Video summary

how to correctly answer "do the advantages OUTWEIGH the disadvantages" - ielts writing task 2

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas and concepts

  • Meaning of “outweigh” (IELTS Task 2)

    • “Outweigh” asks whether the significance/importance of the advantages is greater than the significance/importance of the disadvantages.
    • It does not mean you should count how many advantages vs. disadvantages there are.
    • If the question were about quantity, it would use words like “outnumber.”

  • Core essay approach

    • Because the prompt is about which side is more significant, it’s “100% correct” to write:
      • only one advantage (treated as the stronger side)
      • only one disadvantage (treated as smaller/inferior in impact)
    • This helps you fully develop ideas without writing too many words.

  • Essay structure demonstrated

    • Introduction
      • Paraphrase the prompt (carefully).
      • Give your opinion: advantages outweigh disadvantages.
      • Present two main ideas:
        1. one disadvantage (short-term harm)
        2. one advantage (new opportunities)
    • Body Paragraph 1 (Disadvantage)
      • Topic sentence states the disadvantage.
      • Use example-led development (prefer concrete examples over abstract reasons).
      • Then explain why this disadvantage is not very important, focusing on the contrast between short-term vs. long-term payoff.
    • Body Paragraph 2 (Advantage)
      • Topic sentence states the advantage.
      • Develop mostly with examples.
      • Emphasize why the advantage matters (life-changing opportunities).

  • Key writing tips

    • Prefer concrete examples to support ideas (easier than abstract reasoning and helps reduce word count).
    • When writing about the disadvantage, avoid irrelevant details—keep the focus on why short-term harm is not a major issue.
    • In the introduction, use original wording where needed (don’t over-change “important” incorrectly).
      • Example guidance: using “crucial/vital” may not work as cleanly as keeping “important” (due to word form/wording nuance).
    • Use vocabulary forms appropriately:
      • “important” → keep original (don’t swap to synonyms in the same way)
      • “risks” → can become “risky moves”
      • “professional lives” → can become “career”
      • “personal lives” → can become “private life”

Detailed methodology / instruction list (as presented)

  1. Step 1: Interpret the question correctly

    • Understand that outweigh = greater importance/significance, not numerical comparison.

  2. Step 2: Plan your essay with minimal but strong points

    • Write exactly one disadvantage.
    • Write exactly one advantage.
    • Ensure each one is developed enough to show why it matters.

  3. Step 3: Choose your disadvantage angle

    • Example chosen in the video: short-term harm.
    • Use a topic sentence like:
      • “Making a risky move may hurt a person short term.”
    • Clarify the time frame: focus on short term, not long term.

  4. Step 4: Develop the disadvantage using example-led writing

    • If you find reasons hard, use a direct example instead of abstract arguments.
    • Structure:
      • Topic sentence (disadvantage)
      • Concrete example (personal life and/or professional life)
      • Avoid repeating the same idea twice; you can state the “same can be true” for a related professional scenario.

  5. Step 5: Explain why the disadvantage is not significant

    • Keep it directly connected to the idea of hurting someone in the short term.
    • Use the logic:
      • short-term sacrifice → may pay off in the long run
    • Example of wording strategy:
      • “it can pay off in the long run”
      • “a short-term sacrifice should not be seen as a major disadvantage”

  6. Step 6: Choose and develop your advantage

    • Example chosen: new opportunities.
    • Topic sentence strategy:
      • “Taking risks brings you new opportunities.”
    • Develop with examples (rather than abstract reasons) to control word count, especially because Task 2 requires covering both personal and professional contexts.

  7. Step 7: In the introduction

    • Paraphrase the prompt with careful word choice:
      • Keep “important” rather than substituting awkward synonyms.
      • Use “risky” for “risks” (adjective form).
      • Use “career” for professional lives and “private life” for personal lives.
    • Then:
      • State your opinion clearly: advantages outweigh disadvantages.
      • Introduce the two main ideas you will discuss.

  8. Step 8: Write the conclusion

    • Restate:
      • your opinion
      • the two main ideas (short-term harm is outweighed by life-changing opportunities)

Examples included in the video (for illustration)

  • Disadvantage examples (short-term harm)

    • Personal life: Adults financially supported by parents may lose comfort if they stop relying on parents to pursue dreams.
    • Professional life: Career switch may require starting at the bottom and losing high income; big pay cut similarly leads to the same downside.

  • Advantage examples (new opportunities)

    • Personal life: Priscilla Chan’s grandparents moving from Vietnam to the US enabled Chan to study at Harvard and meet/ marry Mark Zuckerberg.
    • Professional life: Mark Zuckerberg dropping out of Harvard to build Facebook—if he hadn’t, another platform could have become the biggest instead of Facebook.

Speakers / sources featured (end)

  • Video speaker/teacher (unnamed): The host who teaches how to answer the Cambridge IELTS 17 question.
  • IELTS Simon: Referenced as the author of a blog post method called “example-led paragraphs.”
  • Priscilla Chan: Mentioned in an example.
  • Mark Zuckerberg: Mentioned in an example.
  • Mark Zuckerberg’s university (Harvard): Mentioned in an example.
  • Zuckerberg’s company (Facebook): Mentioned in an example.

Original video