Part One: Discussion
Work with a partner or group and discuss the advantages and/or disadvantages of the following. What are the benefits and what are the drawbacks for the individual, the environment, the economy, and society? Try to give clear reasons and examples:
- Eating less meat
- Tourism in developing countries
- Buying local
Part Two: Writing
A common academic writing task is to examine the advantages and/or disadvantages of a specific idea, plan, situation, etc. Other ways of expressing "advantages/disadvantages" that you may see in an assignment are "pros and cons" or "benefits and drawbacks". This type of writing task requires you to be specific and to provide clear details/examples in a logically organized paragraph. The paragraph should follow the basic structure covered in Unit One:
Paragraph Structure
Topic Sentence
- introduces the topic and contains the main idea of the paragraph. In this case, you must clearly show that the paragraph is examining the advantages and/or disadvantages of the topic.
Supporting Sentences
- develop the main idea in the topic sentence with specific details and/or examples.
- are presented in a logical order.
Concluding Sentence
- makes a final statement signalling to the reader that your main idea has been fully developed.
Writing Tip
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