To express advantages To express disadvantages

One advantage of ___is… One disadvantage of ____is…

One major/chief/central/crucial/fundamental One main/major/noteworthy/striking

advantage of ______is… disadvantage of ____is…

An/A added/additional/extra/further advantage of There are a few disadvantages of this idea…

_____is…

This view holds the merit of … This ____holds the demerit of…

An upside of this idea is… A downside of ____is…

The benefit that this argument holds is that… A shortcoming in this idea is ….

A positive aspect of ____ is… A negative aspect ___is…

The most important/significant/noteworthy One major drawback of ___is…

advantage of _____ is…

_____has many advantages such as… A flaw in this argument is that…

Before we get into specifics, though, let’s look at some basic terms for this section:
synonyms for “advantages” and “disadvantages”:

Pros/cons

Benefits/drawbacks

Positives/negatives

The following expressions will get you extra brownie points.

Outweigh

Prevail over

Overshadow
Far exceed

Surpass

In my opinion/I believe/I hold the point of view that its (advantages/merits/benefits/upsides/positive

aspects) outweigh/prevail over/overshadow/far exceed/surpass (the

disadvantages/drawbacks/demerits/downsides/negative aspects).

Example

These days, as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon prime have allowed people
to watch new movies in their homes immediately, cinema attendance has dropp ed. The
popularity of streaming services has a number of clear benefits, but it also has some
drawbacks.

One major advantage of streaming films in the home is that it removes barriers between
customers and the films. Couples with children do not need to fi nd babysitters to enjoy
new cinema. Another benefit of streaming services is that, in many cases, the price of
new films is already included in the monthly subscription cost. This means that more
people are likely to watch the film at home, even if they we re not interested enough to
pay money directly to see it in the theatre.

Conversely, a negative consequence of streaming services’ popularity is that, if they

reach a certain tipping point of popularity, cinemas may go out of business. Consumers
have no incentive to go to the theatre to see the same films they can see in the comfort
of their homes. This means that those employed by cinemas, from ushers to those working
at concessions stands, may lose their jobs, which could have a knock -on effect on the
economy. Another disadvantage of streaming services’ ubiquity is that some films may
not be as easy to appreciate artistically on a small screen. By watching these films at
home, consumers may be missing out on the director’s artistic vision.

On balance, there are both benefits and drawbacks to the recent rise in streaming services.
The effects this trend has are primarily economic (on both individual and societal levels)
and artistic.