IELTS 5.

 ADVANTAGES–DISADVANTAGES ESSAY 
STRUCTURES FOR THIS ESSAY TYPE

What are the advantages & disadvantages Do advantages outweigh disadvantages

Introduction
 Sentence 1- Paraphrase the prompt
 Sentence 2- Thesis statement
Body Paragraph 1 (Advantages)
 Sentence 1- Topic Sentence
 Sentence 2 – Main idea 1 (1st Adv)
 Sentence 3 – Support main idea 1
(Explain how this is an advantage/
Give an example)
 Sentence 4- Main idea 2 (2nd Adv)
 Sentence 5 - Support main idea 2
Note: It is possible to mention three
advantages, but then reduce the amount
of support for each advantage.
Body Paragraph 2 (Disadvantages)
The same format as body paragraph 1.
Conclusion
 Summary of main points
Introduction
 Sentence 1- Paraphrase question
 Sentence 2- Thesis statement (state
which one outweighs the other)
Body Paragraph 1 (Not Supported
Side)
 Sentence 1 – Topic Sentence
 Sentence 2- Main idea 1 (1st Adv or
Disadv)
 Sentence 3 – Support main idea 1
 Sentence 4- Main idea 2 (2nd Adv or
Disadv)
 Sentence 5 – Support main idea 2
Body Paragraph 2 (Supported Side)
The same format as body paragraph 1.
Conclusion
 Summary of main points and restate
position.

INTRODUCTION
 Lead-in (Paraphrasing the prompt):
 In this day and age, [clause] (i.e. subject and conjugated verb)
 This is to replace the boring & overused “Nowadays”
 It is a common/ global/ universal consensus that + [clause]
 It is generally believed/ universally acknowledged/ widely accepted that + [clause]
 These are to replace the informal “People say that…”
 One of the most common issues/concerns/problems in our modern world is + [noun
phrase] (i.e. there is no subject and conjugated verb after this)
 There is a growing concern/interest revolving around + [noun phrase]
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 Thesis statement:
Sub-type 1:
 From my point of view/In my opinion, [topic-noun phrase] entails/involves both
advantages and disadvantages*.
 [Topic-noun phrase] would certainly/ unarguably/ undoubtedly bring advantages*,
but there are also inevitable disadvantages*
Sub-type 2:
 While/Although + [opinion you don’t support], I personally believe that/ from
my own perspective + [opinion you support]

Some synonyms of “advantages” and “disadvantages”

 Advantages: benefit, strength, merit, upside, positive aspect
 Disadvantages: drawbacks, shortcoming, demerit, downside, weakness

TOPIC SENTENCES

Body Paragraph 1:
 On the one hand, there are various/many/a lot of/some disadvantages to [topic
(noun phrase)].
 There are various/many/a lot of disadvantages that [topic (noun phrase)] can bring
to us/our life/our society.
Body Paragraph 2:
 However/In contrast, [topic (noun phrase)] can also bring(s) various/many/a lot
of/some disadvantages to us/our life/our society.
 On the other hand, the disadvantages created by [topic (noun phrase)] can cause us
various/many/a lot of problems.

EXPRESSIONS FOR IDEA STATEMENTS

 First and foremost, [clause]

 The most important/evident/obvious one is that + [clause]
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 A further/An additional/Another (important) advantage/disadvantage is that +

[clause]

 Furthermore, Moreover, In addition to this, Apart from this, [second advantage/

disadvantage]
 Last but not least, [third advantage/disadvantage]

CONCLUSION
 In conclusion, [advantage – noun phrase/ V-ing phrase] can be advantageous, but
thorough consideration should be taken in order not lead to [disadvantage – noun
phrase/ V-ing phrase]
 To sum up, [advantage – noun phrase/ V-ing phrase] can be a wise decision, yet
there are disadvantages that should be weighed carefully against the advantages.