TIP >> 

Before you start writing, plan your ideas so that you can

organise the information clearly. You must decide what the main
advantages and disadvantages are. Take 5 minutes and plan out your
ideas, opinions and examples. 
TIP >> It is very important that spend a full 40 minutes on this task as
the score you get for writing task 2 is two-thirds of your total writing
score. You also need to write a minimum of 250 words and use your
own ideas. 
TIP >> Remember to write in a formal tone, this is an academic essay,
therefore your writing should be formal. 

Paragraph 1 – The Introduction

This is the introduction to the essay and where you should start off
by paraphrasing the question. 
This means that you rewrite the question in your own words using
synonyms. 
There are two sentences you need in the introduction >>

 Paraphrase the question

 Introduce the specific advantages/disadvantages that will be
discussed in the main body paragraphs.
  Paragraph 2 – Main Body Paragraph 1
 In this paragraph, you should describe the main advantage.
 Start the paragraph by introducing the main advantage. This is
where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s)
should explain, going into detail. The third sentence should give
an example that supports the advantage.

The example you give could be something from your own

experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the
examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your
ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example
from a report, journal, newspaper or University study. 

This is how the paragraph should look >>

 Introduce the advantage (topic sentence)

 Explain/give detail
 Example
 Paragraph 3 – Main Body Paragraph 2
 In this paragraph, you should write about the main
disadvantage.
 Start the paragraph by introducing the disadvantage. This is
where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s)
should explain, going into detail. The third sentence should give
an example.

This is how the paragraph should look >>

 Introduce the disadvantage (topic sentence)
 Explain/give detail
 Example
Paragraph 4 – The Conclusion
In the fourth paragraph, you write the conclusion giving a summary of
your main points and say what you think were the most important pros
and cons. You should not enter any new information or ideas in this
paragraph. 
You can end your conclusion with a balancing statement that tells the
reader why one side is better than the other. For example, using words
like outweigh, balance out, compensate for, exceed and make up for. 
 Summary of the main points
 What you think were the most important pros and cons?
Another possible way to structure your advantage/disadvantage essay is
this;
You may want to add paragraphs to explain further advantages or
disadvantages, but there should be only one main idea in each main
body paragraph. Don’t list all of your advantages/disadvantages in one
paragraph.
 Introduction
 Paragraph 1 – Describe an advantage
 Paragraph 2 – Describe an advantage
 Paragraph 3 – Describe a disadvantage
 Conclusion
TIP >> If the question asks you if the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages of something then your essay structure will change
slightly. You should make sure you write about how one side is better
than the other. You will also have to include this in your introduction.
The side that you think outweighs the other should be written about
first in main body paragraph 1. Followed by main body paragraph 2 –
the more fragile argument. 

TIP >> If the question asks you to write about

advantages/disadvantages and give your opinion, then y
You need to add an extra paragraph that clearly states your opinion.
You would also need to write about your opinion in the introduction.

Think About Advantages and Disadvantages in Your Own Life

A great exercise to help you prepare yourself for writing an advantages and
disadvantages essay is to think about your own experiences with the topic. Think
of a time you wanted to make a decision about something, but you had voices in
your head telling you to do the opposite. Or you had a discussion with your parents
and they were trying to convince you to do things differently. Whatever it was,
there's a chance that you had to write your own version of an advantages and
disadvantages essay in your mind, without even realizing it. This will not only help
you to get in the right mindset for writing this essay, but it will maybe even inspire
you to choose a topic that you've already had personal experience with. Of course,
anything you've had personal experience with is a good place to start.
Brainstorm Advantages vs. Disadvantages

Once you've decided on a topic that intrigues you, or you know what topic you're
being assigned on your exam, it's time to get down the meat of the essay, which is
the actual advantages and disadvantages you'll need to write about. The best and
easiest way to do this is by simply folding a paper in half vertically, or creating a
box with two side-by-side sections. Label one as "advantages" and the other as
"disadvantages" and write all the ideas that come to mind beneath each section.
You should then add some details and examples under each idea, and ideally, you
should decide on which advantages and disadvantages are the most crucial to your
argument.

ow to Write an Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

The next thing you will need to do is outline your essay and eventually write it.
What will need to be included in your essay will be different depending on your
level. For instance, young students may only be required to have two body
paragraphs, whereas college students will be required to have more than that unless
it's a short answer response. Nevertheless, there is ultimately a widely accepted
standard when it comes to writing an advantages and disadvantages essay:

 Introduction: Paraphrase the question/topic and briefly mention some of the advantages

and disadvantages you will discuss in the paper.
 Body Paragraph One: Introduce the main advantage. Give supporting details and examples.
 Body Paragraph Two: Introduce the main disadvantage. Give supporting details and
examples.
 Conclusion: Re-iterate the topic question. Summarize the main points and if applicable, say
whether you think there are more advantages or disadvantages. 

Other Ways to Say "Advantages and Disadvantages"

Although you'll be writing an advantages and disadvantages essay, you'll want to

try and find other vocabulary words to describe this. There are plenty of other ways
to say "advantages and disadvantages," and it's a good idea if you can use these
other terms as much as possible in your essay in order to add some variety:

 Pros and cons

 Benefits and drawbacks
 Nice parts and not-so-nice parts
 Good and bad aspects
 Pluses and Minuses
 This outweighs this