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Exam information | Advantages and disadvantages
For a Task 2 essay, you may have to evaluate questions or arguments. To do this, you will need to consider their advantages and disadvantages in a balanced way to show that you understand both sides.
1. Read the list of ideas for the essay question below and decide if they are advantages or disadvantages. Write A (advantage) or D (disadvantage) next to each idea.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of children using mobile phones?
1. Parents can easily contact their children.
2. The charges for talking on mobile phones are very expensive.
3. Children spend too much time talking to their friends on mobile phones.
4. Mobile phones are often lost or stolen.
5. Children can use mobile phones as cameras and music players.
6. Mobile phones distract children from studying.
7. Children always have a way of contacting their parents in an emergency.
8. There are many ways mobile phones can help children learn.
2. Match the supporting information on the right to the ideas from Exercise 1on the left.
3. Match ideas a-f to paragraph functions 1-6.
Now decide the best order for sentences a-f in a paragraph and write it here:
Exam tip | Organizing an essay
One way of organizing an essay about advantages and disadvantages is to write one paragraph giving the advantages of an argument / solution and one paragraph giving the disadvantages.
4. Read the essay question and the ideas below, then put the ideas into two groups: advantages and disadvantages.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking?
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
1. Sometimes people think they are talking online to someone friendly, but it might be a dangerous stranger.
2. Social networking means we can keep in touch with friends and family easily.
3. If a person has relatives in another country, they can keep in contact using Facebook.
4. Social networking can be addictive, especially in young people.
5. Social networking helps people pass on news.
6. Young people may spend too much time on social networking compared to other activities.
7. Often when a news story breaks, social websites help us hear the experiences and opinions of the people where the news is happening.
8. Nobody knows the true identity of some of the people using social websites.
5. Use the ideas from Exercise 4 to write two paragraphs, one paragraph about advantages and one about disadvantages. Begin your paragraphs like this:
There are many advantages of social networking. Firstly, ...
However, social networking also has some disadvantages. ...
Exam tip | Ordering ideas
Remember to order your ideas in a logical way and use linking words (However, On the other hand, In addition, Furthermore, etc.) to show how your ideas are connected.
Model Answer
There are many advantages of social networking.
Firstly, social networking means that people
can keep in touch with their friends and family
easily. For example, if a person has relatives
in another country, they can keep in contact
using Facebook. In addition, social networking
helps people pass on news. Often when a news
story breaks, social websites help us hear the
experiences and opinions of the people where
the news is happening.
However, social networking also has some
disadvantages. Social networking can be
addictive, especially in young people. Young
people may spend too much time on social
networking compared to other activities.
Furthermore, nobody knows the true identity
of some of the people using social websites.
Sometimes people think they are talking
online to someone friendly, but it might be a
dangerous stranger.
6. Write short notes listing advantages and disadvantages for each of the essay titles below.
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of watching television?
Model Answer
Advantages: learn about other places / people /new subjects: relaxing; entertaining: cheap
Disadvantages: poor quality programmes:
inactive; addictive; watching too much is bad
for health
2. There are more advantages than disadvantages of modern technology. How far do you agree with this statement?
Model Answer
Advantages: saves time; better for
communication; exciting; information easier to
obtain
Disadvantages: people spend too much time
using it; addictive; high cost; technological
problems
3. The Internet has more advantages for young people than old people. Do you agree?
Model Answer
Advantages: young people can learn to use it
more quickly; good for both young and old for
information and relaxation; old people can learn
new skills; good for communication for old people
Disadvantages: lots of websites unsuitable
for young people; too difficult for old people to
learn how to use; isolated old people prefer
being with real people to sitting at a screen
Exam tip | Giving an opinion
When you have described the advantages and disadvantages of a situation / argument, you can say which side has the strongest case in your opinion.
7. Read the following essay about using social networking sites at work and complete paragraph 3 with your own ideas, including reasons and examples.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking in the workplace?
Social networking is common nowadays. There are few people who don't have an account on sites like MySpace, BeBo or Facebook. However, whether people should use these sites at work is debatable. Some people say that these sites should be banned at work, while others say that these sites can be an advantage. I believe these sites should be used in the workplace.
Firstly, many people say social networking sites should be banned in a work environment because staff spend too much time using them when they should be working and this can have a negative effect on a company's productivity. People use these sites at work in order to keep up-to-date with news and gossip. However, many people have lost their jobs because they have used these websites too frequently or because they have said something negative about their company or their bosses on such sites.
On the other hand, these sites can also have positive aspects in the workplace
In conclusion, I believe that, although there are disadvantages to social networking in the workplace, people should be able to do it.
Model Answer
On the other hand, these sites can also
have positive aspects in the workplace.
Social networking isn’t limited to sites like
Facebook or BeBo. There are also work-based social networking sites which can
be beneficial to companies. For example,
Linkedin lets professional people link up
with other business people and develop their
work contacts. This may bring benefits to
a business. In addition, social networking
can make people happier at work. Without
access to things like Facebook or MySpace,
experienced staff might become unhappy in
their jobs and decide to leave.
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