Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? – A reliable essay format

“Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” means when you put the benefits of something on one plate of a weighing scale and the demerits on the other plate, which side weighs more.

So for questions like this in IELTS, you need to think of several ideas both in favor and against the position. You should always try to make one side of the argument heavier than the other, unlike the advantages and disadvantages question type where we present a balanced essay.

Basically, “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” is a Yes/No question. It is up to you to decide how you want to approach the issue. Regardless of your choice, you have to come up to several reasons to back up your position.

If you answer the question, “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?“, with a Yes, then you have to present more advantages than disadvantages. Conversely, if you choose to go with a No, then you have to include more arguments for disadvantages compared to advantages.

Examples of Advantages outweigh Disadvantages IELTS essay question

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend around 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

As more and more information is available online, the role of textbooks has become obsolete. Therefore, universities should replace traditional books with digital materials. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

Write at least 250 words.

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WRITING TASK 2

You should spend around 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some employers involve their employees in their decision-making process. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

Write at least 250 words.

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WRITING TASK 2

You should spend around 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In our technological world, the number of new inventions has been increasing. Do the advantages of living in an era in which new things are constantly being invented outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Format for IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages outweigh Disadvantages essay

There are two ways to write an essay on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. When you think about the question, try to come up with several arguments for both positives and negatives of the situation. One side has to have more arguments than the other.

You need at least five separate ideas. You can either write about three advantages and two disadvantages, or three disadvantages and two advantages.

Paragraph	Format for more advantages	Format for more disadvantages
1	Introduction	Introduction
2	Three advantages	Two advantages
3	Two disadvantages	Three disadvantages
4	Conclusion	Conclusion

Since you have to demonstrate one side outweighing the other side, the essay should lean towards one side.

You can include more than five arguments as well, but remember to include at least one argument more for one side. However, writing about too many points may be counterproductive as you may run out of time during the test, or your essay becomes disorganized.

Some questions only ask you to state the advantages and the disadvantages without taking a side. To learn about such essays, click here »

Introduction paragraph for “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”

Like the Introduction paragraph for other types of question, the first paragraph for “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” question should contain three things.

1. Rewrite the topic of the question
2. Mention your five arguments
3. Declare whether there are more advantages or more disadvantages

As more and more information is available online, the role of textbooks has become obsolete. Therefore, universities should replace traditional books with digital materials. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Introduction:

Printed books have become redundant in the modern age thanks to the advent of electronic books. This has prompted many to advocate for the abolishment of textbooks in universities in favor of digital books. Though many individuals find reading on their devices comparatively difficult and some may even lack expertise in using digital resources, I believe there are many benefits of this situation. Besides being portable and economical, e-books offer various accessibility functions which are absent in traditional textbooks.

So our Introduction begins by setting the background of the essay. For this, I have paraphrased the two sentences from the question. Then, the next sentence highlights the two demerits of the situation, but it has also been expressed that there are “many benefits”. These benefits have been outlined in the next sentence.

Advantages outweigh Disadvantages IELTS essay: The body paragraphs

The five points mentioned in the Introduction paragraph should be developed into two body paragraphs.

Mention the advantages and disadvantages in separate paragraphs. Remember, one paragraph should include only two arguments, while the other has to include three arguments.

In this way, you can show that one side outweighs the other.

In the body paragraphs, you have to explain the points with the help of logical reasoning and examples.

As more and more information is available online, the role of textbooks has become obsolete. Therefore, universities should replace traditional books with digital materials. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Example:

Introduction: Printed books have become redundant in the modern age thanks to the advent of electronic books. This has prompted many to advocate for the abolishment of textbooks in universities in favor of digital books. Though many individuals find reading on their devices comparatively difficult and some may even lack expertise in using digital resources, I believe there are many benefits of this situation. Besides being portable and economical, e-books offer various accessibility functions which are absent in traditional textbooks. Body paragraphs: The main advantage of using e-books is the ease of carrying and storing them. One mobile phone, tablet computer, or pc can hold millions of digital books, so students would not have the burden of carrying paperback or hardcover books. Universities, too, can save a lot by eliminating their libraries and digitizing their resources. Similarly, it is extremely inexpensive to publish and purchase e-books since one file can be replicated as many times as possible without having to use paper and ink. Lastly, unlike traditional books, e-books come with features like Search, Bookmark, and Highlight, which make them a lot easier to use. On the other hand, digital resources might be unfavorable for students who are unfamiliar with technology. Despite the advantages discussed earlier, there is a huge digital divide among the people in the world. While some have been raised with amenities like computer and internet, others might be technologically illiterate. It would be detrimental to such students if universities do away with printed books. On top of that, even among people who are capable of using computers, reading long texts on a screen is tiresome and inconvenient. Due to a force of habit, many people find holding a physical book and flicking through the pages easier than downloading books onto their devices and reading against the glow of the screen.

Advantages outweigh disadvantages essay Conclusion

The arguments mentioned in the Introduction paragraph and detailed in the body paragraphs should be reiterated in the Conclusion paragraph of the essay.

Example:

Introduction: Printed books have become redundant in the modern age thanks to the advent of electronic books. This has prompted many to advocate for the abolishment of textbooks in universities in favor of digital books. Though many individuals find reading on their devices comparatively difficult and some may even lack expertise in using digital resources, I believe there are many benefits of this situation. Besides being portable and economical, e-books offer various accessibility functions which are absent in traditional textbooks. Body paragraphs: The main advantage of using e-books is the ease of carrying and storing them. One mobile phone, tablet computer, or pc can hold millions of digital books, so students would not have the burden of carrying paperbacks or hardcover books. Universities, too, can save a lot by eliminating their libraries and digitizing their resources. Similarly, it is extremely inexpensive to publish and purchase e-books since one file can be replicated as many times as possible without having to use paper and ink. Lastly, unlike traditional books, e-books come with features like Search, Bookmark, and Highlight, which make them a lot easier to use. On the other hand, digital resources might be unfavorable for students who are unfamiliar with technology. Despite the advantages discussed earlier, there is a huge digital divide among the people in the world. While some have been raised with amenities like computer and internet, others might be technologically illiterate. It would be detrimental to such students if universities do away with printed books. On top of that, even among people who are capable of using computers, reading long texts on a screen is tiresome and inconvenient. Due to a force of habit, many people find holding a physical book and flicking through the pages easier than downloading books onto their devices and reading against the glow of the screen. Conclusion: To sum up, I believe the usefulness of e-books trumps the downsides. They are convenient to store and transport, comparatively inexpensive, and come with several extra features. These merits should outweigh the difficulties faced by some students when using digital books.

Advantages outweigh disadvantages IELTS essay example

Some employers involve their employees in their decision-making process. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Example:

There is a rising trend among some companies to consider the opinion of their employees when taking major as well as minor steps for the organization. This inclusionary concept may boost the loyalty and dedication of the workers alongside helping the management become aware of various perspectives on an issue. Nonetheless, in my opinion, giving more power to the employees may be counterproductive as they might walk over the administration and derail the direction of the organization. Additionally, this absolves the managers from owning up to responsibility for failure. From my point of view, holding meetings to elicit the comments and criticisms from the employees makes them feel more valued in an organization. If workers are consulted before introducing new policies, launching new campaigns or products, and investing in new areas, they feel empowered and thus become more responsible. Apart from that, there is a bonus for the organization as it will be able to untangle complex problems with feedback from the staff who come from various walks of life. Even though upper management may be qualified, it never hurts to approach an issue from a number of angles. However, giving more power to the employees to voice their opinions might open a can of worms. Firstly, the decorum of the workplace with proper chain of command and predefined span of control might be lost if the management team is constantly in talks with the employees. Some disagreeable workers with grudges against other staff may disrupt conversations giving rise to unproductive meetings and bad work environment. Secondly, what the employees want maybe so radical or removed from the vision of the proprietor that hearing from the workers is just a waste of valuable time. Lastly, some managers may hide their incompetence behind their “democratic” style of leadership. If the general direction of the company is dictated by consensus among the the employees, it becomes difficult to pinpoint problems in decision-making and easy for senior staff to wash their hands off any unsuccessful action. To conclude, it is beneficial for some organizations to operate by incorporating the outlook of their workforce as not only might it uplift the morale of the workers, it can also generate creative and novel solutions not thought up by the top brass. Nevertheless, the drawbacks like damaging company culture, deviating from company goals, and losing accountability from the managers might overwhelm any potential advantages.

Next lesson:

Problem Solution Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2