By English Test Coach · Updated
Academic Task 2 · Advantages / disadvantages
Live online evening courses
An original IELTS practice question with a planning route and a sample answer to learn from.
Aim for at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. Suggested practice level: advanced, not a predicted band.
Your writing task
A community education centre plans to move all of its evening adult courses from classrooms to live online lessons. Do the advantages of this change outweigh the disadvantages?
How to approach this question
Develop both benefits and drawbacks. If asked whether one outweighs the other, compare their importance and decide.
Advantages and disadvantages: learn how to weigh the two sides →
Technology essays: match responses to causes and keep the question's scope →
Advantage: removing the journey could help an adult attend after work. A live lesson still follows a timetable; do not assume self-paced recordings.
Disadvantage: moving every course removes classroom access for learners without a suitable connection, space or equipment. Use a hypothetical practical subject to explain why delivery requirements differ.
Weighing: compare a more convenient journey-free option for some learners with the loss of usable access for others. Judge the complete proposal before suggesting a selective alternative.
These are possible directions, not required opinions or facts to memorise. Develop your own response and check every claim against the task.
A possible plan
- Introduction: identify the development and state whether its advantages outweigh its disadvantages if asked.
- Body 1: develop the strongest advantages with examples.
- Body 2: examine the disadvantages and compare their importance with the benefits.
- Conclusion: give an explicit overall judgement, not just a list of both sides.
Vocabulary you can use precisely
Choose language that fits your meaning. You do not need to include every phrase.
- fixed timetable
- Specified times at which activities take place.
A live online lesson still follows a fixed timetable.
- practical access
- The ability to use an opportunity with the resources and circumstances available.
Removing travel does not guarantee practical access for someone without a suitable device or connection.
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