IELTS: Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet

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Let's talk about Internet access and its advantages and disadvantages. 

This lesson will help you expand your vocabulary as well as prepare for the IELTS Speaking and Writing test. Take notes of new phrases and brainstorm some other ideas how people can benefit from using the Internet and possible disadvantages of that. 

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ADVANTAGES 

• One of the main advantages of using the Internet is being able to look for information online. Most people nowadays have Internet access and they can easily do an Internet search to find the type of information they need for their job or studies. 
• Students can benefit enormously from taking online courses and e-learning in general. Online education is easily accessible to people of all ages and cultural background. The Internet is changing the way people learn because its users have access to a variety of online sources of information such as e-books, blogs, video and audio lessons, and so much more. 
• The Internet can be of benefit to people in many different ways. For example, they can buy books, clothes and food online, book their holidays online, pay their bills, and so on. Not only is this convenient, but it also saves a lot of time. 
• Other benefits of the Internet for most people are that they can send unlimited amounts of emails and files as attachments. 
• The Internet has enabled us to interact with others through instant messaging, Internet forums, and social networking. All that can be of benefit to people to some extent. It is easy to be in touch with the people you care about, especially when you live some distance away. 

VOCABULARY

• search/look for information 
• have Internet access | have access to the Internet 
• do an Internet search - look for information on the Internet 
• Internet users 
• ​be of benefit to someone/something 
• accessible to somebody (Example: The course is accessible to students all around the world.) 
• to enable somebody to do something - to make it possible for somebody to do something
• distance away (= quite far away) 
• spend time doing something (spend time surfing the net = navigating around the Internet) 

DISADVANTAGES 

• One main disadvantage of using the Internet is that people can spend too much time surfing the net in search of the information they need. It is easy for people to lose track of time when they go online, and besides that there are plenty of distractions such as links to other pages or advertisements.  
• The drawback of e-learning is that it is not the same as learning in the classroom. As a result, e-learners may miss a 'live' teacher as well as face-to-face interaction with other students. Similarly, e-books don't feel the same as real books, and that's why some people prefer to read paperback books instead. 
• The Internet can be really convenient when it comes to shopping online, but one disadvantage is that people don't actually see the product until it's delivered to their home and they might find it different from what their expect. That's quite a common problem, especially for clothing, but I guess for other things as well. 
• One main drawback of the Internet is that you get much spam. As it is not relevant to you, it requires you to get rid of it regularly, which means deleting emails day after day. It can be quite annoying for most people. 
• There are a number of drawbacks to Internet use. For example, there is a high risk of fraud online because criminals try to get access to people's personal data. Apart from that, there are other threats online such as viruses, phishing, and so on. 

VOCABULARY

• in search of something - looking for something 
• lose track - to no longer know what is happening 
• go online - use the Internet 
• drawback (of/to something) / (drawback of/to doing something) - a disadvantage or problem that makes something a less attractive idea (drawback of e-learning | drawback of learning online) 
• a paperback book/edition 
• day after day (Idiom) - each day repeatedly (used especially when something is boring or annoying) 

Exercise 

Complete the sentences by writing the correct preposition (from, to, over, of) in each gap. 

1. People of all ages can benefit ............... using the Internet. 
2. One of the advantages ............... shopping online is that it it cost effective. 
3. Let's talk about the benefits ............... e-learning. 
4. For an e-learner, it is a significant advantage ............... have a reliable Internet connection. 
5. Being able to work at your own pace is one of the main advantages ............... online education. 
6. People can benefit a lot ............... e-learning, and there are obvious advantages ............... online study. 
7. Learning with a teacher has many advantages ............... self-study. 
8. There are several drawbacks ............... online shopping. 
9. Since technology has become a major part of our daily life, the Internet can be of benefit ............... anyone interested in learning online. 
10. One disadvantage ............... young people using the Internet is the number of websites which contain offensive materials. 

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Answers: 
1. from; 2. of; 3. of; 4. to; 5. of; 6. from, to; 7. over; 8. to; 9. to; 10. of 


Click below to read some of our IELTS related lessons: 
Discourse Markers for IELTS Speaking and Everyday English 
Causes and Effects of Migration from Rural Areas to Cities 
IELTS Speaking Test: Means of Transport 
IELTS Speaking Test: Arriving Early and Being Patient 
IELTS Speaking Test: Places That Tourists Visit and Being a Tourist 


Other lessons: 
City Life - Going out 
Cities - Talk about your area 
Cities - Advantages and Disadvantages of Urban Life 
Countryside - Advantages and Disadvantages of Rural Life 


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