IELTS TRAINING CENTRE KENYA - IELTS PREPARATION | OET | TOEFL | PTE | GRE | DUOLINGO
Title: IELTS TRAINING CENTRE KENYA - IELTS PREPARATION | OET | TOEFL | PTE | GRE | DUOLINGO
IELTS Task 2 Writing – Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
Are you wanting to find out how to do well in IELTS Task 2 Writing? If so, you need to become familiar with the IELTS essay ‘Advantages and Disadvantages’ as this is a task type in both IELTS Writing Task 2 for Academic and IELTS Task 2 General Writing. This guide will share some IELTS Task 2 Writing topics, how to structure your response, and an IELTS Task 2 Writing sample. These will help you achieve success in this task on exam day. You should also go to Unikcolors Media Institute and sign up for free. There, you can practise writing this essay type and every other part of your IELTS exam.
Types of IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essays
The IELTS Advantages and Disadvantages essay task (IELTS Writing Task 2) tests your ability to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of a particular phenomenon or issue.
There are two types of Advantages and Disadvantages essays:
- Type 1 asks that you simply discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
- And Type 2 asks that you discuss the advantages and disadvantages AND give your opinion on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Type 1 – IELTS Task 2 Writing Topic
For IELTS essay writing for an advantages and disadvantages essay, you need to use the following structure:
- Introduction
- Paragraph 1 (Advantages)
- Paragraph 2 (Disadvantages)
- Conclusion
Plan
Before you begin to write your IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay, you should make a brief plan. In your plan, be sure to include two advantages and two disadvantages, along with specific evidence or support for those ideas. Here is an example for this essay topic:
Creating a good plan like this will mean that, rather than panicking about coming up with ideas mid-way through the test, you’ll be able to concentrate more on the actual writing of the essay.
Introduction
In the introduction, you should:
- first make a general background statement connected to the topic
- then make a specific statement, e.g. by paraphrasing the exam question in your own words
- finally, provide an answer by saying what you are going to write about in the essay
Sample introduction
(background statement:) The internet is a massive repository of human knowledge and it continues to accumulate more everyday. (specific statement:) At the click of a button, one can access information on just about any topic, from the abstract to the mundane. Not only is the information immediate, but it is also free. (answer:) This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of this trend.
Paragraphs
To write your main body paragraphs, you should:
- use topic sentences
- link your ideas
- use clauses of contrast
- conclude with a final statement
Begin Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 with a topic sentence. This sentence introduces the paragraph and indicates to the reader what you intend to talk about in the paragraph.
Sample topic sentences
(paragraph 1) There are numerous advantages to internet-based learning.
(paragraph 2) Readily available knowledge is not without its disadvantages, however.
Tip: It is a good idea to memorise some topic sentences such as these, as you can apply them to most advantage/disadvantage essays.
e.g. There are numerous advantages to … shopping online / taking a gap year / assessing students through exams.
Shopping online/ Taking a gap year/ Assessing students through exams is not without its disadvantages, however.
After your topic sentence, you can then communicate the ideas in your plan.
You will also need to link your ideas within your paragraphs. This shows that you have thought about structure and sequencing.
Use phrases like ‘In addition’ and ‘What’s more’ when introducing your second example.
Sample linking ideas
(paragraph 1) In addition to the speed at which one can find out some form of knowledge, the depth of the knowledge available is also more substantial.
(paragraph 2) What’s more, we are at the mercy of electronics. While a book can last a century, the internet may be susceptible to failure.
You also have plenty of opportunities in the advantages/disadvantages essay to use clauses of contrast, which are introduced through words such as ‘although’, ‘while’ and ‘despite’. We use these clauses to show that we are contrasting and weighing up the advantages and the disadvantages.
Sample clause of contrast
Although the internet is effective in delivering us information at high-speed, we cannot always rely on computers in the same way that we can with books.
Remember the grammar needed with these structures:
- Although + full clause (Although the internet is effective …)
- While + full clause (While the internet is effective …)
- Despite + verb-ing (Despite being effective …)
- Despite the fact that + full clause (Despite the fact that the internet is effective …)
You should also conclude your paragraphs with a final statement.
Sample final statements
(paragraph 1) Overall, online knowledge nowadays is both efficient and broad.
(paragraph 2) In short, there are drawbacks to the expanse of knowledge on the internet.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, you should:
- say what the essay focused on
- write a broad statement about the topic
Sample conclusion
(what the essay focused on:) This essay discussed both the advantages and the disadvantages of free and immediate information available on the internet. (broad statement:) In short, while the benefits are enormous, the drawbacks should not be overlooked.
