Advantage disadvantage essay

IELTS Advantages & Disadvantages Essay

Understanding IELTS Advantages & Disadvantages Essay Questions

In terms of IELTS tests, Advantage and disadvantage essay writing is usually asked under the Writing Task II section.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words for IELTS Writing Task II.

The main purpose of Advantage Disadvantage Essay is to check students’ ability to understand, analyse the context of the topic and write a well structured essay.

In most cases,

You are asked to analyze the benefits and disadvantages of a given phenomenon or problem and write the essay based on that. 

Academic Essay writing, specially for IELTS Test requires following skills to be mastered by a student:

  • Task Achievement
  • Coherence and cohesion
  • Lexical resource
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy

We will discuss individual skills in the later part of the resource.

Types Of Questions Asked In Advantage Disadvantage Essay

Generally speaking there are three main types of questions asked in Advantage disadvantage Essay.

  1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
  2. Discuss if advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Or vice versa
  3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages

This type of question focuses on just the  presentation of advantages and the disadvantages of a given phenomenon or problem.

The writer is not asked to present their opinion or discuss if the advantages outweigh disadvantages or not.

How to answer advantage and disadvantage questions?

Basic structure of advantage and disadvantage essay is

  • Introduction
  • Body Paragraph
    • Advantages
    • Disadvantages

No Conclusion is required for this type of essay, just present advantage and disadvantage.

Detailed structure of advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion

Introduction

Start with paraphrasing the topic idea.

Then Outline the key phrases you want to present in both advantage and disadvantage.

Body

There are two parts in the body of advantage and disadvantage essay.

Part 1: Advantages

    Discuss the advantage of the topic idea presented as outline in the introduction passage and then support it with the example and supporting idea.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the advantage presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

Part 2: Disadvantages

Discuss the disadvantage of the topic idea presented as outline in the introduction passage and then support it with the example and supporting idea.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the disadvantage idea presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

No Conclusion is required for this type of essay, just present advantage and disadvantage.

Example questions:

Around the world, children learn English as a second language at school. However, in some places, they also learn at kindergarten (pre-school care, when children are aged two to five).

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning English at kindergarten.

Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Discuss if advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Or vice versa

This type of question focuses not just the  presentation of advantages and the disadvantages of a given phenomenon or problem.

The writer is asked to present a reason strong enough to counter the other. For example if you think a certain advantage is strong enough to counter all the disadvantages present it. Same applies for the disadvantage, if one disadvantage is strong enough to counter all the advantages present it.

Select one side advantage or disadvantage and then present the argument defending the side with that idea.

Remember this task is about which side is stronger not in terms of number but the weight of the idea.

How to answer advantage outweighs the disadvantage or disadvantage outweighs advantage essay ?

Basic structure of advantage outweighs the disadvantage or disadvantage outweighs advantage essay is

Advantage outweighs the disadvantage essay structure

Introduction

Body Paragraph

Advantage[why advantage is stronger]

Disadvantage [why disadvantage is not so strong]

Conclusion(supporting disadvantage)

Detailed structure of advantage outweigh disadvantage essay 

Introduction

Start with paraphrasing the topic idea.

Then Outline the key phrases you want to present in both advantage and disadvantage. Along with this present your idea that the Advantage overlooks disadvantages.

Body

There are two parts in the body of advantage and disadvantage essay.

Part 1: Advantages

    Discuss the advantage of the topic idea presented as outline in the introduction passage and then support it with the example and supporting idea.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the advantage presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

Part 2: Disadvantages

Discuss the disadvantage of the topic idea presented as outlined in the introduction passage with the example and supporting idea.

[optional] At the end it should connect to the idea that though the disadvantages exist advantages trumps disadvantages.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the disadvantage idea presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

[optional] Supporting statement, the advantages declaring disadvantages as the weaker to advantage.

Conclusion

Refer to the Advantage and Support advantages within the ending statement with reference to advantage paragraph.

Disadvantage outweighs advantage essay structure

Overview

Disadvantage [why disadvantage is so strong]

Advantage[why advantage is not stronger]

Conclusion

Detailed structure of Disadvantage outweighs advantage essay 

Introduction

Start with paraphrasing the topic idea.

Then Outline the key phrases you want to present in both advantage and disadvantage. Along with this present your idea that the Disadvantage overlooks Advantages.

Body

There are two parts in the body of advantage and disadvantage essay.

Part 1: DisAdvantages

    Discuss the disadvantage of the topic idea presented as outline in the introduction passage and then support it with the example and supporting idea.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the disadvantage presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

Part 2: Advantages

Discuss the advantage of the topic idea presented as outlined in the introduction passage with the example and supporting idea.

[optional] At the end it should connect to the idea that though the advantages exist, disadvantages trumps advantages.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the advantage idea presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

[optional] Supporting statement, the advantages declaring advantages as the weaker to disadvantage.

Conclusion

Refer to the disadvantage and Support disadvantages within the ending statement with reference to disadvantage paragraph.

Sample question: IELTS advantage outweigh disadvantage essay or vice versa

In some cities, there are few controls over the design and construction of new homes and office buildings, so people can build in whatever style they like. 

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Young people are changing their jobs or careers every few years. What do you think are the reasons? Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

 Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Many people today prefer socializing online rather than socializing in local communities. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

In many countries, people can eat a wide variety of food from other countries. As a result, they eat more food from other cultures rather than local cuisine. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages? 

Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

As countries develop, more and more people buy and use their own cars. Do the advantages of this trend for individuals outweigh the disadvantages for the environment?

Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.

Give your opinion is one of the most common types of advantage disadvantage questions encountered by students not only in the IELTS Writing test but in other english tests as well. This type of question focuses not just the presentation of advantages and the disadvantages of a given phenomenon or problem.

The writer is asked to present both advantages and disadvantages of the topic and present their own opinion based on the ideas presented as a conclusion.

How to answer advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion ?

Basic structure of advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion is: 

Introduction

Body Paragraph

Advantages

Disadvantages

Conclusion(with opinion)

The detailed structure of advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion

Introduction

Start with paraphrasing the topic idea.

Then Outline the key phrases you want to present in both advantage and disadvantage.

Body

There are two parts in the body of advantage and disadvantage essay.

Part 1: Advantages

    Discuss the advantage of the topic idea presented as outline in the introduction passage and then support it with the example and supporting idea.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the advantage presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

Part 2: Disadvantages

Discuss the disadvantage of the topic idea presented as outline in the introduction passage and then support it with the example and supporting idea.

One to two ideas are enough for this.

Here is the template: 

Elaborate the disadvantage idea presented in Introduction

Present an example of the idea and supporting idea.

Conclusion

Refer to the advantage or Disadvantage you agree to.

Support what you agree with in the ending statement.

IELTS advantage outweigh disadvantage essay sample question:

Write about the following topic:

Besides a lot of advantages, some people believe that the Internet creates many problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?