32. IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: Advantages & Disadvantages (Remote Work) — Tutorial, Template & Band 6–8 Samples

Example Box — Decoding the Prompt (Remote Work Pros & Cons)

Prompt: “Many companies allow employees to work remotely. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?”
Focus: Explain key benefits and drawbacks; keep tone balanced; no personal stance required.
Typical angles (choose 2 + 2): Pros → flexibility; commute/time savings; wider hiring; deep-work productivity. Cons → isolation; blurred boundaries; coordination issues; unequal home setups; data security.
Pitfall: Long lists with no depth. Prefer reason → mechanism → micro-example chains.

Example Box — Skeleton Plan (Remote Work)

Intro: Paraphrase + neutral outline.
Body 1 (Advantages): Flexibility/autonomy → mechanism (schedule control) → micro-example. Commute savings → mechanism (time/energy reallocated) → micro-example.
Body 2 (Disadvantages): Isolation/weak cohesion → mechanism (fewer informal interactions) → micro-example. Blurred boundaries → mechanism (overtime/burnout) → micro-example.
Conclusion: Synthesis of main pros/cons (and optional evaluation only if requested).

Example Box — High-impact Sentences

Intro line: “Many firms now permit remote work, a practice with clear benefits as well as non-trivial costs.”
Topic (Advantages): “Remote arrangements increase schedule control and reduce commuting, which can raise day-to-day efficiency.”
Mechanism: “When staff align tasks with their peak hours, complex work receives focused attention.”
Micro-example: “For instance, analysts who avoid a ninety-minute commute often start earlier and finish deeper work before meetings.”
Topic (Disadvantages): “However, distance weakens informal interactions that help teams solve problems quickly.”
Mechanism: “Without hallway conversations, coordination relies on scheduled calls and long message threads.”
Link-back: “This particularly affects new employees who need day-to-day mentoring.”
Conclusion line: “Overall, remote work trades flexibility for cohesion; its value depends on task type and support systems.”

Example Box — Quick Quality Checks

Balance: Are pros and cons treated with similar depth?
Development: Do points follow reason → mechanism → micro-example?
Cohesion: Are transitions and reference words clear and varied?
Accuracy: Articles/prepositions correct? Any run-ons removed?
Task focus: No opinion added unless the question demands it?

Sentence-by-Sentence Scaffold (Remote Work — Pros & Cons)

Intro S1 (Paraphrase): Many companies now allow staff to work from home or other locations.

Intro S2 (Outline): This essay examines the main advantages and disadvantages of this trend.

Body 1 S3 (Advantages — topic): Remote work offers benefits such as [… advantage 1 …] and [… advantage 2 …].

Body 1 S4 (Explain A1): Because [… mechanism …], employees can [… concrete outcome …].

Body 1 S5 (Micro-example A1): For example, [… short, plausible illustration …].

Body 1 S6 (Explain A2): In addition, [… mechanism …] often leads to [… outcome …].

Body 1 S7 (Micro-example A2): For instance, [… compact illustration …].

Body 1 S8 (Link back): Therefore, remote arrangements can be effective for people who prioritise […].

Body 2 S9 (Disadvantages — topic): However, there are notable drawbacks, including [… disadvantage 1 …] and [… disadvantage 2 …].

Body 2 S10 (Explain D1): When [… condition …], [… mechanism …] may reduce [… outcome …].

Body 2 S11 (Micro-example D1): For example, [… compact illustration …].

Body 2 S12 (Explain D2): Moreover, [… mechanism …] can result in [… outcome …].

Body 2 S13 (Micro-example D2): A case in point is [… short illustration …].

Body 2 S14 (Link back): Thus, remote work may be challenging for [… group/tasks …].

Conclusion S15 (Synthesis): In summary, remote work increases […] but can reduce […]. Its overall value depends on [… factors …].

Conclusion S16 (Optional — evaluation if asked): On balance, it is more/less suitable when [… brief condition …].

Paraphrase Options

P1: A growing number of firms now permit employees to work away from the office.
P2: Remote working has become widespread across many industries in recent years.

Neutral Outline Options

O1: This essay considers the principal advantages and disadvantages of this practice.
O2: The following paragraphs examine how remote work can both help and hinder employees and organisations.

Task Options (select one)

Tip: Default is 40 minutes. You can set your own time before starting.

IELTS Academic [Writing Task 2] — Advantages & Disadvantages

Many companies allow employees to work remotely. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

Write at least 250 words. Plan your essay, present two key advantages and two key disadvantages, explain the mechanisms, and use concise examples.

In recent years, many companies have allowed staff to work from home or from other places outside the office. This arrangement has both benefits and drawbacks that affect employees and organisations.

On the positive side, remote work gives people more control over their schedules. When employees can organise their day around their most productive hours, they often complete complex tasks with better focus. For example, a designer may choose to do creative work early in the morning and attend meetings later, which helps them protect deep-work time. In addition, cutting daily commutes saves time and money. Workers who no longer spend an hour travelling each way can use that time to rest, prepare, or learn new skills, which can improve performance. Reduced commuting also lowers stress and transport costs, which benefits families as well as staff health.

However, remote work also creates problems. One common issue is isolation. Without regular face-to-face contact, it is harder to build trust and resolve small questions quickly. A new employee, for instance, may hesitate to message a manager about a simple doubt, and small delays can slow a project. Another difficulty is blurred boundaries between work and home. When the computer is always nearby, people may answer messages late at night and find it difficult to switch off. Over time, this can lead to tiredness and lower motivation.

In conclusion, working remotely increases flexibility and reduces commuting time, but it can weaken teamwork and make it harder to maintain a healthy routine. The best results happen when companies provide clear rules, regular check-ins, and support for new team members. In that way, the advantages can be kept while the disadvantages are reduced.

1) The introduction paraphrases the topic and signals a balanced approach without adding an opinion.

2) Body 1 starts with a clear topic sentence that labels advantages to guide the reader.

3) Advantage 1 (schedule control) is explained with a simple cause-effect chain (control → focus → output).

4) A compact, realistic example (designer’s morning deep work) makes the idea concrete.

5) Advantage 2 (no commute) connects time saved to rest, preparation, and learning—plausible mechanisms.

6) Positive spillovers (lower stress/costs) broaden the benefit without exaggeration.

7) Body 2 mirrors the structure: a topic sentence announces disadvantages for coherence.

8) Disadvantage 1 (isolation) shows how fewer quick interactions slow decisions—clear mechanism.

9) The new-employee example is specific and believable, avoiding invented data.

10) Disadvantage 2 (blurred boundaries) links device proximity to overwork and fatigue logically.

11) Vocabulary is accurate and appropriate (e.g., “deep-work,” “switch off”) for Band-6 range.

12) Sentences are generally clear with some variety; few errors do not impede understanding.

13) The conclusion synthesises both sides and suggests practical conditions (rules, check-ins).

14) Tone is formal and balanced; claims are hedged (“can,” “may”) instead of absolute.

15) Paragraphing follows a simple four-part structure that matches Task-2 expectations.

A growing share of employers now support remote arrangements, enabling staff to complete tasks away from a central office. While this shift promises greater autonomy and efficiency, it also introduces risks for teamwork and personal wellbeing. This essay examines both sides of the change.

The first advantage is enhanced control over time and attention. When workers align demanding tasks with their peak energy, deep work receives uninterrupted focus and routine duties move to lower-energy periods. A data analyst, for instance, might schedule modelling in the early hours and leave calls for the afternoon, protecting concentration. A second benefit is the removal of daily commuting. Beyond saving money, the recovered time can be invested in sleep, exercise, or preparation, which often improves mood and quality of output. Teams also gain flexibility to recruit outside expensive urban centres, widening access to specialised skills.

Nonetheless, distance can undermine cohesion. Informal exchanges, which often unblock problems in minutes, are rarer online, so coordination relies on scheduled meetings and long message threads. This slows decisions and can disadvantage new hires who require frequent guidance. A further drawback is the erosion of boundaries. If notifications remain on, people drift into extended hours, and recovery shrinks. Over weeks, this raises fatigue and the risk of burnout. Additionally, homes differ: not everyone has a quiet, ergonomic space or reliable connectivity, which creates unequal conditions for productivity.

In short, remote work trades flexibility and broader talent access for weaker spontaneous collaboration and variable home setups. Organisations that design clear norms—such as limited meeting windows, asynchronous updates, and mentorship for newcomers—are more likely to preserve the benefits while reducing the costs.

1) The introduction paraphrases the prompt and previews analysis, keeping a formal, objective tone.

2) Topic sentence in Body 1 states the main advantage (control over time/attention) explicitly.

3) Cohesion is achieved through cause-effect chains (“align → focus → move routines”).

4) The analyst example is discipline-specific yet concise, strengthening plausibility.

5) Advantage 2 combines commute savings with wellbeing and output quality—well-linked ideas.

6) Additional benefit (wider hiring) extends the argument beyond individual to team level.

7) Body 2 mirrors structure for symmetry, aiding coherence and paragraph balance.

8) Mechanism of disadvantage is clear: fewer informal exchanges → slower decisions.

9) New-hire focus shows audience awareness: onboarding needs high-frequency support.

10) Boundary erosion is tied to notifications and recovery time—concrete, observable factors.

11) Equity issue (home setup/connectivity) introduces nuance and acknowledges variability.

12) Lexical range includes precise terms (asynchronous, cohesion, onboarding, burnout).

13) Grammar shows complex yet controlled sentences with accurate subordination and modifiers.

14) The conclusion synthesises and proposes policy-like norms—task-relevant recommendations.

15) Hedging (“more likely”) avoids absolute claims, improving academic tone.

Remote work has shifted from an emergency measure to a mainstream operating model in many sectors. Its appeal is clear: employees gain autonomy, and firms gain flexibility. Yet the same features that enable focus and reach can, paradoxically, dilute collaboration and strain wellbeing. This essay evaluates the principal benefits and costs.

The most cited advantage is control over attention. Freed from rigid office timetables, professionals can align cognitively heavy tasks with their personal peak hours and protect them from interruptions. A product researcher, for example, might cluster interviews across overlapping time zones while reserving mid-morning for analysis, thereby raising the quality of insights. A second benefit is the removal of commuting, which restores time and energy. When reclaimed hours are invested in sleep, exercise, or preparation, day-to-day decisions improve and error rates fall. At an organisational level, remote policies widen the hiring funnel, allowing teams to access niche expertise without the costs of relocation or metropolitan salaries.

However, the distance that enables autonomy also reduces spontaneous contact. Many problems are resolved not in formal meetings but in brief, unscheduled exchanges; online, these become calendar items or long threads, which slows feedback. New joiners, who rely on ambient learning, are particularly exposed. A second drawback concerns boundaries. If cues that signal “the workday is over” disappear, people drift into longer hours, compressing recovery and, over time, inviting burnout. Inequalities also surface: stable internet, quiet space, and ergonomic equipment are unevenly distributed, which can entrench performance gaps despite equal effort.

Overall, remote work exchanges flexibility and a broader talent pool for weaker informal coordination and uneven home conditions. Its net effect depends less on location than on design: limited meeting windows, clear documentation, mentorship for novices, and rights to disconnect help preserve the upside while containing the downside.

1) The opening frames the trend historically and sets up an evaluation, signalling a high-level overview.

2) The thesis compresses the trade-off into a neat contrast, previewing balanced treatment.

3) Topic sentence in Body 1 prioritises “control over attention,” a precise construct for productivity.

4) Mechanisms are explicit (peak hours, interruption control), revealing analytical depth.

5) The example integrates role, schedule, and outcome; it reads professional and credible.

6) Advantage 2 links commuting time to energy and decision quality—clear causal logic.

7) Team-level benefit (wider hiring) adds scale and economic realism (relocation, salaries).

8) Body 2 pivots with concessive language, keeping cohesion strong (“however,” “also”).

9) It distinguishes informal from formal coordination, a nuanced observation about workflow.

10) “Ambient learning” highlights the vulnerability of new joiners—audience awareness.

11) Boundary erosion is tied to missing end-of-day cues, demonstrating conceptual precision.

12) The burnout pathway is reasoned (longer hours → less recovery → cumulative strain).

13) Equity concerns (space, equipment, connectivity) add critical nuance and fairness.

14) Lexis is varied and precise (autonomy, informal coordination, entrench, net effect).

15) Grammar shows flexible control of complex structures without loss of clarity.

16) The conclusion synthesises and names actionable design levers, not new arguments.