IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGE and DISADVANTAGE essays

SUGGESTED STRUCTURE
Introduction (You can add the background and detailed background statements)
Sentence 1- Paraphrase question
Sentence 2- Thesis statement (state that there are advantages & disadvantages + which one outweighs the
other)
Sentence 3- Outline sentence
Main Body Paragraph 1 (Stronger Side)
Sentence 4- Topic Sentence – Introduce the advantages/disadvantages
Sentence 5- Give the first reason why it is advantageous
Sentence 6- Explanation/Details/Example
Sentence 7- Give the second reason why it is advantageous
Sentence 8- Explanation/Details/Example
Sentence 9- Example
Main Body Paragraph 2 (Weaker Side)
Sentence 10- Topic Sentence - Introduce the disadvantages/advantages
Sentence 11- Explain why it is not strong
Sentence 12- Example
Conclusion
Sentence 13- Summary of main points and restate position.
TEMPLATE
1. Paragraph 1 – Introduction (rephrase the topic and state what is required)
 In recent times, the general tendency has been that + TOPIC
 (Provide further details to background information)
 There are certainly some benefits as well as drawbacks to this scenario.
 and this essay aims to highlight the most important ones (BEFORE FORMING A CONCLUSION
THAT/WHETHER…)
2. Paragraph 2 – Body 1 (advantage 1 + advantage 2 + example 1)
 There are certain advantages related to…
 A very common gain of these circumstances is + ADVANTAGE 1
 This is obviously favorable because…
 Another valuable result of this is + ADVANTAGE 2, which will probably enable/ help/ enhance/
encourage…
 As evidence of this, + EXAMPLE 1
3. Paragraph 3 – Body 2 (disadvantage 1 + disadvantage 2 + example 1)
 Regardless of those aforementioned merits, this change could also be detrimental in many aspects.
 Of course, the primary weakness of this suggestion is that + DISADVANTAGE 1
 This is clearly a trouble because…
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By Ms. Khanh Van 1
 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
 To make matters worse, this scenario could also… + DISADVANTAGE 2, handicapping/detering/
interfering…
 This could be proven by the fact that EXAMPLE 2
4. Paragraph 4 – Conclusion
 To sum up, while this development has ensured several necessary changes, the inconveniences it has
brought about should not be overlooked (. IN MY VIEW, IT CAN BE SEEN AS MORE
BENEFICIAL/DETRIMENTAL THAN DETRIMENTAL/BENEFICIAL.)
 I would therefore like to conclude by saying then that society needs to be aware of both positive and
negative consequences before any action that can alter the status quo is taken.
PRACTICE EXERCISES
Ex 1:

1. Which sentences express an advantage?

2. Which sentences express a disadvantage?
3. Which linking phrases are used?
Ex 2:

1. Does the paragraph concentrate on an advantage or a disadvantage?

2. Which ideas does this paragraph mention about electronic devices?
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 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
3. Underline the main advantage and disadvantage in the paragraph.
Ex 3: Nouns can be used to express advantages and disadvantages. Complete sentences a-g with words
from the box.
Benefit problem opportunities handicap drawbacks
negative effect good point downside common criticism
objections argument in favour of chance positive aspect gain
a. Not knowing a foreign language has its ______________, such as when one tries to make contact with
people in other countries.
b. Visiting other countries gives people a _____________ to experience cultures first hand.
c. The financial ___________ to any nation exceeds all other benefits.
d. If people take time to find out about the country they are travelling to, they will face fewer __________.
e. These days not having access to the web to find out what is going on is a serious___________.
f. Cultural exchanges offer enormous __________ to the nations involved.
g. Being culturally aware is of great __________ in business.
Ex 4: Adjectives can also be used to talk about advantages and disadvantages.
advantageous beneficial useful worthless invaluable difficult helpful convenient
Decide whether each adjective in the box expresses advantages or disadvantages.
Advantage: ………………………………………………………………………
Disadvantage: …………………………………………………………………….
Write the opposite of each of the adjectives in the previous exercise. Where possible, add or remove a
prefix or suffix to create the opposite.
Eg: advantageous >< disadvantageous
Advantageous……………………….. beneficial……………………….. useful………………………..
worthless……………………….. invaluable……………………….. difficult………………………..
helpful……………………….. convenient………………………..
Ex 5: Verbs can also indicate advantages and disadvantages. Complete the following sentences in your
own words.
a. International arts festivals encourage _____________________________________________.
b. Lending artworks to other countries improves______________________________________.
c. Films and concerts enhance ______________________________________________________.
d. To enable children to valua their heritage, __________________________________________.
e. Personal links can benefit _________________________________________________________.
f. Ignorance of other people’s traditions can handicap ____________________________________.
g. To prevent countries falling out with each other, _______________________________________.
Ex 6: Read the following answer to the given question and work out the outline for the essay.
Some people think that cities are the best places to live. Others prefer to live in a rural area. Compare the
advantages and disadvantages of living in the city to living in the countryside.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your experience.
As the places where people live affect greatly their lifestyles, people opine differently while
choosing the living places. Some prefer and argue that city is the best place to live in since it provides so
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 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
many advantages over the rural area, but others think that villages are the best places to live a good life.
Both places have advantages and disadvantages which will be identified in the essay.
It is true that a city offers so many opportunities and advantages that are absent in a countryside.
First thing first, the modern transportation and communication systems are better in any city compared to a
village. Whenever a new technology arrives at the country, whether it is an innovation in transport systems
or advancement in communication, it is first introduced in the city area and usually 2 or 3 years later to the
village. Furthermore, the reason for why most people tend to live in a city is the vast opportunities of jobs.
Most corporate offices, industries, factories, government offices, garments and manufacturing industries are
either situated in a city or close to the city. People have much more employment opportunities in a city than
a village. Obviously, urban dwellers’ lives are much more comfortable, more convenient and financially
better.
On the other hand, villages offer many invaluable advantages that are completely absent in the cities.
First of all, rural inhabitants can get fresh air and water. There is no intense pollution with smoke or
greenhouse gases, thus people living in a village are less prone to diseases like asthma, bronchitis etc.
Secondly, villagers live much closer to the nature and are exposed to fresh foods collected directly from the
garden rather than vegetables and fruits normally stored and mixed with preservatives which can cause
serious harms to the health like those available in the cities. Above all, while in the city people do not know
even who live next door to them, villagers naturally develop their personal relationships among all people
and live like a real community taking care of each other.
To sum up, I think both cities and rural areas have their own charm. Cities have busier and more
hectic life but have better facilities; rural areas, on the contrary, have more relaxed, laid-back lifestyle but
lacks up-to-date technologies like computers and international standard of healthcare and education system.
Therefore, living in the city or countryside is all a matter of personal preference and option.
Introductory paragraph:
- Topic: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Two views presented: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Thesis statement: …………………………………………………………………………………
Body paragraph 1:
- Main idea: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Supporting idea 1: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Supporting idea 2: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Supporting idea 3: …………………………………………………………………………………
Body paragraph 2:
- Main idea: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Supporting idea 1: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Supporting idea 2: …………………………………………………………………………………
- Supporting idea 3: …………………………………………………………………………………
Concluding paragraph:
- Summary/ Repetition of main points/ Recommendation/ Prediction (Circle 1 or 2 option(s))
- Final point: ………………………………………………………………………………………..
Ex 7: For the following essay answering the question, reorder the phrases of the introduction and
conclusion to have complete paragraphs. Then fill the blanks in the body paragraphs with the
phrases/clauses in italic.
International tourism has brought enormous benefit to many places. At the same time, there is concern
about its impact on local inhabitants and the environment.
Do the disadvantages of international tourism outweigh the advantages?
environmentalists are also concerned which in turn benefit the local population

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 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
on the other hand leads to innumerable prospects
which affect the values of the indigenous society quite well recognized
flourishing hospitality sector it is worth mentioning that
a major boom in the later part of the 20th century and/ Travel industry has experienced/ to uplift their
failing economies/ which has helped some weaker nations/ has been a boon in disguise, // the growth in the
travel sector,/ While questions have been raised/ these definitely do not outweigh/ the associated benefits/
regarding the negative impacts that accompany//
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The economic boost that accompanies a successful travel industry is (1)
…………………………………………. and Thailand is the best example. The entire Thai economy
revolves around tourism and the country had been able to uplift its socio- economic status through its (2)
…………………………………………… Egypt is another nation that is heavily dependent on its
hospitality sector. The growth in the number of incoming tourists (3)……………………………………….
in terms of local entrepreneurship and employment generation. This is also associated with international
investments and infrastructure development. The national authorities, in order to ensure safety of the
international visitors provide better law and order enforcement, improved transportation and healthcare
facilities, (4)……………………………………………………….
(5)………………………………………………., the rising influx of holidaymakers is associated
with increased incidences of crimes, prostitution and antisocial activities like drugs, human trafficking and
gambling, (6)………………………………………………………. The local population are also affected by
the growth in property value indices. (7)………………………………………………….regarding
environmental remodeling which is attributed to increased tourist activities in natural reserves. In this
context, (8)……………………………………………………….., by enforcing stern law and order and
implementing strict legislations, governments can control most of these negative impacts of tourism.
has accompanied negative social impacts,/ confidently conveyed that,/ Henceforth, it can be/ made
by this sector/ even though the growth in travel industry/ towards social development / these do not
outweigh the contributions/.
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Ex 8: Read the following question and rearrange the phrases in bold in the model answer.
E-mail has had a huge impact on professional and social communication, but this impact has been
negative as well as positive. Do the disadvantages of of using e-mail outweigh the advantages?
It is certainly true that the use of e-mail has greatly changed the way we communicate with each other at
work as well as socially. But it is also true that 1. effects positive not innovation of been this all the have,
although there are certainly some advantages.
2. criticism A workplace common of is in that the e-mail it causes extra work and stress, This is because
employees receive more messages than they can answer every day and since e-mail writers expect a quick
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 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
response, this further increases pressure on employees. 3. users objections Other to e-mail include both
and social for professional the way it encourages people to spend even longer at their computers and also
the danger of incoming messages allowing viruses into the receivers’ computer system.
In spite of these negative effects, however, e-mail has brought important benefits as well. 4. advantage
using of One e-mail that is such it is a fast and easy way to communicate with family, friends and work
colleagues wherever they are in the world. 5. touch It people not to in only stay allows with each other, but
it also allows them to send all kinds of information (such as pictures, photos, diagrams, texts, etc.) very
quickly, cheaply and with a very good quality of reproduction. 6. communication earlier huge is systems a
advance This on, and the low cost of e-mail means it is very widely used.
To some up, while there are some obvious drawbacks to using e-mail, this fast and user-friendly technology
has 7. greatly socially ability our to communicate improved and both professionally. Therefore, I think
e-mail has brought us many more benefits than disadvantages.
Your answers:
1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Ex 9: Read the question and write complete words that start with the letter(s) given.
Travellers and business people often come into contact with other cultures briefly. What are the main
advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
Nowadays tourism generates a significant portion of national income for many countries, but it has certain 1.
d_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 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 2. b_ _ _ _ in country’s economy and a large
number of new job 3. o_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 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 4. y_ _
_ _ _ an additional income, greatly 5. su_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the country’s economy. Secondly, tourism 6. i_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ 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 7. de_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of popular tourist destinations and
development of illegal economic activities. Ancient buildings, temples and monuments 8. s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ to
cope with a vast amount of visitor’s traffic and get 9. d_ _ _ _ _ _. Also, the large number of tourists can
cause environmental 10. p_ _ _ _ _ _ _. 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 11. cr_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 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 12. o_ _ _ _ _ _ _ its drawbacks. (299 words)
Ex 10: Read the question and rearrange the jumbled words in the sample answer to fill the gap.

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By Ms. Khanh Van 6
 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
Information technology is changing many aspects of our lives and now dominates our home, leisure and
work activities. To what extent do the benefits of information technology outweigh the disadvantages?
Information technology has become an 1. griental ________ part of human life, and we are becoming
increasingly dependent on it. But while it 2. anenches ________ certain aspects of our lives, I also think it
may be having a 3. taldetmrien ________ effect on others.
One of the biggest 4. ckdbrawas ________ of information technology is that it can be incredibly time-
consuming. People who work in international business have to read hundreds of emails every day, and
children can spend hours chatting online. Some people would argue that this time could be better spent
otherwise. A related 5. Smitcrici ________ is that it leads to 6. Heunhyalt ________ lifestyles. Rather than
going out and taking regular exercise, for example, some people spend a lot of time sitting at their computers
or with their smart phones. In the long term, this lack of 7. Itaivcty ________ does not do our bodies any
good.
Despite these drawbacks, we cannot deny that technology has made many aspects of life more 8.
Abpasleurle ________. We all have 9. Ntinast ________ access to entertainment and social connections
are just a click away. Like many people, I use a networking site, which apparently has more than 800 million
active users. This type os statistic illustrates just how popular this website is. There are also huge 10.
Itbefens ________ to using technology for study and work. The Internet is an 11. Abinluvale ________
resource for students of all ages, provided that it is used sensibly. Also, some areas of work have moved
forward in leaps and bounds due to the huge amount of date that computers can store.
Clearly, there are some negative aspects to technology. Having said that, it is the way we use it that causes
these. If it is used 12. Ssbileny ________ and people take regular breaks from their computers, there are
only benefits that remain.
Ex 11: Write complete sentences from the words given to have a complete answer to the question.
The advent of the Internet has made it possible for people to work from home. Do you feel this working
arrangement has more advantages or disadvantages? Share personal examples in your essay.
Paragraph 1
Internet / revolutionize / world / many different ways / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Among / it / make / possible / people / telecommute /
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
many advantages / may derive / this arrangement, / it / feel / working / home / predominantly
disadvantageous / professionals / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
This / prove / looking / how the home / set professionals up / both distracted / unable / detach themselves /
work / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Paragraph 2
start / working / home / effective / many, / most people / likely / distracted / these conditions / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
example, / former manager / mine once delegate/ writing task / me / instruct me /complete / home / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
When / get down / project, / I found / difficult / stay focused / environment / I traditionally relaxed / a result /
quality / work suffered / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
experience / clearly shows / people like myself, / working / home / disadvantageous / productivity / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Paragraph 3
addition / this, / stay-at-home worker often / find / challenging / distance themselves / work, / this / mentally
exhausting / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
instance, / colleague / mine / started / own business / home / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Within / first few months, / he / receiving telephone calls, emails and faxes / all times / day and night / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
end, / he felt forced / migrate / professional pursuit / rented office apartment / simple / because it / take
over / life / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
story illustrates, / disadvantages / home-based job / numerous / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Paragraph 4
conclude, advantages / lower overhead and independence, / telecommuting / more drawbacks / favourable
points / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
thus hoped / professionals everywhere / think carefully / settling / working arrangement / .
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the
disadvantages?
2. Nowadays online shopping becomes more popular than in-store shopping. Is it a positive or a negative
development? Give your reasons and examples.
4. Some universities offer online courses as an alternative to classes delivered on campus. Do you think
this is a positive or negative development?
5. Scientists say that in the future humanity will speak the same language. Do you think this is a positive
or negative social development?
6. Many people think technological devices such as smartphones, tablets and mobile phones bring more
disadvantages than advantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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By Ms. Khanh Van 8