WRITING TASK 2

ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGE ESSAY

HUNG HOANG
Task 1: Complete the chunks below from the model essay using the pronouns
in the box. Some words can be used more than once.

A growing number of people are now choosing to work from the comfort of their
own home. I believe that this development has more benefits than drawbacks.

For instance, it is extremely tempting to turn on the television, go and relax in the
garden or make a personal phone call. Clearly, these distractions will dramatically
reduce how much work is produced.

For example, if people work in an office, they are often asked to attend meetings, and
their timetable is decided for them. This is not the case when they work in a home
office.

Another major disadvantage of working from home is that people have much less
contact with their colleagues. This can make them feel isolated, despite the extra
freedom they have when working distance.

To conclude, there are both positives and negatives to this way of working. In spite of
the fact that it removes travel issues and gives people greater freedom, many people
find it difficult because of distractions at home and feeling isolated HUNG HOANG
Task 2: Rewrite these sentences so that they sound less general.

It is difficult to find a job when you are in a foreign country.

It can/could be difficult to find a job when you are in a foreign country.

Children copy the behavior of their parents.

Children often copy the behavior of their parents.

Learning a language gets harder with age.

Learning a language may/often get harder with age.

Young people turn to crime because of the lack of employment opportunities in their
area.
Young people could/may/might turn to crime because of the lack of employment
opportunities in their area.

HUNG HOANG
Task 3: Use the following prompts and ‘tend (not) to + verb’ to write full
sentences. You may add a second sentence to give a reason.

People who cycle to work – more energy when they arrive at work.
People who cycle to work tend to have more energy when they arrive at work. This is
due to the fact that they are more awake and alert than those who travel/commute
by train.

Frequent Internet users – a shorter attention span.

Frequent Internet users tend to have a shorter attention span. This is because
jumping from one link to another reduces their level of concentration.

Many celebrities these days – famous for no particular talent or ability.

Many celebrities these days tend to be famous for no particular talent or ability. In
fact, many become well known simply for being on reality TV shows such as Blind
Date.

HUNG HOANG
LANGUAGE FOCUS
- In (the) light of, in view of

- This trend, development, problem

ADVANTAGE
- benefits, upsides, merits, advantageous

DISADVANTAGE
- drawbacks, downsides, demerits, disadvantageous

NHIỀU HƠN
- outweigh, eclipse, overshadow
- (far/much) greater
- (far/much) more significant

HUNG HOANG
TASK 2

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter is replacing face-to-face contact in

people's everyday lives. Do you think the advantages of this development
outweigh the disadvantages?

HUNG HOANG
PARAPHRASE
Social media
social networks

Face-to-face contact
physical/direct/in-person contact (interaction, communication)

A replaces B
B is replaced by A
B gives way to A
A renders B obsolete
A makes B no longer necessary
B is becoming marginalized by A
the popularity/ proliferation/ prevalence of A

HUNG HOANG
OPENING

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter is replacing face-to-face contact in

people's everyday lives. Do you think the advantages of this development
outweigh the disadvantages?

=> In the light of the proliferation of technological devices, it is true that

physical interaction is becoming increasingly (more and more) marginalized by
social media. While this development may have certain drawbacks, I believe that
they are far outweighed by its advantages.

HUNG HOANG
BODY 1

1. Topic sentence: social meadia mang lại một số mặt hại

2. Explain: thiếu sự tương tác => become socially isolated
3. Example: dán mắt vào đt => xa cách nhao
4. Mini conclusion: điều này chứng tỏ...

On the one hand, the popularity of social media is disadvantageous to a certain

extent. Because of the lack of direct interaction, people today, especially teenagers,
are becoming more and more socially isolated. Vietnam perfectly exemplifies
this situation. In social gatherings, many Vietnamese youngsters are glued to
their phones to check their social media account and thus cannot engage in
conversations with one another. This is a testament to/this goes to show how
social media can make people slowly become distant from others.

HUNG HOANG
BODY 2

1. Topic sentence: mặt hại vừa nói ít hơn mặt lợi

2. Explain 1: thay thế conventional communication => tiết kiệm được nhiều
3. Example 1: thay vì trả tiền đi công tác => họp online => save time + money
4. Explain 1: kết nối những người có cùng sở thích
5. Example 2: nhiều hội yêu chó, mèo => thảo luận + hiểu biết hơn
6. Mini conclusion: có thể nói rằng...

On the other hand, I am of the opinion that the above drawbacks are eclipsed by
greater benefits. By replacing conventional communication methods with social
media, people have been able to yield significant savings. For instance, instead
of paying for business trips like previously, companies can now organize meetings
with the aid of online platforms such as Facebook video calls, which would be
more time and cost efficient.

In addition, social media platforms also provide a means for people who share
common interests to stay connected. For example, there is an abundance of
online communities on Facebook for individuals who are cat lovers, in which
members can hold discussions and acquire a deeper understanding of this
subject. It could be said that in this case, social media actually connects people
instead of isolating them. HUNG HOANG
CONCLUSION

In conclusion, while the prevalence of social media platforms may have

certain disadvantages, I believe that they are outweighed by the upsides above.

HUNG HOANG
HOMEWORK

Many universities today are offering online courses for students as an

alternative of courses delivered on campus. Do you think the
advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

HUNG HOANG
PARAPHRASE
ONLINE COURSES
- Internet-based courses
- computer-based courses
- web-based courses
- virtual classes
- online learning

COURSE ON CAMPUS
- traditional/conventional courses/classes
- formal courses
- offline learning

HUNG HOANG
OPENING

Many universities today are offering online courses for students as an alternative
of courses delivered on campus. Do you think the advantages of this
development outweigh the disadvantages??

=> In the light of the advent of the Internet, traditional classrooms are being
replaced by online courses. While this trend may have certain drawbacks, I am of
the opinion that they are eclipsed by its benefits.

HUNG HOANG
BODY 1 (DISADVANTAGES)

On the one hand, replacing offline courses by online classes is disadvantageous to a

certain extent. Due to the lack of physical interaction, students may not be able to
develop interpersonal skills such as communication and teamwork skills, which can
be better developed through discussions and group activities in traditional classes.
In addition, online learning may not be possible for some subjects. For example,
chemistry or engineering could not be learned at home with a computer because these
subjects require a lot of specific equipment.

HUNG HOANG
BODY 2

On the other hand, I believe that the advantages of this trend are more significant
than its disadvantages. First, the prices of online classes is much cheaper than
traditional courses. The reason is that running virtual classes does not involves
numerous operation costs such as space, facilitiies and staff wages. Second, web-
based classes are also very convenient. They help learners overcome time and
geographical boundaries, which is particularly helpful for people in rural and
remote areas.

HUNG HOANG
CONCLUSION

In conclusion, although there are some drawbacks of delivering online courses

instead of conventional ones, I am convinced that they are outweighed by the
greater benefits.

HUNG HOANG