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Band7

IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages and disadvantages essays

This type describes one development — a habit, a policy or a technology — and asks about its effects. Sometimes you only describe both sides. Often you must also say whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

  1. 1

    Two different tasks. “What are” means describe. “Outweigh” means judge. The verb decides whether the essay needs a verdict.

  2. 2

    Explain, do not catalogue. One advantage with a mechanism and an example shows more than four named in passing.

  3. 3

    Stay on this development. The effects belong to the habit, policy or technology in the prompt, not to the topic in general.

This guide covers

  • How to spot it
  • Paragraph plan
  • Common mistakes
  • 3 original practice questions
WRITING TASK 2Do the advantages outweighthe disadvantages?benefits and costs,sometimes a verdict

How to spot it

Read the instruction line

3 wordings signal this type. Check for the look-alike before you plan.

  • 1Describe

    “What are the advantages and disadvantages of …?”

    No verdict is required, though a brief one in the conclusion does no harm.

  • 2Verdict

    “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”

    Your introduction must answer yes, no, or a clearly limited version of either, and the essay must support it.

  • 3

    “Discuss the benefits and drawbacks.”

    Same family with different nouns. “Pros and cons” also belongs here.

Paragraph plan

Recommended structure

Four paragraphs, one job each.

Structure only — you supply the arguments
  1. 1

    Introduction

    Paraphrase the development. If asked which side outweighs, state that judgement. If only asked to discuss both, say you will cover both.

  2. 2

    Body paragraph 1

    One advantage. Explain how it works in practice and give one example. Do not list a second advantage here.

  3. 3

    Body paragraph 2

    One disadvantage, explained and supported with an example. If you argue the advantages outweigh, say so at the end of this paragraph.

  4. 4

    Conclusion

    Summarise the advantage and the disadvantage. If asked to weigh them, restate which side is stronger. Do not add a new point.

Structure notes

  • One paragraph for an advantage, one for a disadvantage.

  • If the question asks which side outweighs, compare them at the end of body paragraph 2, and repeat that verdict in the conclusion.

  • If you believe the advantages win, put the disadvantage first and the advantage second, so the essay ends on the side you are supporting.

Planning and final check

Plan first, check last

Before you write

Planning in the first few minutes

  1. 1

    Circle the verb

    “What are” means describe; “outweigh” means judge. Write “verdict” in the plan if you need one.

  2. 2

    Choose effects that happen to someone

    “Small shops can sell to customers in other regions without opening a second branch” names who benefits and how. “It is good for the economy” is too vague to develop.

  3. 3

    Pick the strongest of each, not the first

    Strength means the effect touches many people, or a few deeply, and you can describe it without guessing at statistics. If two ideas overlap, merge them.

Before you finish

Final check

Common mistakes

Do and don't

The 5 mistakes that keep advantages and disadvantages essays below their potential, each with the fix.

  1. 1

    Don’t

    Listing instead of explaining

    Four advantages in one paragraph show range, not development.

    Do

    Take one and explain the mechanism

    Say why it is an advantage, then show it in a specific situation.

  2. 2

    Don’t

    Missing the verdict

    If the instruction says “outweigh”, ending with “there are both advantages and disadvantages” has not answered it.

    Do

    Give a judgement and a reason

    The introduction and the conclusion should state the same verdict.

  3. 3

    Don’t

    An advantage and a disadvantage that do not meet

    Unrelated effects are hard to weigh.

    Do

    Compare sides that can meet

    A benefit to individuals against a cost to the same individuals can be weighed.

  4. 4

    Don’t

    Effects of something else

    If the development is people working longer hours, the effects should come from longer hours, not from work in general.

    Do

    Check each idea against the development

    It has to follow from the exact change named in the prompt.

  5. 5

    Don’t

    Turning it into an opinion essay

    Two reasons the development is good, and no disadvantage, ignores half the task.

    Do

    Give the disadvantage a fair paragraph

    You can still argue that the advantages win.

A teaching paragraph

One paragraph, marked up

A teaching illustration of one paragraph — not a model essay and not a Grade Report.

The question

Advantages and disadvantages

More people now shop for groceries online rather than visiting a supermarket. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Body paragraph presenting a disadvantage, written by someone who thinks the advantages win

The clearest disadvantage is that online shoppers lose control over the quality of what they buy (note 1). A customer in a shop can choose the ripest fruit or the freshest bread, whereas an online order is picked by an employee working against the clock, and substitutions are often made without warning. A pensioner who orders a particular brand because of a health condition (note 2) may receive something unsuitable and have no easy way to exchange it before the next delivery. This is a real cost, yet it is limited to fresh produce and is steadily reduced by better substitution settings, so it does not outweigh the time and travel saved (note 3) by the people who rely on delivery most.

Practice

Practice questions

Original questions written for Band7. Start writing carries the question into the checker.

  • Advantages and disadvantagesOriginal practice question

    An increasing number of young adults are choosing to live with their parents until their thirties. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

    Start writing
  • Advantages and disadvantagesOriginal practice question

    Some cities have replaced paper parking tickets and bus passes entirely with mobile phone apps. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

    Start writing
  • Advantages and disadvantagesOriginal practice question

    Many secondary schools now teach some lessons through video recorded by teachers in other schools. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

    Start writing

FAQ

Questions about advantages and disadvantages essays

One well-developed advantage and one well-developed disadvantage are usually enough. Some writers add a second short point to each side, but depth matters more than the number of points.

Only when the instruction asks, for example with "outweigh". If it simply asks what the advantages and disadvantages are, a verdict is optional.

No. The question asks for both. You can argue that the disadvantages are smaller, but they need to be presented and explained.

Yes. Write your essay in the Task 2 checker to receive a Grade Report with a practice Estimated Band. It is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score.

Write a full advantages and disadvantages essay

Choose a practice question above or bring your own. The checker keeps it in this browser while you sign up. Aim for Band 7+; the Grade Report is a practice estimate.

Task 2 checker