Weighing It Up

Comparatives, evaluation language, and the vocabulary of pros and cons

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Living in the city vs living in the countryside — which do you prefer? Why?

Most people answer this with "I prefer X because..." and stop. But really interesting speakers present BOTH sides — even if they have a clear preference. That's what makes an opinion sound intelligent rather than just personal.

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Can you name one good thing and one bad thing about your current job / studies / living situation? Try to be specific.

Today: comparatives for measuring, evaluation words for judging, and the grammar of pros and cons.

The Grammar of Comparison

To discuss advantages and disadvantages properly, you need comparatives and specific evaluation structures:

1. Comparatives for Measuring

"Living alone is more expensive, but it's also more peaceful."

"Public transport is cheaper than driving, but less convenient."

"It's not as risky as people think." / "It's far more practical."

Short adjectives: -er (cheaper, safer). Long adjectives: more + adj (more convenient, more practical). "Not as... as" for negative comparison. "Far/much + more" for emphasis.

2. "The more..., the more..."

"The more you practise, the easier it gets."

"The bigger the city, the higher the cost of living."

"The more flexible the job, the less structured your day."

This structure shows how two things are connected. One changes → the other changes too. Very useful for discussing consequences.

When do I use "more" and when do I use "-er"?

One syllable: add -er → cheaper, faster, safer

Two syllables ending in -y: change to -ier → easier, healthier

Two+ syllables: use "more" → more expensive, more convenient

Irregulars: good → better, bad → worse, far → further

3. Evaluation Structures

"The main advantage is that..." / "One benefit is that..."

"On the downside, ..." / "The biggest drawback is..."

"While it has the advantage of being flexible, it also has the disadvantage of being unstable."

Notice: "advantage/benefit" for good things, "disadvantage/drawback/downside" for bad things. The strongest pattern combines both in one sentence using "while".

4. Weighing Up & Concluding

"On balance, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."

"Overall, the benefits are greater than the risks."

"Taking everything into account, I'd say it's worth it."

"Outweigh" = one side is heavier/more important. This is the key word for balanced conclusions.

Try it
"Owning a car vs using public transport" — Give one advantage and one disadvantage of each. Use a comparative, "the more... the more...", and a "while" sentence. Conclude with "on balance."

Word Power

Tap to reveal. These are the words for evaluating and comparing.

Positive Evaluation

advantage
positive point — "The main advantage is the flexibility"
benefit
good result — "A key benefit is better health"
strength
strong point — "Its main strength is the price"
upside
positive side — "The upside is you save time"
worthwhile
worth the effort — "It's worthwhile despite the cost"

Negative Evaluation

disadvantage
negative point — "A major disadvantage is the cost"
drawback
problem/downside — "The main drawback is the commute"
downside
negative side — "The downside is you lose free time"
weakness
weak point — "Its biggest weakness is reliability"
trade-off
you gain one thing but lose another — "There's always a trade-off between cost and quality"

Weighing-Up Language

outweigh
be greater than — "The benefits outweigh the risks"
on balance
considering everything — "On balance, I'd recommend it"
taking everything into account
considering all factors — formal conclusion phrase
it depends on
the answer changes — "It depends on your priorities"
make up for
compensate — "The salary makes up for the long hours"
Challenge
Close all cards. From memory: name three positive evaluation words, three negative evaluation words, and two weighing-up phrases. Now use them to evaluate: "Is it worth learning a second language?"

The Weighing Game

In each round, give at least two advantages and two disadvantages, then reach a conclusion. You have 90 seconds per round.

1:30
Round 1
Working for yourself vs working for a company

Think about money, freedom, security, stress, and social life.

Must use: "The main advantage is..." + "On the downside..." + a comparative

Round 2
Living abroad vs staying in your home country

Consider culture, career, family, language, and personal growth.

Must use: "While it has the advantage of..." + "the more..., the more..." + "trade-off"

Round 3
Online shopping vs shopping in physical stores

Think about convenience, experience, returns, environment, and supporting local businesses.

Must use: "A key benefit is..." + "drawback" + "not as... as" + "on balance"

Round 4 — The Big One (2 minutes)
Should your country invest more in technology or in nature/environment?

Present both sides with specific advantages and disadvantages. Use comparatives to show which matters more. Give a balanced conclusion.

Must use: at least 5 different evaluation words/phrases + "outweigh" in your conclusion

Recall Zone

From CT-27: Seeing Both Sides
Name three ways to acknowledge someone else's view before giving your own.

"I can see why people think..." / "There's some truth to..." / "While I understand the argument..."

Acknowledging + evaluating = the complete balanced answer. Use CT-27 phrases for the acknowledgment, then CT-28 phrases for the evaluation.

From CT-26: Defining the Undefinable
How do you connect abstract ideas using "closely linked to" and "comes down to"?

"Trust is closely linked to honesty" / "In the end, happiness comes down to relationships"

When weighing advantages and disadvantages, you often need abstract language: "The trade-off comes down to freedom vs security."

From CT-25: Talking About Progress
How do you use comparatives to describe change over time?

"I'm much better at..." / "It's easier now..." / "I'm not as nervous as I used to be..."

The same comparative structures work for evaluating: "Online learning is more flexible, but not as social as classroom learning."

What did you learn?

Final challenge
"Is social media a good thing or a bad thing?" — 2 minutes. Give at least 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages, use comparatives, and finish with a "taking everything into account" conclusion. No notes.

Being able to present both sides of an argument — even when you have a strong opinion — is what separates a good speaker from a great one.

← CT-27