Advantages–Disadvantages Essay Questions in IELTS Writing Task 2
Learn how to answer Advantages–disadvantages essay questions in IELTS writing Task 2 with an overview, recommended approach and practice question.
by Tim Martyn
Overview
Advantages–disadvantages essay questions are a common question type in IELTS writing Task 2. You’ll be presented with a statement about some kind of trend or phenomenon. You’ll either be asked what the advantages and disadvantages are, or whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Here are some key points about Advantages–disadvantages essay questions:
- You should spend no more than 40 minutes on the task.
- You should write at least 250 words.
- Task 2 is worth two thirds of your total writing mark; Task 1 is worth one third.
- You must write in full sentences, not bullet points or note form.
Example question
Here’s an example Advantages–disadvantages essay question.
Write about the following topic:
Some people choose to be self-employed rather than work for an employer.
Do you think the advantages of being self-employed outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Recommended approach
Here’s my recommended approach for answering Advantages–disadvantages essay questions. We’ll use the example question to go through the steps you need to take.
IMPORTANT:
The overall approach is the same for all Task 2 question types (i.e. discussion, opinion, advantages–disadvantages and two-part essay questions).
This is important because, on test day, you could get a question that doesn’t fall neatly into any of these categories. However, if you learn and practise applying the overall approach, you should be able to respond flexibly to any question you’re presented with.
Also, while I generally recommend writing 4-paragraph essays, there are other structures you can use to write an effective essay.
Step 1 > Analyse the question
The first step is to analyse the question. This is crucial – if you don’t take the time to analyse the question properly, you may misunderstand what it’s asking you or fail to respond to key parts of the question.
Here’s our question prompt again.
Write about the following topic:
Some people choose to be self-employed rather than work for an employer.
Do you think the advantages of being self-employed outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You can see that we’ve been presented with a straightforward statement about being self-employed, and we’re being asked whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
The phrase Do you think and the verb outweigh are important here. They make it clear that the question is asking for our opinion. We need to make it clear to the examiner whether we think there are more advantages or more disadvantages. If we don’t do this, our score for Task Response will be affected.
IMPORTANT:
Some Advantages–disadvantages essay questions don’t require you to give your opinion. These questions are usually worded like this:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being self-employed?
Step 2 > Think of ideas
Once you fully understand the question and what you’re required to do, the next step is to spend a few minutes thinking of ideas for your essay.
Don’t try to brainstorm as many ideas as you can – all you need is a few good ideas. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, try asking yourself these questions:
- What are the most obvious ideas?
- If you asked 100 people for their ideas, what do you think most of them would say?
For Advantages–disadvantages essay questions, you need to think of ideas for both sides (i.e. advantages and disadvantages). Because the words advantages and disadvantages in the question are in the plural form, you need to think of more than one advantage and more than one disadvantage. If the question asks you whether there are more advantages or more disadvantages, you also need to make a decision about that.
Step 3 > Make a plan
Once you’ve thought of some ideas, it’s time to make a plan. I’d recommend that you spend about 5 minutes on your plan. It doesn’t need to be very detailed, but it’s important to think about what examples you’ll use and how you’ll explain your points. If you think of these things in advance, you’ll be able to connect your ideas more effectively when you’re writing your essay.
Don’t try to write in full sentences – you can use symbols and abbreviations. The important thing is just to get your ideas down on paper.
The plan for this essay might look something like this.
| Intro. | both advantages + disadvantages, but disadvantages > advantages |
| Body 1 | benefits – free to set own schedules (i.e. don’t need to work 9–5) – can choose clients and projects, don’t need to do things they don’t want to = sense of control |
| Body 2 | disadvantages – irregular income, can’t pay themselves consistent salary, can’t apply for mortgage, etc. – don’t have benefits (e.g. sick pay and annual leave), reluctant to take time off – lack of structure in workday = less motivated |
| Concl. | both advantages + disadvantages, but signif. disadvantages mean not the right choice for most ppl. |
Step 4 > Write the introduction
Now that you’ve thought of ideas for your essay and made a plan, it’s time to write the introduction.
IELTS doesn’t specify what you need to include in your introduction, but for Advantages–disadvantages essay questions, I recommend that you include:
- a paraphrase of the statement given in the question;
- a statement about whether you think there are more advantages or more disadvantages.
Let’s look at each of these parts one by one.
1. A paraphrase of the statement given in the question
An easy and effective way to start your introduction is to paraphrase the statement given in the question. At this stage, don’t state whether you think there are more advantages or disadvantages – we’ll do that in the second part of the introduction.
Keep in mind that you mustn’t copy the exact wording used in the question. Instead, you need to use synonyms and other forms of paraphrasing. You won’t be able find synonyms for everything. In fact, some words shouldn’t be replaced because doing so would change the meaning.
Our paraphrase could be something like this: The vast majority of people work as employees in a company, but a growing number of people are making the decision to work for themselves.
2. A statement about whether you think there are more advantages or more disadvantages
In the second part of the introduction, you should clearly state whether you think there are more advantages or more disadvantages. An easy way to introduce this opinion is to use a conjunction such as While to introduce the side (i.e. advantages or disadvantages) that you think is less strong, and then make your opinion clear by using a phrase like I believe and the verb outweigh to introduce the side that you think is stronger.
Here’s how we could write this statement: While being self-employed does have its benefits, I believe that they are outweighed by the drawbacks.
If we put the two parts of the introduction together, this is what we have.
The vast majority of people work as employees in a company, but a growing number of people are making the decision to work for themselves. While being self-employed does have its benefits, I believe that they are outweighed by the drawbacks.
Step 5 > Write the body paragraphs
The next step is to write the body paragraphs. Your first body paragraph should be about the side (i.e. advantages or disadvantages) that you think is less strong. Your second paragraph should be about the side you think is stronger.
Note that your second body paragraph may be longer than your first body paragraph. This is fine because you’re likely to have more reasons to support the side you think is stronger.
A linking word such as While, Despite or However can help you introduce the stronger side. Make sure it’s clear that you’re giving your opinion. Don’t be afraid to use phrases such as I believe that and I am of the view that.
Here are some possible body paragraphs for our example.
The vast majority of people work as employees in a company, but a growing number of people are making the decision to work for themselves. While being self-employed does have its benefits, I believe that they are outweighed by the drawbacks.
There are clear benefits to being self-employed. First of all, those who run their own businesses are usually free to set their own schedules. Unlike employees, there is no requirement for them to work 9 to 5, so those who are more productive in the afternoon, for example, can simply start their workday later. In addition, the self-employed can pick and choose the projects they want to work on and the clients they want to work with. For instance, if a client is fussy or otherwise difficult to work with, business owners can opt not to work with them again. This can give self-employed people a sense of control over their work lives.
However, I am of the opinion that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. A significant drawback is the fact that people who work for themselves tend to have irregular income. Their business earnings inevitably fluctuate month to month, which means they are unable to pay themselves a consistent salary. This can have a detrimental impact on many aspects of their lives, including their ability to make long-term plans and apply for a mortgage. In addition, those who run their own businesses do not enjoy the same benefits as their traditionally employed counterparts. For example, employees are entitled to annual leave and sick pay. Even though self-employed people can take annual leave and sick days if they wish, in practice they rarely do because of fear of losing clients and income. This situation can negatively impact their physical and mental well-being. Finally, many self-employed people find that the lack of structure in their workday makes it difficult to stay motivated. This sometimes means that they end up working longer hours each day to get their work done because of their lack of productivity.
Step 6 > Write the conclusion
The next step is to write the conclusion. All you need to do here is summarise the statement in the question and, again, make it clear what your own opinion is. Don’t just copy the words you used in other parts of the essay – use synonyms and paraphrasing as much as you can. Start your conclusion with In conclusion or To conclude.
Here’s a possible conclusion for our example.
The vast majority of people work as employees in a company, but a growing number of people are making the decision to work for themselves. While being self-employed does have its benefits, I believe that they are outweighed by the drawbacks.
There are clear benefits to being self-employed. First of all, those who run their own businesses are usually free to set their own schedules. Unlike employees, there is no requirement for them to work 9 to 5, so those who are more productive in the afternoon, for example, can simply start their workday later. In addition, the self-employed can pick and choose the projects they want to work on and the clients they want to work with. For instance, if a client is fussy or otherwise difficult to work with, business owners can opt not to work with them again. This can give self-employed people a sense of control over their work lives.
However, I am of the opinion that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. A significant drawback is the fact that people who work for themselves tend to have irregular income. Their business earnings inevitably fluctuate month to month, which means they are unable to pay themselves a consistent salary. This can have a detrimental impact on many aspects of their lives, including their ability to make long-term plans and apply for a mortgage. In addition, those who run their own businesses do not enjoy the same benefits as their traditionally employed counterparts. For example, employees are entitled to annual leave and sick pay. Even though self-employed people can take annual leave and sick days if they wish, in practice they rarely do because of fear of losing clients and income. This situation can negatively impact their physical and mental well-being. Finally, many self-employed people find that the lack of structure in their workday makes it difficult to stay motivated. This sometimes means that they end up working longer hours each day to get their work done because of their lack of productivity.
In conclusion, even though there are no doubt advantages of being self-employed, I believe that the significant disadvantages make traditional employment the right choice for most people.
Step 7 > Check your work
The final step is to check your work. At this stage, you won’t have time to make any major changes, but it’s still an important step.
Things to check for:
- whether you’ve used an adequate range of grammar and vocabulary;
- spelling;
- your word count.
Assessment criteria
Here are the assessment criteria used for Task 2.
| Criterion | What does this mean? |
|---|---|
| Task response | Do you address the question prompt appropriately? Do you have a well-developed position? Are your ideas relevant, well extended and supported? |
| Coherence and cohesion | Are your ideas logically organised and easy to follow? How well do you use cohesive devices to connect your ideas? |
| Lexical resource | Do you use a range of vocabulary? Do you make many vocabulary errors? Do your errors make it hard to follow your ideas? |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Do you use a wide range of grammatical structures? Do you make many grammar errors? Do your errors make it hard to follow your ideas? |
You can find out more about the assessment criteria here.
Practice question
Now it’s your turn to practise. Try the Advantages–disadvantages essay question below using the approach outlined above.
Write about the following topic:
Many parents encourage their teenage children to get a part-time job while they are still in high school.
Do you think the advantages of high school students having a part-time job outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Feedback
Click below for a sample answer.
High school students are often encouraged by their parents to work part-time while they are still at school. Despite the fact that part-time employment has some downsides for students still in high school, I do feel that these are outweighed by the benefits.
A part-time job can come with a number of disadvantages for high school students. Firstly, balancing a part-time job and school commitments can lead to time management challenges, potentially impacting the student’s ability to focus on their studies, complete assignments and perform well academically. The pursuit of a part-time job can also limit a student’s ability to do sport and exercise and reduce the amount of time they have available to spend with family and friends. This can take a toll on their physical and mental well-being.
Despite these challenges, I feel that, on balance, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Firstly, a part-time job provides practical exposure to the world of work, helping students develop important skills such as time management, responsibility and teamwork. This hands-on experience can contribute to their personal growth and preparation for future careers. Additionally, a part-time job can teach financial literacy. High school students with a part-time job learn to manage their earnings and make informed decisions about spending and saving. It also gives them a sense of independence as they no longer have to fully rely on their parents for money. This is an important part of becoming an adult and a first step towards eventually leaving the family home.
In conclusion, while parents and students need to carefully consider the challenges involved in getting a part-time job, I feel that it is a worthwhile pursuit because of the many benefits.
