Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Structure

Unit: Virtual Reality

Lesson Objectives:

• Analyze the structure of a for and against essay

• Generate ideas on a particular topic

• Write an for and against essay

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ESSAYS

Для написания «for and against» эссе нужно знать одно основное правило – не обозначать свою точку зрения. Это не требуется и даже не приветствуется.

Основной задачей является сохранение беспристрастной позиции относительно вопроса, который вы обсуждаете, таким образом, вашей задачей будет предоставление аргументов «ЗА», так и аргументов «ПРОТИВ», откуда собственно и название этого типа эссе.

Так как легче аргументировать точку зрения, с которой мы согласны, поэтому именно по этой причине этот тип эссе можно считать немного более сложным, ведь здесь вам необходимо предоставить одинаково веские аргументы относительно двух противоположных точек зрения.

Стиль – persuasive, register – formal.

Следует отметить, что еще одним отличием “FOR AND AGAINST” эссе от “ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE” эссе, которое часто путают как учащиеся, так и учителя, являются вспомогательные вопросы в задании: “Do advantages overweight disadvantage?”, “Discuss advantages and disadvantages of this and give your opinion”, etc.

Данные вопросы подразумевают мнение автора, что неуместно в “for and against” эссе. При написании “for and against” эссе необходимо обратить внимание на ПРИЧИНЫ

«за» и «против», в то время как “advantage and disadvantage” эссе требует преимуществ и недостатков.

Причина – это 1. явление, вызывающее, обусловливающее возникновение другого явления; 2. основание, предлог для каких-нибудь действий.

Преимущество – это 1. выгода, превосходство (В СРАВНЕНИИ с кем-чем-нибудь другим).

Рассмотрим работы “FOR AND AGAINST” эссе на тему:

При расшифровке задания важно обратить внимание на

“ Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your experience or knowledge.”

Интерпретация данного предложения НЕ означает включение примеров из личного опыта, касающиеся близких и знакомых людей для учащихся. Опыт или знания учащихся включают в себя уровень их познавательной деятельности и должны быть лимитированы общеизвестными фактами, событиями.

Introduction

How To Plan +/- Essay

Generate ideas

Idea 1: huge amounts of information is available

Idea 2: it can lead to plagiarism

Computers are becoming an essential part of education.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.

Essay Structure

How To Write an Introduction

A good introduction has a simple 3 part structure:

1)  General overview of the topic

2)  Paraphrased question

3)  Thesis statement

It should:

• Have 2-3 sentences
• Be 40-60 words long
• Take 5 minutes to write

How To Write an Introduction

1) Paraphrase the question

Computers are becoming an essential part of education.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.

Paraphrased question:  

Information technology is becoming a ubiquitous part of learning.

ubiquitous [juːˈbɪkwɪtəs] - widespread

How To Write an Introduction

2) Thesis & outline statements

Write a thesis statement where you state your opinion. Add an outline statement where you outline the two main points that you’ll cover in the rest of the essay (ideas 1 and 2 below).

Idea 1: huge amounts of information is available

Idea 2: it can lead to plagiarism

This essay will show that this is a welcome development and can enhance educational practice. It will first suggest that the instant availability of huge amounts of information is the primary advantage, followed by a discussion of how it can sometimes lead to plagiarism.

This essay will show that this is …………… . It will first suggest that …………………………. , followed by a discussion of ……………………………..

Information technology is becoming a ubiquitous part of learning. This essay will show that this is a welcome development and can enhance educational practice. It will first suggest that the instant availability of huge amounts of information is the primary advantage, followed by a discussion of how it can sometimes lead to plagiarism.

Essay Structure

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

The structure of a good main body paragraph has 3 parts:

• Topic sentence
• Explanation
• Example
• A short summary of ideas

Vocabulary to start the BODY PARAGRAPH 1:

The main/greatest/first advantage of… is …

How To Write Main Body Paragraph 1

Idea 1: huge amounts of information is available

The  topic sentence  summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Topic sentence :  

To begin with, the main benefit computers bring to learners is easy access to vast amounts of resources.

How To Write Main Body Paragraph 1

Idea 1: huge amounts of information is available

Next, we must write an  explanation sentence . This explains to the examiner what we mean. It expands on our first idea.

Explanation sentence : 

Learners were once limited to the books they had and the knowledge of their teacher, now they can learn about anything they choose at the touch of a button.

How To Write Main Body Paragraph 1

Idea 1: huge amounts of information is available

Next, we add an  example  to support our main point.

Example sentence :

Google is a prime example, because it allows people to easily search for whatever they are looking for quickly and accurately.

How To Write Main Body Paragraph 1

Idea 1: huge amounts of information is available

Finally, write a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph.

A short summary of ideas: 

Therefore, I believe it is a very positive development because most students will take advantage of the power of the information superhighway to enhance their studies.

Here’s the finished paragraph.

To begin with, the main benefit computers bring to learners is easy access to vast amounts of resources. Learners were once limited to the books they had and the knowledge of their teacher, now they can learn about anything they choose at the touch of a button. Google is a prime example, because it allows people to easily search for whatever they are looking for quickly and accurately. Therefore, I believe it is a very positive development because most students will take advantage of the power of the information superhighway to enhance their studies.

Essay Structure

How To Write Main Body Paragraph 2

Idea 2: it can lead to plagiarism

Conversely, one possible drawback is that using the internet to complete academic work can sometimes lead to pupils copying articles from the internet. As a result, students do not have to think about their tasks and learn very little. For instance, it is not a secret that sometimes college graduates copy and paste Wikipedia articles. Thus, overusing the internet leads to plagiarism, which has negative consequences on marking lessons.

Essay Structure

How To Write a Conclusion

In conclusion, the web has provided a gateway to knowledge, unlike anything seen before and although it can sometimes lead to a few taking the easy route and plagiarising, it is a very positive step in the evolution of education.

Space exploration enable the humanity to promote living standards.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of it?

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1

WRITING CRITERIA

Points

Writing includes:

2

• Write 180-220 words
• Introduction is well-paraphrased, synonyms are used, or sentence structure is modified.
• The thesis statement is clear; the writer discusses advantages and disadvantages of the statement and outlines the two reasons.

1

The body paragraph follows TEEL structure, i.e. contains topic sentence, explanation, examples and mini conclusion.

3

4

1

The ideas are logically connected; at least 2 advanced linkers are used. A wide range of vocabulary is skillfully used (at least 6 advanced words/phrases) .

1

The writer uses a range of grammar structures. No more than 2 mistakes are made.

1

4

• What was the least difficult task to do?
• What challenges do you still experience and why?

Some people think it a great idea for students to wear school uniforms, while others argue that students should be free to dress as they like for school. What are the advantages to forcing students to dress in school uniforms, and what are the disadvantages?

Discuss both sides, and support each view with logical facts, statistics, observations, examples etc.