IELTS Writing Task 2: Format Advantages And Disadvantages
One of the types of IELTS WRITING Task 2 that we often encounter and appear very often in the IELTS Writing test is the type of Advantages and disadvantages. So how to write this type of article well to get a high score? Let’s learn about IELTS with About IELTS in the article below!
I. Types of Cards Advantages And Disadvantages
For those studying IELTS, no one is unaware of the test format’s advantages and disadvantages because of its popularity and frequency of appearing in the test. But for those of you who are just starting to learn IELTS, especially IELTS Writing, some helpful information below will probably help you better understand this type of test.
Signs to recognize the form of cards Advantages and disadvantages
As the name suggests, in the Advantages – disadvantages card format, the question will ask you to point out the advantages, benefits or disadvantages, and harms of an issue or other idea given at the beginning of the article. This format does not require you to state your opinion or personal choice like the Agree or Disagree structure. Or discuss to find a solution like Solution essay.
Typically, the Advantages and disadvantages cards will be divided into two types:
Type 1: You only need to list the advantages and disadvantages of the problem, event, or opinion that the question requires
Example: “What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of using smartphone?
Type 2: In addition to stating the benefits and harms, you also need to show (express an opinion) in comparison whether the benefits prevail over this claim.
Example: Do the Advantages and Disadvantages?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.
II. How to Write Essays Advantages And Disadvantages
Type 1: List advantages and disadvantages (no outweighs)
1. Introduction
In this section, you need to introduce the reader to the main requirements that the topic offers, then lead to the benefits and harms of that problem (note that it is only a guide, not a list).
2. Body
Body 1: List the benefits that the problem brings (Advantages)
Body 2: List the harmful effects that the event or problem affects (disadvantage)
3. Conclusion
Briefly summarize the content of the article above.
Type 2: State the advantages and disadvantages and express personal opinions (with more weight)
1. Introduction
Similar to the above, you need to introduce the reader to the topic’s main requirements. Still, you need to include a personal opinion sentence showing that you are more inclined to have Advantages or disadvantages.
2. Body
Body 1: State the Advantages or disadvantages (you should leave the part you are not inclined to body one because this part is usually shorter than the part you chose to dominate)
Body 2: State the advantages or disadvantages (usually the part you lean more towards)
3. Conclusion
Summarizing the problem, you need to give a personal opinion affirming how the advantages (disadvantages) prevail and how influential.
III. Some Common Mistakes When Making Card Formats Advantages And Disadvantages
Layout division, the number of words in paragraphs is not uniform.
For this type of article, the problem you most often encounter is the equal distribution of the number of ideas in each body (especially in the list form). Because for this form, we need to have two segments of equal length with the same number of ideas to be able to give the most objective fairness. As for the dominant form, you can write more about the part you think is essential because it represents your opinion, so there may be a difference (but not too much) and especially never opposite.
Forget to give a personal opinion in the form of a post that has outweighs
If the topic asks you to comment and give your opinion of both the good and the bad
Example: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion
Many of you are so absorbed in analyzing the good and bad sides of the problem that you forget to mention your choices and personal opinions on those two sides. This is very undesirable because the examiner will think that you have not understood the requirements of the topic and lack content.
Abuse of the first person
In Writing Academic, you need to pay attention and consider using the first person to a minimum. Many of you use too much first-person and unmistakable writing style is hazardous; overusing first-person will reduce your article’s objectivity. To avoid this, it is recommended to change the first person to a passive structure like: it is said that…, it might be claimed that…, using the above substitution structure both avoids the abuse of the first person and creates a Coherent link for your post.
IV Sample
Example: Many foods are shipped from far away. Some people think that eating local foods is more environmentally and economically. Do you think the advantages outweigh its disadvantages?
The shipping of a wide range of foods from other cities or countries may have an adverse impact on locally produced food in this modern world of aggressive competition. However, the latter, in my own eyes, obviously offers more merits than demerits.
On the face of it, the consumption of local food might be said to have certain drawbacks. One of them is the lack of diversity or exotic taste. Without access to strange food from far away, people in Vietnam today, for instance, would feel fed up with a limited number of food choices or would never have a chance to try, and probably enjoy, the taste of a similar type of food which is actually imported from other countries, such as Kobe beef from Japan.
However, compared with food transported from other regions, eating food produced locally is significantly more beneficial in economic, environmental, and educational terms. From an economic point of view, local food does not involve excessive transportation leading to higher and higher costs, especially with increasing fuel prices taken into account.
This is also associated with less damaging effects on the environment related to the shipping of food products by plane from abroad. In terms of education, consuming local food helps nurture patriotism among young generations, orienting them towards preserving and developing the sense of using indigenous products.
In today’s world of globalization, the effort to consume local food is thus playing an indispensable role in maintaining the identity of each and every local culture.
In a word, the downside of eating locally produced food is outweighed by its upside. This is, in actual fact, true from economic, environmental, and educational viewpoints.
About IELTS hopes that the above sharing will help you in the process of studying and doing the Advantages And Disadvantages test. I wish you success!