Answer:
When you have this type of advantage disadvantage essay it is important to distinguish between this and one that asks you to discuss advantages and disadvantages but does not ask your opinion.
If you are asked “What are the advantages and disadvantages of…..” you are not being asked your opinion. You simply have to discuss the benefits and drawbacks.
You could do this in two body paragraphs:
Body One: The positive points
Body Two: The negative points
However, if you have the word “outweigh” or “Will this trend have more positive or negative effects?” then you are being asked for your opinion and you must say which there are the most of – positive or negative impacts.
If you do not do this then you may get your score reduced on ‘Task Response’ for not fully addressing the question.
If you look at the IELTS public band descriptors (available to download if you do an internet search or available from your local IELTS centre), you will see that this could reduce your band to a 5 for this criteria (it would not necessarily affect the other three criteria).
(Check this lesson on IELTS Band 7 for an overview of the criteria for getting a band 7 if you are unsure of what the criteria are).
Take a look at these examples:
People now have the freedom to work and live anywhere in the world due to the development of communication technology and transportation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
This advantage disadvantage essay is not asking for your opinion. You could simply write one paragraph on the advantages and another on the disadvantages.
However, this one does:
People now have the freedom to work and live anywhere in the world due to the development of communication technology and transportation.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
OR
Will this have more positive or negative impacts?
