Writing an advantages and disadvantages essay

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Eric Allix Rogers. Flickr.com CC NC SA
This post is about how to write an advantages and disadvantages article or essay. The main purpose of this type of essay is to present information objectively.

Read the article about one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in Unit 3 of your book Global.

How many paragraphs is the article divided into?
Can you identify the information in each paragraph?




Structure
This kind of essay has a clear structure:
  1. Introduction: mention the topic you are going to present and say why it is one of the greatest achievements.
  2. Advantages: list at least two advantages and benefits of your chosen topic.
  3. Disadvantages: list at least two disadvantages.
  4. Conclusion: end your essay with a conclusion. You can briefly summarise the advantages, without forgetting about the disadvantages (a word or two) and perhaps you can advance what the future holds.
Connectors
Read the article in Unit 3. Can you identify how ideas are linked?

That's right. Most of the linkers are connectors of contrast.

Click here to download an activity about these connectors.

Some useful phrases
It is probably true to say that....
It is undeniable that.....
It is undoubtedly the case that....
There is some truth in the claim that...
Some argue/claim that......
It could be argued that....
In conclusion......
To conclude......
In brief.....


Gathering ideas
Are you a planner when it comes to writing or do you prefer automatic writing?

Discuss with your partner the strategies you use for planning an essay. They may or may not include the following ideas:
  1. I research the topic in books/on the Internet.
  2. I generate ideas using a mind map.              
  3. I don't plan. I don't need to.
  4. First I make a list of advantages and then of disadvantages.
  5. I brainstorm ideas at random.
Preparing to write
Choose a topic and write an essay:

What is the greatest invention/ medical advancement/ music phenomenon/political achievement/ scientific breakthrough? 

 Submit your essay at the end of this week.

Looking for ideas?
You are welcome to visit these links if you are not sure what to write about.
British inventions
Miscellaneous list of achievements
Listening: scientific breakthroughs
People who changed history

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