IELTS advantages and disadvantages essay: structure and band 9 sample

Two versions of the question

A structure for 'outweigh' questions

1. Introduction: paraphrase the trend and give your verdict.
2. Body 1: the side you think is weaker, explained fairly.
3. Body 2: the side you think is stronger, with the reasons it wins.
4. Conclusion: restate the verdict and the main reason.

Putting the weaker side first means your essay finishes on your strongest argument. Some writers also add a paragraph explaining why the disadvantages can be reduced, as the model essay does.

Practice question

Band 9 model essay

Online shopping, once limited mainly to books and electronics, now covers almost everything, including the weekly food shop. Although this trend has some genuine drawbacks, I believe its advantages clearly outweigh them.

The most important benefit is convenience, which matters most to people who find traditional shopping difficult. Elderly and disabled people, parents with young children and those working long hours can have their groceries delivered at a time that suits them, instead of spending an hour travelling to and queuing in a supermarket. Online shopping also makes it easier to compare prices and to stick to a list, so households can avoid the impulse purchases that physical stores are designed to encourage.

There are, admittedly, some disadvantages. Local shops lose customers to large online retailers, and when they close, town centres can become less lively. Delivery work is often poorly paid and insecure. There is also an environmental cost when many separate vans visit the same street and when products arrive in excessive packaging.

However, these problems are not inherent in online shopping and can largely be addressed. Many small shops now sell online themselves, reaching customers they could never have attracted from a single high street location. Grouped delivery slots allow one van to supply dozens of homes in a single trip, which can mean less traffic than if each household drove to the shops. Governments can also regulate pay and conditions for delivery workers.

In conclusion, while online shopping has had negative effects on local businesses, workers and the environment, these can be reduced by sensible policies and business practices. Its benefits, especially for people who struggle to shop in person, are substantial, so I believe the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages.

Word count: 287

Why this essay scores highly

Task Response. The verdict appears in the first paragraph and the last. The disadvantages are taken seriously, which makes the conclusion more convincing, and the fourth paragraph explains why they matter less: they can be reduced.

Coherence and Cohesion. The essay moves logically from benefits to drawbacks to why the drawbacks can be managed. Admittedly and However mark each turn. Each paragraph has one clear focus.

Lexical Resource. Impulse purchases, inherent in, grouped delivery slots, insecure and regulate pay and conditions are accurate and specific to the topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy. A second conditional (less traffic than if each household drove), reduced relative clauses, passive forms and complex noun phrases appear without error.

Useful language for weighing both sides

Common mistakes

1. No verdict on an 'outweigh' question. This is the single biggest Task Response error for this type.
2. A verdict that changes. Saying the advantages win in the introduction and that "it is hard to say" in the conclusion.
3. Listing. Five advantages in one paragraph, each in one sentence, is a list. Choose one or two and develop them.
4. Confusing advantages for whom. Say who benefits: shoppers, shops, workers, the environment.

More advantages and disadvantages questions

1. More and more people are choosing to live alone. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
2. Some companies now allow employees to work a four-day week. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
3. Many students now take a gap year between school and university. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
4. In some countries, an increasing number of people are buying electric cars. Is this a positive or negative development?
5. Many cities are building more high-rise apartment blocks. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
6. Some schools are replacing printed textbooks with tablets. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

See the work questions and technology questions for related topics, or go back to the Task 2 overview.

Do I need to give my opinion in an advantages and disadvantages essay?

It depends on the wording. 'Discuss the advantages and disadvantages' does not require a verdict, though giving one does no harm. 'Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?' does require one, and it must be clear from the introduction.

Should I write the same number of advantages and disadvantages?

Not necessarily. For an 'outweigh' question, give more weight to the side you think is greater. You still need to show you have considered the other side.

Can I say the advantages and disadvantages are equal?

It is risky, because it can read as avoiding the question. If you believe it depends on circumstances, say exactly what it depends on and which side wins in each case.