical concepts involved in the game, and preferred to solve more difficult tasks compared to the second group.

Extending benefits of choice into health consequences, Langer and Rodin (1976) examined the impact that choice made in nursing home patients. In this context, it was observed that giving patients the possibility to make decisions about apparently irrelevant aspects of their life (e.g., at what time to watch a movie; how to dispose the furniture in their bedrooms, etc.), increased psychological and physiological well-being. The lack of choice resulted, instead, in a state of learned helplessness, as well as deterioration of physiological and psychological functions.

The above studies lead to the conclusion that choice has important advantages over no choice and, to some extent, limited choice options. It seems that providing more choice options is an improvement – it will be more motivating, more satisfying, and yield greater well-being. In line with this conclusion, the current orientation in marketing is to offer a huge variety of products that differ only in small details (e.g., Botti and Iyengar, 2006 ). However, research in psychology and consumer behavior demonstrated that when the number of alternatives to choose from exceeds the decision-makers’ cognitive resources, choice can become a disadvantage.

The disadvantages of choice

A famous field study conducted by Iyengar and Lepper (2000) in a Californian supermarket demonstrated that too much choice decreases customers’ motivation to buy as well as their post-choice satisfaction. Tasting booths were set up in two different areas of the supermarket, one of which displayed 6 different jars of jam while the other displayed 24 options, with customers free to taste any of the different flavors of jam. As expected, the larger assortment attracted more passers-by compared to the smaller assortment; Indeed, 60% of passers-by stopped at the table displaying 24 different options, whereas only 40% of the passers-by stopped at the table displaying the small variety of 6 jams. This finding was expected given that more choice options are appealing. However, out of the 60% of passers-by who stopped at the table with more choices, only 3% of them decided to buy jam. Conversely, 30% of the consumers who stopped at the table with only 6 jars of jam decided to purchase at least one jar. Additionally, these customers expressed a higher level of satisfaction with their choices, compared to those who purchased a jar of jam from the larger assortment. In other words, it seems that too much choice is at the beginning more appealing (attracts more customers), but it decreases the motivation to choose and the post-choice satisfaction.

This classic and seminal example of choice overload was quickly followed by many replications that expanded the findings from simple purchasing decisions into other realms of life. For example, Iyengar and Lepper (2000) , asked college students to write an essay. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following two experimental conditions: limited-choice condition, in which they could choose from a list of six topics for the essay, and extensive-choice condition, in which they could choose from a list of 30 different topics for the essay. Results showed that a higher percentage of college students (74%) turned in the essay in the first condition compared to the second condition (60%). Moreover, the essays written by the students in the limited-choice conditions were evaluated as being higher quality compared to the essays written by the students in the extensive choice condition. In a separate study, college students were asked to choose one chocolate from two randomly assigned choice conditions with either 6 or 30 different chocolates. Those participants in the limited choice condition reporting being more satisfied with their choice and more willing to purchase chocolates at the end of the experiment, compared to participants who chose from the larger assortment ( Iyengar and Lepper, 2000 ).

In the field of financial decision-making, Iyengar et al. (2004) analyzed 800,000 employees’ decisions about their participation in 401(k) plans that offered from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 59 different fund options. The researchers observed that as the fund options increased, the participation rate decreased. Specifically, plans offering less than 10 options had the highest participation rate, whereas plans offering 59 options had the lowest participation rate.

The negative consequences of having too much choice driven by cognitive limitations. Simon (1957) noted that decision-makers have a bounded rationality. In other words, the human mind cannot process an unlimited amount of information. Individuals’ working memory has a span of about 7 (plus or minus two) items ( Miller, 1956 ), which means that of all the options to choose from, individuals can mentally process only about 7 alternatives at a time. Because of these cognitive limitations, when the number of choices becomes too high, the comparison of all the available items becomes cognitively unmanageable and, consequently, decision-makers feel overwhelmed, confused, less motivated to choose and less satisfied (e.g., Iyengar and Lepper, 2000 ). However, a more recent meta-analytic work [ Chernev et al., 2015 : see also Misuraca et al. (2020) ] has shown that choice overload occurs only under certain conditions. Many moderators that mitigate the phenomenon have been identified by researchers in psychology and consumer behavior (e.g., Mogilner et al., 2008 ; Misuraca et al., 2016a ). In the next sections, we describe our review methodology and provide a detailed discussion of the main external and internal moderators of choice overload.

Literature search and inclusion criteria

Our investigation consisted of a literature review of peer-reviewed empirical research examining moderators of choice overload. We took several steps to locate and identify eligible studies. First, we sought to establish a list of moderators examined in the choice overload literature. For this, we referenced reviews conducted by Chernev et al. (2015) , McShane and Böckenholt (2017) , as well as Misuraca et al. (2020) and reviewed the references sections of the identified articles to locate additional studies. Using the list of moderators generated from this examination, we conducted a literature search using PsycInfo (Psychological Abstracts), EBSCO and Google Scholar. This search included such specific terms such as choice set complexity, visual preference heuristic, and choice preference uncertainty, as well as broad searches for ‘choice overload’ and ‘moderator’.

We used several inclusion criteria to select relevant articles. First, the article had to note that it was examining the choice overload phenomena. Studies examining other theories and/or related variables were excluded. Second, to ensure that we were including high-quality research methods that have been evaluated by scholars, only peer-reviewed journal articles were included. Third, the article had to include primary empirical data (qualitative or quantitative). Thus, studies that were conceptual in nature were excluded. This process yielded 49 articles for the subsequent review.

Moderators of choice overload

Choice environment and context.

Regarding external moderators of choice overload, several aspects about the choice environment become increasingly relevant. Specifically, these include the perceptual attributes of the information, complexity of the set of options, decision task difficulty, as well as the presence of brand names.

Perceptual characteristics

As Miller (1956) noted, humans have “channel capacity” for information processing and these differ for divergent stimuli: for taste, we have a capacity to accommodate four; for tones, the capacity increased to six; and for visual stimuli, we have the capacity for 10–15 items. Accordingly, perceptual attributes of choice options are an important moderator of choice overload, with visual presentation being one of the most important perceptual attributes ( Townsend and Kahn, 2014 ). The visual preference heuristic refers to the tendency to prefer a visual rather than verbal representation of choice options, regardless of assortment size ( Townsend and Kahn, 2014 ). However, despite this preference, visual presentations of large assortments lead to suboptimal decisions compared to verbal presentations, as visual presentations activate a less systematic decision-making approach ( Townsend and Kahn, 2014 ). Visual presentation of large choice sets is also associated with increased perceptions of complexity and likelihood of decisions deferral. Visual representations are particularly effective with small assortments, as they increase consumers’ perception of variety, improve the likelihood of making a choice, and reduce the time spent examining options ( Townsend and Kahn, 2014 ).

Choice set complexity

Choice set complexity refers to a wide range of aspects of a decision task that affect the value of the available choice options without influencing the structural characteristics of the decision problem ( Payne et al., 1993 ). Thus, choice set complexity does not influence aspects such as the number of options, number of attributes of each option, or format in which the information is presented. Rather, choice set complexity concerns factors such as the attractiveness of options, the presence of a dominant option, and the complementarity or alignability of the options.

Choice set complexity increases when the options include higher-quality, more attractive options ( Chernev and Hamilton, 2009 ). Indeed, when the variability in the relative attractiveness of the choice alternatives increases, the certainty about the choice and the satisfaction with the task increase ( Malhotra, 1982 ). Accordingly, when the number of attractive options increases, more choice options led to a decline in consumer satisfaction and likelihood of a decision being made, but satisfaction increases and decision deferral decreased when the number of unattractive options increases ( Dhar, 1997 ). This occurs when increased choice options make the weakness and strengths of attractive and unattractive options more salient ( Chan, 2015 ).

Similarly, the presence of a dominant option simplifies large choice sets and increased the preference for the chosen option; however, the opposite effect happens in small choice sets ( Chernev, 2003 ). Choice sets containing an ideal option have been associated with increased brain activity in the areas involved in reward and value processing as well as in the integration of costs and benefits (striatum and the anterior cingulate cortex; Reutskaja et al., 2018 ) which could explain why larger choice sets are not always associated with choice overload. As Misuraca et al. (2020 , p. 639) noted, “ the benefits of having an ideal item in the set might compensate for the costs of overwhelming set size in the bounded rational mind of humans . ”

Finally, choice set complexity is impacted by the alignability and complementarity of the attributes that differentiate the options ( Chernev et al., 2015 ). When unique attributes of options exist within a choice set, complexity and choice overload increase as the unique attributes make comparison more difficult and trade-offs more salient. Indeed, feature alignability and complementarity (meaning that the options have additive utility and need to be co-present to fully satisfy the decision-maker’s need) 1 have been associated with decision deferral ( Chernev, 2005 ; Gourville and Soman, 2005 ) and changes in satisfaction ( Griffin and Broniarczyk, 2010 ).

Decision task difficulty

Decision task difficulty refers to the structural characteristics of a decision problem; unlike choice set complexity, decision task difficulty does not influence the value of the choice options ( Payne et al., 1993 ). Decision task difficulty is influenced by the number of attributes used to describe available options, decision accountability, time constraints, and presentation format.

The number of attributes used to describe the available options within an assortment influences decision task difficulty and choice overload ( Hoch et al., 1999 ; Chernev, 2003 ; Greifeneder et al., 2010 ), such that choice overload increases with the number of dimensions upon which the options differ. With each additional dimension, decision-makers have another piece of information that must be attended to and evaluated. Along with increasing the cognitive complexity of the choice, additional dimensions likely increase the odds that each option is inferior to other options on one dimension or another (e.g., Chernev et al., 2015 ).

When individuals have decision accountability or are required to justify their choice of an assortment to others, they tend to prefer larger assortments; However, when individuals must justify their particular choice from an assortment to others, they tend to prefer smaller choice sets ( Ratner and Kahn, 2002 ; Chernev, 2006 ; Scheibehenne et al., 2009 ). Indeed, decision accountability is associated with decision deferral when choice sets are larger compared to smaller ( Gourville and Soman, 2005 ). Thus, decision accountability influences decision task difficulty differently depending on whether an individual is selecting an assortment or choosing an option from an assortment.

Time pressure or constraint is an important contextual factor for decision task difficulty, choice overload, and decision regret ( Payne et al., 1993 ). Time pressure affects the strategies that are used to make decisions as well as the quality of the decisions made. When confronted with time pressure, decision-makers tend to speed up information processing, which could be accomplished by limiting the amount of information that they process and use ( Payne et al., 1993 ; Pieters and Warlop, 1999 ; Reutskaja et al., 2011 ). Decision deferral becomes a more likely outcome, as is choosing at random and regretting the decision later ( Inbar et al., 2011 ).

The physical arrangement and presentation of options and information affect information perception, processing, and decision-making. This moderates the effect of choice overload because these aspects facilitate or inhibit decision-makers’ ability to process a greater information load (e.g., Chernev et al., 2015 ; Anderson and Misuraca, 2017 ). The location of options and structure of presented information allow the retrieval of information about the options, thus allowing choosers to distinguish and evaluate various options (e.g., Chandon et al., 2009 ). Specifically, organizing information into “chunks” facilitates information processing ( Miller, 1956 ) as well as the perception of greater variety in large choice sets ( Kahn and Wansink, 2004 ). Interestingly, these “chunks” do not have to be informative; Mogilner et al. (2008) found that choice overload was mitigated to the same extent when large choice sets were grouped into generic categories (i.e., A, B, etc.) as when the categories were meaningful descriptions of characteristics.

Beyond organization, the presentation order can facilitate or inhibit decision-makers cognitive processing ability. Levav et al. (2010) found that choice overload decreased and choice satisfaction increased when smaller choice sets were followed by larger choice sets, compared to the opposite order of presentation. When sets are highly varied, Huffman and Kahn (1998) found that decision-makers were more satisfied and willing to make a choice when information was presented about attributes (i.e., price and characteristics) rather than available alternatives (i.e., images of options). Finally, presenting information simultaneously, rather than sequentially, increases decision satisfaction ( Mogilner et al., 2013 ), likely due to decision-makers choosing among an available set rather than comparing each option to an imaged ideal option.

Brand names

The presence of brand names is an important moderator of choice overload. As recently demonstrated by researchers in psychology and consumer behavior, choice overload occurs only when options are not associated with brands, choice overload occurs when the same choice options are presented without any brand names ( Misuraca et al., 2019 , 2021a ). When choosing between 6 or 24 different mobile phones, choice overload did not occur in the condition in which phones were associated with a well-known brand (i.e., Apple, Samsung, Nokia, etc.), although it did occur when the same cell phones were displayed without information about their brand. These findings have been replicated with a population of adolescents ( Misuraca et al., 2021a ).

Decision-maker characteristics

Beyond the choice environment and context, individual differences in decision-maker characteristics are significant moderators of choice overload. Several critical characteristics include the decision goal as well as an individual’s preference uncertainty, affective state, decision style, and demographic variables such as age, gender, and cultural background (e.g., Misuraca et al., 2021a ).

Decision goal

A decision goal refers to the extent to which a decision-maker aims to minimize the cognitive resources spent making a decision ( Chernev, 2003 ). Decision goals have been associated with choice overload, with choice overload increasing along with choice set options, likely due to decision-makers unwillingness to make tradeoffs between various options. As a moderator of choice overload, there are several factors which impact the effect of decision goals, including decision intent (choosing or browsing) and decision focus (choosing an assortment or an option) ( Misuraca et al., 2020 ).

Decision intent varies between choosing, with the goal of making a decision among the available options, and browsing, with the goal of learning more about the options. Cognitive overload is more likely to occur than when decision makers’ goal is choosing compared to browsing. For choosing goals, decision-makers need to make trade-offs among the pros and cons of the options, something that demands more cognitive resources. Accordingly, decision-makers whose goal is browsing, rather than choosing, are less likely to experience cognitive overload when facing large assortments ( Chernev and Hamilton, 2009 ). Furthermore, when decision-makers have a goal of choosing, brain research reveals inverted-U-shaped function, with neither too much nor too little choice providing optimal cognitive net benefits ( Reutskaja et al., 2018 ).

Decision focus can target selecting an assortment or selecting an option from an assortment. When selecting an assortment, cognitive overload is less likely to occur, likely due to the lack of individual option evaluation and trade-offs ( Chernev et al., 2015 ). Thus, when choosing an assortment, decision-makers tend to prefer larger assortments that provide more variety. Conversely, decision-makers focused on choosing an option from an assortment report increased decision difficulty and tend to prefer smaller assortments ( Chernev, 2006 ). Decision overload is further moderated by the order of decision focus. Scheibehenne et al. (2010) found that when decision-makers first decide on an assortment, they are more likely to choose an option from that assortment, rather than an option from an assortment they did not first select.

Preference uncertainty

The degree to which decision-makers have preferences varies regarding comprehension and prioritization of the costs and benefits of the choice options. This is referred to as preference uncertainty ( Chernev, 2003 ). Preference uncertainty is influenced by decision-maker expertise and an articulated ideal option, which indicates well-defined preferences. When decision-makers have limited expertise, larger choice sets are associated with weaker preferences as well as increased choice deferral and choice overload compared to smaller choice sets. Conversely, high expertise decision-makers experience weaker preferences and increased choice deferral in the context of smaller choice sets compared to larger ( Mogilner et al., 2008 ; Morrin et al., 2012 ). Likewise, an articulated ideal option, which implies that the decision-maker has already engaged in trade-offs, is associated with reduced decision complexity. The effect is more pronounced in larger choice sets compared to smaller choice sets ( Chernev, 2003 ).

Positive affect

Positive affect tends to moderate the impact of choice overload on decision satisfaction. Indeed, Spassova and Isen (2013) found that decision-makers reporting positive affect did not report experiencing dissatisfaction when choosing from larger choice sets while those with neutral affect reported being more satisfied when choosing from smaller choice sets. This affect may be associated with the affect heuristic, or a cognitive shortcut that enables efficient decisions based on the immediate emotional response to a stimulus ( Slovic et al., 2007 ).

Decision-making tendencies

Satisfaction with extensive choice options may depend on whether one is a maximizer or a satisficer. Maximizing refers to the tendency to search for the best option. Maximizers approach decision tasks with the goal to find the absolute best ( Carmeci et al., 2009 ; Misuraca et al., 2015 , 2016b , 2021b ; Misuraca and Fasolo, 2018 ). To do that, they tend to process all the information available and try to compare all the possible options. Conversely, satisficers are decision-makers whose goal is to select an option that is good enough, rather than the best choice. To find such an option, satisficers evaluate a smaller range of options, and choose as soon as they find one alternative that surpasses their threshold of acceptability ( Schwartz, 2004 ). Given the different approach of maximizers and satisficers when choosing, it is easy to see why choice overload represents more of a problem for maximizers than for satisficers. If the number of choices exceeds the individuals’ cognitive resources, maximizers more than satisficers would feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and dissatisfied, because an evaluation of all the available options to select the best one is cognitively impossible.

Maximizers attracted considerable attention from researchers because of the paradoxical finding that even though they make objectively better decisions than satisficers, they report greater regret and dissatisfaction. Specifically, Iyengar et al. (2006) , analyzed the job search outcomes of college students during their final college year and found that maximizer students selected jobs with 20% higher salaries compared to satisficers, but they felt less satisfied and happy, as well as more stressed, frustrated, anxious, and regretful than students who were satisficers. The reasons for these negative feelings of maximizers lies in their tendency to believe that a better option is among those that they could not evaluate, given their time and cognitive limitations.

Choosing for others versus oneself

When decision-makers must make a choice for someone else, choice overload does not occur ( Polman, 2012 ). When making choices for others (about wines, ice-cream flavors, school courses, etc.), decision makers reported greater satisfaction when choosing from larger assortments rather than smaller assortments. However, when choosing for themselves, they reported higher satisfaction after choosing from smaller rather than larger assortments.

Demographics

Demographic variables such as gender, age, and cultural background moderate reactions concerning choice overload. Regarding gender, men and women may often employ different information-processing strategies, with women being more likely to attend to and use details than men (e.g., Meyers-Levy and Maheswaran, 1991 ). Gender differences also arise in desire for variety and satisfaction depending on choice type. While women were more satisfied with their choice of gift boxes regardless of assortment size, women become more selective than men when speed-dating with larger groups of speed daters compared to smaller groups ( Fisman et al., 2006 ).

Age moderates the choice overload experience such that, when choosing from an extensive array of options, adolescents and adults suffer similar negative consequences (i.e., greater difficulty and dissatisfaction), while children and seniors suffer fewer negative consequences (i.e., less difficulty and dissatisfaction than adolescents and adults) ( Misuraca et al., 2016a ). This could be associated with decision-making tendencies. Indeed, adults and adolescents tend to adopt maximizing approaches ( Furby and Beyth-Marom, 1992 ). This maximizing tendency aligns with their greater perceived difficulty and post-choice dissatisfaction when facing a high number of options ( Iyengar et al., 2006 ). Seniors tend to adopt a satisficing approach when making decisions ( Tanius et al., 2009 ), as well as become overconfident in their judgments ( Stankov and Crawford, 1996 ) and focused on positive information ( Mather and Carstensen, 2005 ). Taken together, these could explain why the negative consequences of too many choice options were milder among seniors. Finally, children tend to approach decisions in an intuitive manner and quickly develop strong preferences ( Schlottmann and Wilkening, 2011 ). This mitigates the negative consequences of choice overload for this age group.

Finally, decision-makers from different cultures have different preferences for variety (e.g., Iyengar, 2010 ). Eastern Europeans report greater satisfaction with larger choice sets than Western Europeans ( Reutskaja et al., 2022 ). Likewise, cultural differences in perception may impact how choice options affect decision-makers from Western and non-Western cultures (e.g., Miyamoto et al., 2006 ).

Future research directions

As researchers continue to investigate the choice overload phenomenon, future investigations can provide a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms that influence when and how individuals experience the negative impacts of choice overload as well as illuminate how this phenomenon can affect people in diverse contexts (such as hiring decisions, sports, social media platforms, streaming services, etc.).

For instance, the visual preference heuristic indicates, and subsequent research supports, the human tendency to prefer visual rather than verbal representations of choice options ( Townsend and Kahn, 2014 ). However, in Huffman and Kahn’s (1998) research, decision-makers preferred written information, such as characteristics of the sofa, rather than visual representations of alternatives. Future researchers can investigate the circumstances that underlie when individuals prefer detailed written or verbal information as opposed to visual images.

Furthermore, future researchers can examine the extent to which the mechanisms underlying the impact of chunking align with those underlying the effect of brand names. Research has supported that chunking information reduces choice overload, regardless of the sophistication of the categories ( Kahn and Wansink, 2004 ; Mogilner et al., 2008 ). The presence of a brand name has a seemingly similar effect ( Misuraca et al., 2019 , 2021a ). The extent to which the cognitive processes underlying these two areas of research the similar, as well as the ways in which they might differ, can provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

More research is needed that considers the role of the specific culture and cultural values of the decision-maker on choice overload. Indeed, the traditional studies on the choice overload phenomenon mentioned above predominantly focused on western cultures, which are known for being individualistic cultures. Future research should explore whether choice overload replicates in collectivistic cultures, which value the importance of making personal decisions differently than individualist cultures. Additional cultural values, such as long-term or short-term time orientation, may also impact decision-makers and the extent to which they experience choice overload ( Hofstede and Minkov, 2010 ).

While future research that expands our understanding of the currently known and identified moderators of choice overload can critically inform our understanding of when and how this phenomenon occurs, there are many new and exciting directions into which researchers can expand.

For example, traditional research on choice overload focused on choice scenarios where decision-makers had to choose only one option out of either a small or a large assortment of options. This is clearly an important scenario, yet it represents only one of many scenarios that choice overload may impact. Future research could investigate when and how this phenomenon occurs in a wide variety of scenarios that are common in the real-world but currently neglected in classical studies on choice overload. These could include situations in which the individual can choose more than one option (e.g., more than one type of ice cream or cereal) (see Fasolo et al., 2024 ).

Historically, a significant amount of research on choice overload has focused on purchasing decisions. Some evidence also indicates that the phenomenon occurs in a variety of situations (e.g., online dating, career choices, retirement planning, travel and tourism, and education), potentially hindering decision-making processes and outcomes. Future research should further investigate how choice overload impacts individuals in a variety of untested situations. For instance, how might choice overload impact the hiring manager with a robust pool of qualified applicants? How would the occurrence of choice overload in a hiring situation impact the quality of the decision, making an optimal hire? Likewise, does choice overload play a role in procrastination? When confronted with an overwhelming number of task options, does choice overload play a role in decision deferral? It could be that similar cognitive processes underlie deferring a choice on a purchase and deferring a choice on a to-do list. Research is needed to understand how choice overload (and its moderators) may differ across these scenarios.

Finally, as society continues to adapt and develop, future research will be needed to evaluate the impact these technological and sociological changes have on individual decision-makers. The technology that we interact with has become substantially more sophisticated and omnipresent, particularly in the form of artificial intelligence (AI). As AI is adopted into our work, shopping, and online experiences, future researchers should investigate if AI and interactive decision-aids (e.g., Anderson and Misuraca, 2017 ) can be effectively leveraged to reduce the negative consequences of having too many alternatives without impairing the sense of freedom of decision-makers.

As with technological advancements, future research could examine how new sociological roles contribute to or minimize choice overload. For example, a social media influencer could reduce the complexity of the decision when there is a large number of choice options. If social media influencers have an impact, is that impact consistent across age groups and culturally diverse individuals? Deepening our understanding of how historical and sociological events have impacted decision-makers, along with how cultural differences in our perceptions of the world as noted above, could provide a rich and needed area of future research.

Discussion and conclusion

Research in psychology demonstrated the advantages of being able to make choices from a variety of alternatives, particularly when compared to no choice at all. Having the possibility to choose, indeed, enhances individuals’ feeling of self-determination, motivation, performance, well-being, and satisfaction with life (e.g., Zuckerman et al., 1978 ; Cordova and Lepper, 1996 ). As the world continues to globalize through sophisticated supply chains and seemingly infinite online shopping options, our societies have become characterized by a proliferation of choice options. Today, not only stores, but universities, hospitals, financial advisors, sport centers, and many other businesses offer a huge number of options from which to choose. The variety offered is often so large that decision-makers can become overwhelmed when trying to compare and evaluate all the potential options and experience choice overload ( Iyengar and Lepper, 2000 ). Rather than lose the benefits associated with choice options, researchers and practitioners should understand and leverage the existence of the many moderators that affect the occurrence of choice overload. The findings presented in this review indicate that choice overload is influenced by several factors, including perceptual attributes, choice set complexity, decision task difficulty, and brand association. Understanding these moderators can aid in designing choice environments that optimize decision-making processes and alleviate choice overload. For instance, organizing options effectively and leveraging brand association can enhance decision satisfaction and reduce choice overload. Additionally, considering individual differences such as decision goals, preference uncertainty, affective state, decision-making tendencies, and demographics can tailor decision-making environments to better suit the needs and preferences of individuals, ultimately improving decision outcomes. Future research is needed to fully understand the role of many variables that might be responsible for the negative consequences of choice overload and to better understand under which conditions the phenomenon occurs.

Author contributions

RM: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft. AN: Writing – review & editing. SM: Writing – review & editing. GD: Methodology, Writing – review & editing. CS: Writing – review & editing, Supervision.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: choice-overload, decision-making, choice set complexity, decision task difficulty, decision goal, decision-making tendency

Citation: Misuraca R, Nixon AE, Miceli S, Di Stefano G and Scaffidi Abbate C (2024) On the advantages and disadvantages of choice: future research directions in choice overload and its moderators. Front. Psychol . 15:1290359. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1290359

Received: 07 September 2023; Accepted: 24 April 2024; Published: 09 May 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Misuraca, Nixon, Miceli, Di Stefano and Scaffidi Abbate. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Raffaella Misuraca, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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PTE Daily Essay Topic: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of differential education.

Updated on
May 10, 2024

PTE Daily Essay Topic: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of differential education.

Brainstorming Ideas

Refer to the following brainstorming ideas to get a solid understanding of the answer.

Differential education, the practice of segregating students into classes based on academic performance, has been a topic of debate for decades.
Differential education is the ability to cater to individual learning paces. Students placed in classes with similar academic abilities can progress at a comfortable speed.
Teachers in differentiated classes can tailor their instruction to the specific needs of their students. This can involve using different teaching methods, materials, and assessments.
A major drawback of differential education is the potential for social stratification.
In conclusion, differential education offers the potential for improved learning through targeted instruction and a comfortable learning pace.

Q. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of differential education, i.e., splitting students into different classes according to their academic performance.

Ans . Differential education, the practice of segregating students into classes based on academic performance, has been a topic of debate for decades.

One of the major advantages of differential education is the ability to cater to individual learning paces. Students placed in classes with similar academic abilities can progress at a comfortable speed. Advanced students won’t be held back by slower learners, allowing them to delve deeper into complex topics. Conversely, struggling students receive focused support without feeling overwhelmed by the pace of a more advanced class. This targeted approach can lead to increased engagement and improved academic outcomes for all students.

Another advantage is the potential for enhanced classroom efficiency. Teachers in differentiated classes can tailor their instruction to the specific needs of their students. This can involve using different teaching methods, materials, and assessments. For example, a math teacher in an advanced class might introduce a new concept through problem-solving activities, while a teacher in a remedial class might focus on building foundational skills through direct instruction. This targeted approach allows teachers to maximize their effectiveness and create a more positive learning environment.

However, differential education also has significant drawbacks. A major concern is the potential for social stratification. Students placed in lower tracks may feel discouraged and labelled as incapable. This perception can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, hindering their motivation and academic performance. Furthermore, segregation based on academic achievement can exacerbate existing social inequalities. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may be disproportionately placed in lower tracks, limiting their access to educational opportunities and perpetuating cycles of disadvantage.

In conclusion, differential education offers the potential for improved learning through targeted instruction and a comfortable learning pace. A more nuanced approach that combines elements of differentiation with opportunities for movement between tracks may be the most effective way to ensure a quality education for all students.

Paraphrased Statement: Differential education, the practice of segregating students into classes based on academic performance, has been a topic of debate for decades.

Body Paragraph 1 – Topic Sentence : One of the major advantages of differential education is the ability to cater to individual learning paces.

Body Paragraph 1 Supporting Reasons and Explanations: Students placed in classes with similar academic abilities can progress at a comfortable speed. Advanced students won’t be held back by slower learners, allowing them to delve deeper into complex topics. Teachers in differentiated classes can tailor their instruction to the specific needs of their students.

Body Paragraph 2- Topic Sentence: Differential education also has significant drawbacks. A major concern is the potential for social stratification.

Body Paragraph 2 Supporting Reasons and Explanations: Students placed in lower tracks may feel discouraged and labelled as incapable. This perception can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, hindering their motivation and academic performance. Furthermore, segregation based on academic achievement can exacerbate existing social inequalities.

Conclusion: In conclusion, differential education offers the potential for improved learning through targeted instruction and a comfortable learning pace.

Vocabulary in Use

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Another possible way to structure your advantage/disadvantage essay is this; You may want to add paragraphs to explain further advantages or disadvantages, but there should be only one main idea in each main body paragraph. Don't list all of your advantages/disadvantages in one paragraph. Introduction. Paragraph 1 - Describe an advantage.
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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.
How to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
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.
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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 Essay Structure
4. Writing your Advantages/Disadvantages Essay 4.1 Introduction. 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:
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You could simply write one paragraph on the advantages and another on the disadvantages. Introduction. Sentence 1- Paraphrase question. Sentence 2- Outline sentence. Main Body Paragraph 1 (Advantages) Sentence 3- Topic sentence (Advantage 1) Sentence 4- Explain how this is an advantage. Sentence 5- Example.
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5. 🎯 Writing the 'Thesis Statement'. The first part introduces a disadvantage, and it tells the reader what my first paragraph will be about, the second part tells the reader that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and the third part introduces the advantages and tells the reader what my second paragraph will be about.
IELTS Task 2 Writing
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.
How to Write An IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?
Key tips for writing an excellent IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay include understanding the structure, creating an outline, using the right template, balancing your arguments, using examples, sticking to the topic, using transition words, practicing regularly, and managing your time effectively. 7.
How to Write an Advantages or Disadvantages Essay
In this blog post, we will explore the key strategies and techniques for writing a successful advantages or disadvantages essay in IELTS. Understanding the Question. Before diving into the writing process, it is crucial to take the time to fully comprehend the essay prompt.
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:
Writing an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
Many tests, such as IELTS and TOEFL, ask you to write essays about advantages and disadvantages of a topic. This video shows three different types and how yo...
Advantages & disadvantages essay in IELTS writing
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.
IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies
Advantage Disadvantage Essay Model Answer. These days many people choose to live or work in other countries, which has been made possible because of the convenience of air travel and modern communications. I believe that this has more benefits than drawbacks. The disadvantage of this development is the distance that is put between family members.
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 ...
Writing an advantages and disadvantages essay (Tertiary
A video to help anyone who is unsure where to start when writing an advantages and disadvantages essay. The video covers how to start, what to include, and t...
Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Writing: How to Begin
You must start with the advantages. Summarize the paragraph's central idea and shed light on the advantages of the topic. The paragraph must have a sentence with an explanation of the advantages. Adding an example to example the result of advantages will add value to the entire essay. Suppose you are writing on online education; include some ...
Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach? ... How to write an expository essay An expository essay provides an explanation of a topic. It's usually a short essay designed to give clear, reliable information on its topic. 2275.
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.
How to Write Advantages & Disadvantages Essay Questions in IELTS
5 Min Read. The first step to scoring well in IELTS writing task 2 general is to correctly identify the type of essay being asked to write. In advantages and disadvantages essay type, IELTS examiners want you to discuss both advantages and disadvantages separately and at the end, you need to write conclusive statements for the latest IELTS ...
A for and against essay
List three advantages and three disadvantages. The first thing you have to do before writing a for and against essay is make a list of three advantages and three disadvantages. For example, we are going to write an balanced essay about the pros and cons of streaming video platforms like Netflix or HBO. Write the composition using linking ...
A for and against essay
Worksheets and downloads. A for and against essay - exercises 945.25 KB. A for and against essay - answers 293.66 KB. A for and against essay - essay 786.07 KB. A for and against essay - writing practice 497.45 KB.
Linking expressions to introduce advantages and disadvantages
You can write in this way. However you can improve this a lot better, this is just to give some idea. X has both positive and negative aspects. To begin with, .... (write some advantages) Additionally, ..(write another point of advantages) On the other hand,.. (write disadvantages and justify them)
IELTS Writing Task 2
Learn how to write a full Writing Task 2 essay structure sentence by sentence for the Advantages/Disadvantages Essay | Problem and Solution Essay !-----...
Frontiers
This paper reviews seminal research on the advantages and disadvantages of choice and provides a systematic qualitative review of the research examining moderators of choice overload, laying out multiple critical paths forward for needed research in this area. ... For example, Iyengar and Lepper (2000), asked college students to write an essay ...
writing task 2 8 bands essay with solution advantages and disadvantages
1 likes, 0 comments - ielt_smodules on May 10, 2024: "writing task 2 8 bands essay with solution advantages and disadvantages".
PTE Daily Essay Topic: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
Q. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of differential education, i.e., splitting students into different classes according to their academic performance. Ans . Differential education, the practice of segregating students into classes based on academic performance, has been a topic of debate for decades.
‎مهناز کیایی مدرس ایلتس و تافل ...
220 likes, 0 comments - band9tipsforielts on May 6, 2024: "IELTS writing task2. Advantages and disadvantages essay. (outweigh) model. . . . #ielts #ieltsgrammar # ...

How To Write An Advantages Or Disadvantages Essay

WRITING TASK 2 Advantages/Disadvantages STRUCTURE

4-PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE >>

SAMPLE Advantages/Disadvantages ESSAY >>

WRITING TASK 2 BAND SCORE 9 CRITERIA >>

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Ultimate Guide to IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essays

Understanding the Question and Structure of the IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay

Discussing the Question of Advantages and Disadvantages Essay IELTS

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?

Writing The Essay Introduction

Body Paragraphs for Advantages And Disadvantages Essay IELTS

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

How To Write An Essay Conclusion?

IELTS Essay Vocabulary

Tips for Mastering Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages IELTS Essay Questions and Sample Answers

Sample Question 1

Sample Question 2

Practice Advantages Disadvantages Essays IELTS with IELTSMaterial

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Step 1 of 3

Great Going!

How to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Why Write An Advantages and Disadvantages Essay?

Advantages of Essay Writing:

Disadvantages of Essay Writing:

1. Understand an Advantage and Disadvantage

For example:

For instance:

2. Think About Advantages and Disadvantages in Your Own Life

3. Choose a Topic

3.1 List of Example Topics

4. Brainstorm Advantages vs. Disadvantages

5. Choose a Side

For Instance:

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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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Exam Updates & Tips!

Writing Task 2: How to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

1. 🗒️ The Model Essay

2. 🔬 Analyzing the Question

3. 🗺️ The Bullet Point Plan

4. ✍️ Paraphrasing the Question

5. 🎯 Writing the 'Thesis Statement'

6. 🧱 The Main Body Paragraphs

7. 👏 The Conclusion

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How to Write An IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay?

IELTS Advantages Disadvantages Essay Structure