ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

I. EXAMPLE

1. Some people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational tool.
Others, however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect on the people who play
them.
In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?
2. In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners heavily and
use the money to improve public transportation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?

II. STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY

This essay is easy to structure for every question you can always structure it as follows:
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: the idea you disagree (the weaker side) (it can be either advantages or
disadvantages)
Paragraph 3: the idea you agree (the stronger side) (it can be either advantages or disadvantages)
Paragraph 4: Conclusion

III. TEMPLATE
Ý nào bị outweighed thì viết trước.
1. Template 1:

a. Introduction: It is true that viết lại đề (introduce the topic). While I accept that
…………………….. can sometimes have a positive/ negative effect on ……………….., I
believe that they are more likely to have a harmful impact. (or I believe that this has more
benefits than drawbacks.)

b. Body:

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 Body 1: On the one hand, …………… is beneficial/ disadvantageous in some ways. First and
foremost, The primary benefit is that idea 1. Support idea 1. Secondly, Moreover, The
second benefit is that, idea 2. Support idea 2.
 Body 2: However, I would argue that these benefits/ drawbacks are taken over/ dominated/
by the drawbacks/ benefits… First and foremost, idea 1. Support idea 1. Additionally, idea 2.
Support idea 2.
c. Conclusion: In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential dangers of viết lại đề in short
are more significant than the possible benefits.

d. Sample
Some people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational tool. Others,
however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect on the people who play them. In
your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?
It is true that many people, and children in particular, enjoy playing computer games. While I
accept that these games can sometimes have a positive effect on users, I believe that they are
more likely to have a harmful impact.
On the one hand, video games are beneficial in some ways. They can be both entertaining and
educational. Users, or gamers, are transported into virtual worlds which are often more exciting
and engaging than real-life pastimes. From an educational perspective, these games encourage
imagination and creativity, as well as concentration, logical thinking and problem solving, all of
which are useful skills outside the gaming context. Furthermore, it has been shown that
computer simulation games can improve users' motor skills and help to prepare them for real-
world tasks, such as flying a plane.
However, I would argue that these benefits are outweighed by the drawbacks. Gaming can be
highly addictive because users are constantly given scores, new targets and frequent rewards to
keep them playing. Many children now spend hours each day trying to progress through the
levels of a game or to get a higher score than their friends . This type of addiction can have
effects ranging from lack of sleep to problems at school, when homework is sacrificed for a few
more hours on the computer or console. The rise in obesity in recent years has also been linked
in part to the sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise that often accompany gaming addiction.

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In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential dangers of video games are more significant
than the possible benefits.

2. Template 2:

a. Introduction: ……………………. becoming more and more serious. One possible solution to
this problem is to ……………………... It is true that viết lại đề (introduce the topic). Such a
measure has its own advantages and disadvantages.
b. Body:
 Body 1: It is clear that viết lại đề has some noteworthy positive effects. One of the first
benefits of such a measure is that idea 1 This would mean that support idea 1 Another
benefit would be that idea 2 For example, support idea 2
 Body 2: Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to such a solution. First and foremost, idea 1 At
present, support idea 1 In addition idea 2 This would mean that support idea 2
c. Conclusion: To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improve the current situation,
but there are advantages and disadvantages of the uniform requirement

d. Sample
In order to solve traffic problems, governments should tax private car owners heavily and use the
money to improve public transportation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?
Traffic problems in many cities around the world are becoming more and more serious. One
possible solution to this problem is to impose heavy taxes on car drivers and use this money to
make public transport better. Such a measure has its own advantages and disadvantages.
It is clear that imposing heavy taxes on car drivers has some noteworthy positive effects. One of
the first benefits of such a measure is that the heavy taxes would discourage car owners from
using their cars because it would become very expensive to drive. This would mean that they
would begin to make use of public transport instead, thus reducing traffic problems and
pollution as well. Another benefit would be that much more use would be made of public
transport if it were improved. It is often the case that public transport in cities is very poor. For

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example, we often see old buses and trains that people would rather not use. High taxes could
generate enough money to make the necessary changes.
Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to such a solution. First and foremost, this might be a heavy
burden on the car drivers. At present, taxes are already high for a lot of people, and so further
taxes would only mean less money at the end of the month for most people who may have no
choice but to drive every day. In addition, this type of tax would likely to be set at a fixed
amount. This would mean that it would hit those with less money harder, whilst the rich could
likely afford it. It is therefore not a fair tax.
To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improve the current situation, but there are
advantages and disadvantages of introducing such a policy.

IV. PRACTICE

1. In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between
finishing high school and starting university studies.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decided to do this.
2. A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income. Unfortunately,
tourism can also be a source of problems if it is not managed correctly.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world. Do you think that
benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks?

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