‘DO THE ADVANTAGES OUTWEIGH THE DISADVANTAGES’ ESSAY

As transport and accommodation problems are increasing in many cities, some governments are
encouraging businesses to move to rural areas.
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Notes:
There are several compelling advantages to doing business in a rural area.
Advantage 1 : Lower Cost of Doing Business
Lower Overhead Expenses
Rural real estate prices are often significantly lower than in urban or suburban areas, making it easier for
businesses to purchase or lease property
Similarly, wages and salaries are often lower in rural areas due to the lower cost of living, which can help
businesses keep labor costs under control
Additionally, taxes and other regulatory burdens may be lower in rural areas, which can further reduce the
cost of doing business
Advantage 2: Lower Competition
offering similar products or services.
carve out a niche and establish themselves more easily.
Additionally, rural areas many offer access to underserved markets or customer segments that are
overlooked by larger competitors.
Stiff competition = rigorous competition
1 disadvantage: Slower Growth
Low annual revenues can characterize this sluggish growth
The slow growth is caused by the small customer base and the low cost of living in rural areas.
Many urban businesses witness fast growth due to unique selling points, customer services, and customer-
driven products.
2 disadvantage: Transport Infrastructure may be Inadequate(poor)
You might have to face another challenge of under-developed transportation infrastructure in rural areas.
Hence, it will impact your business operations if you depend on transportation
1. Alternatives to ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’
A) Benefits – drawbacks
B) Upsides – downsides
C) Positives – negatives
In some contexts, you can use words like: concerns/problems/issues – convenience
Don’t use words like pros and cons, pluses and minuses, merits and demerits
2. In the ‘do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages’ question, you need to come up with
at least two advantages and two disadvantages to address all parts of the question.
3. Mention your position in the introduction. Don’t use memorized sentences like ‘this essay
will discuss the advantages and disadvantages’
4. Write effective topic sentences
INTRODUCTION:
Introduction must have at least these two things:
A) Introduce the topic by paraphrasing the question
B) Present your position – answer the question
C) Sometimes, you can also include something called ‘a background statement’ but it is not
necessary.
How to paraphrase the question:
Ideal way(for advanced users): read the question, understand it, close the question, and re-produce
a sentence with similar meaning.
Example: Noise pollution has become a major problem in cities.
Other ways:
a) Use synonyms
b) Change the tenses – passives into actives or actives into passives
c) Change the word formation: noun to adjectives, adjectives to adverbs, noun to verbs
d) Combine all these
History is important = history has importance
Learn = learning
History is significant
To improve your paraphrasing skills I recommend this grammar book(I’ll send the pdf to the group):
USE OF ENGLISH by Harrison Mark =
Let’s write the essay now:
As transport and accommodation problems are increasing in many cities, some governments are
encouraging businesses to move to rural areas.
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
My position: advantages outweigh the disadvantages
Outweigh = to be more important/significant
Due to problems with transport and accommodation, many businesses are now relocating from urban
centers to rural areas.
Version 1: Problems related to transport and accommodation are forcing many businesses to relocate
from urban centers to rural areas. While there are some downsides to moving to rural areas, they are
outweighed by the benefits.
Version 2: Problems related to transport and accommodation are forcing many businesses to relocate
from urban centers to rural areas. The downsides of moving to rural areas can include slower growth for
businesses and inadequate transport infrastructure but these drawbacks are outweighed by the benefits,
such as the lower cost of doing business and lack of competition.
One disadvantage of opening a business in rural areas is the slow rate of growth. Many urban businesses
witness faster growth thanks to unique selling points, customer services and customer-driven products,
while in rural areas, businesses may have smaller customer base and the cost of living in these areas is
also lower. This often means that it may take longer for a business to thrive than those in urban areas.
Poor transport infrastructure can be another drawback. This especially poses a challenge for businesses
that rely on transportation. For example, businesses that import or export products can be at a
disadvantage as they may face delays in delivering or receiving goods due to the lack of adequate
infrastructure.
However, the advantages of establishing businesses in rural areas are far greater. One of the major
benefits is the costs associated with starting a business. This reduction in costs can be due to lower
overhead expenses, cheaper real estate prices, and lower labor costs, which can lead to long-term savings.
Money saved can be invested in improving the business. Moreover, businesses often face less rigorous
competition in rural areas. In cities, companies usually have to compete with many others that offer
similar service or product but in rural places, it is easier for companies to succeed with less competition.
In conclusion, relocating businesses to rural areas may entail several challenges for companies, such as
sluggish growth and poor infrastructure. However, the upsides are much more significant, including
reduced expenses to start a business and less competition.

The best conclusion is the one that summarizes the main points of the essay.
NOTE: DO NOT START THE SECOND BODY PARAGRAPH BY GIVING MAIN IDEAS!
INSTEAD, INCLUDE A BRIDGE FOR A SMOOTHER TRANSITION
THIS BRIDGE IS USUALLY RE-STATEMENT OF YOUR POSITION!
Can I present the reason(s) Can I make comparisons? Can I present a result? Can I give any examples?
What do I mean by this?

The slow rate of growth is one disadvantage of opening a business in rural areas.
Effective topic sentences include two or three things: A) main point B) you need to link the main
point to the topic of the essay C) mention what that main point is – whether it is an
advantage/disadvantage/effect/reason/solution
NOTE: Start with the part that you didn’t agree with

Transport Infrastructure may be Inadequate = inadequate transport infrastructure.

People in cities often complain about noise pollution.