How to write the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

Currently, the IELTS Writing Task 2 typically includes four types of prompts, and the Advantages and Disadvantages essay is considered relatively challenging compared to the other topics. Moreover, this essay appears very frequently. Therefore, in order to perform well and achieve a high score, let's explore the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2 together!

I. Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

1. What is the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2?

Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2 usually presents an issue, which can be a development in a certain aspect, and then requires the writer to present the advantages and disadvantages of this trend.

For example:

• “Some students prefer to take a gap year between high school and university, to work or to travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?”
• “Many foods are shipped from far away. Some people think that eating local food is more environmentally and economically friendly. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”

In Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2, you are required to provide sufficient arguments to support both the advantages and disadvantages, with each aspect discussed in a separate paragraph. It is important to note that the length of the two body paragraphs should be relatively equal. You should not analyze one aspect in much greater detail than the other, in order to ensure that each point is fully analyzed and explored, and to avoid losing points in the Task Response section.

However, if the prompt requires you to give a personal opinion, this opinion needs to be consistently expressed throughout all three parts of the essay: the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Make sure to review these types of essays thoroughly, as they are an essential part of the IELTS self-study process.

2. Identifying the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

Signs: The questions often appear at the end of the prompt in this Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2.

No requirement to state a personal opinion:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages…?
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages

With a requirement to state a personal opinion:

• Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion

This is the easiest essay to identify, as it usually contains the keywords "advantages and disadvantages".

3. Basic requirements of the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

• Task Response: Candidates must provide specific and accurate answers to the questions asked in the prompt. The arguments in the essay must be logical, and they should be analyzed clearly and consistently.
• Coherence and Cohesion: The candidate's writing must be tightly coherent. They must have the skill to organize arguments and content in a clear and logical order. Additionally, the candidate's writing must be easily understandable.
• Lexical Resource: In addition to using vocabulary accurately, the candidate's vocabulary should be rich and naturally used. Furthermore, the candidate should demonstrate flexibility in selecting appropriate words to include in the essay.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Candidates should possess the ability to use simple sentence structures, compound sentence structures, and complex sentence structures proficiently and accurately according to the requirements of the prompt.

II. Detailed structure of Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

1. Introduction

• General Statement: Paraphrase the prompt.
• Thesis statement: Introduce that there are advantages and disadvantages (+ make comparisons if necessary).

2. Body Paragraph 1

• Topic Sentence: Paraphrase one aspect of the thesis statement.
• Supporting ideas: Develop the ideas.

3. Body Paragraph 2

• Topic Sentence: Paraphrase the other aspect of the thesis statement (+ restate the comparison if necessary).
• Supporting ideas: Develop the ideas.

4. Conclusion

• Restatement of the answer: Recap the main points.
• Recommendation: Provide a suggestion (to restate your opinion).

III. Some samples of Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

1. Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2 prompt on January 23, 2021

1.1. Prompt

“In some countries, more and more adults are continuing to live with their parents even after they have completed education and found jobs. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”

1.2. Ideas for addressing the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2 prompt

Body 1: Disadvantages

• Adults may become over-dependent on parents for basic daily tasks such as cooking or doing laundry ➪ take the parents’ support for granted ➪ foster a sense of depreciation. 
• Adults may be misunderstood as someone who has no financial power because they still need to stay with their parents. 

Body 2: Advantages

• Less financial burden, especially for the ones who only have meager income from entry-level jobs. 
• They will be able to take good care of their parents, who are prone to some geriatrics diseases such as dementia.

2. Other Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2 prompts

2.1. Prompt

“Some students prefer to take a gap year between high school and university, to work or to travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?”

2.2. Detailed sample of Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2

In today’s world, there has been an accelerating trend of students taking a break from studying before pursuing tertiary education. While this trend is beneficial in some respects, its shortcomings are more significant for the followers of this trend.

A gap year may enable students to enrich themselves with real-life experiences that are beneficial to their future. These may include having a paid job, from which those who have just entered adulthood may learn many working skills, such as communication, teamwork and following orders. The youngsters taking a gap year, as a result, are better prepared for their future jobs. Some  gap-year-takers may also travel the world and absorb knowledge of diverse cultural settings and from different geographical contexts. In this globalised world, such knowledge is essential for developing a successful career.

Nevertheless, the disadvantages of taking a gap year for recent high-school graduates are serious, far outweighing the advantages. The primary reason is that the young can be overwhelmed by the unwanted difficulties of life outside of school campus. A physically demanding job, for example, can be exhausting for most high-school-leavers. Another significant reason is that to some youngsters without firm academic goals, earning money and living without the discipline of formal schooling could be more appealing than returning to school after the gap year. If they choose not to go back to school, they may lose the chance of obtaining academic knowledge and university degrees, which may help them earn even more money in the future.

In summary, despite potential gains, there are more serious drawbacks associated with a gap year such as the overwhelming difficulties when starting to work too soon and the prospect of not acquiring any university knowledge and degrees. It is recommended that students should take a university course right after they finish their high school.

In conclusion, to perform well in the Advantages and Disadvantages essay IELTS Writing Task 2, candidates must have a clear understanding of all aspects related to this essay. Additionally, mastering the method of approaching advantages and disadvantages essays, combined with regular exam practice, will enable candidates to excel and achieve high scores in the actual IELTS examination.