Improving Sentences: E-books and paper books

Improve your academic writing skills for IELTS writing task 2.

In recent years, more and more people are choosing to read e-books rather than paper books.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

The statements below are taken from a student’s essay and contain some mistakes. Can you re-write these sentences so that they are not only correct but also higher band score?

  1. In my point of view, reading digital books have more advantages compared with printed books.
  2. First and foremost, E-book is been accessed, nowadays, easily by the people in a fraction of seconds through the advanced modern communication technologies.
  3. Secondly, buying an electronic version books are easier than the printed paper books.
  4. On the other hand, People health will affect when they spend more time to read books by using the modern gadgets such as laptop, mobile phones and tablets.
  5. In conclusion, in my view, electronic version books bring more pleasure and easily to access.

Try writing the sentences for yourself before you check the answers.Answers

  1. In my opinion, reading digital books has more advantages compared to printed books. (“reading digital books” is the subject and it is actually singular so the verb must be “has” not “have”)
  2. First and foremost, e-books can be easily accessed by people in only a fraction of a second through the use of advanced modern technology. ( The phrase “a fraction of a second” can’t be plural and must be written as it is. It’s a nice phrase to use and can be used for academic writing – just make sure you write it correctly)
  3. Secondly, buying electronic books online is easier for the consumer than purchasing printed paper books.
  4. On the other hand, spending too much time reading e-books on bright screens from gadgets such as laptops or tablets, can have an adverse effect on people’s health.
  5. In conclusion, I think that e-books are more accessible to both read and buy for the consumer than conventional paper books.

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Comments

  1. Javokhirbek Niyozov says

    E-books have become increasingly popular as reading options over physical books. I believe that the benefits of this trend far overshadow the drawbacks.

    One of the main disadvantages of reading digital books could be the harm it causes to human eyes. Staring at the screen when reading e-books for a prolonged period may cause strain on the eyes, whereas one can enjoy reading paper books as long as they wish with the proper lighting. Furthermore, eBooks may not always be accessible; readers sometimes struggle to find some old or scientific books in a digital format, as they are often available in a physical format in libraries. In addition, another drawback of e-books may be that they lack the tactile and sensory experience of a physical book. Most people find it joyful to experience the feeling of turning the pages, smelling the ink, and the overall authenticity of traditional books.

    However, there are plenty of convincing reasons for digital books to become more popular and advantageous. Firstly, the mobility of eBooks is one of the main factors contributing to their popularity. Digital books are portable and lighter than printed books, and a single device may accommodate a whole library with thousands of them. Secondly, e-books are often remarkably cheaper than their physical counterparts, making them affordable for many readers. Moreover, it requires the cutting of a huge number of trees in order to produce paper and print physical books, which, as a result, harms the environment. In contrast, digital books do not require any paper, ink, or energy, making them more environmentally friendly than conventional books.

    To conclude, despite having some minor disadvantages, I believe the benefits of e-reading outweigh the drawbacks. Electronic books are convenient, accessible, and affordable, making them a substantially popular choice among readers.

  2. Md kamruzzaman says

    This website is really helpful for ielts. I have learnt many things from this website. Thanks a lot madam for your kind cooperation and help.

  3. Is it important to follow the (task 2)structure,introduction like….paraphrase,thesis,outline.
    Body paragraph 1
    ●topic sentence
    ●reason
    ●example
    ●effect
    Same as second body paragraph.
    Actually i am baffled about this structure because I do not understand how I write in example.
    Please tell me, how I can do😕

    • No. You should not be fixing a structure like that. It is completely inflexible and not suitable for all essays. The content of your body paragraphs depends on the ideas you use. The body paragraphs are simply – main idea followed by explanation in whatever form suits the idea. See my model essays and see the flexible range of developing ideas: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

  4. Hello, Liz! This is my first time to take IELTS. Could you please tell me that – In Writing task2 essay conclusion part, can we write “By considering both sides of the views, i would like to conclude that” following by my opinion. Can we write like that in discussion types of essays?

    • Don’t memorise long chunks of language!! Memorise linking words, but not 13 words in a row. IELTS do not accept memorised language and you are not given a higher mark for it.

  5. Hey Liz
    I bought your lesson on Advantage Disadvantage essay and learnt the intricacies thoroughly. However, i still have a doubt. The above question talks about e-books and then mentions paper books in the statement. So do i have to follow the same order while writing the essay or can i alter it?
    In your lesson on the same topic, when you discuss about the essay on ‘advantages outweigh disadvantages’ you have followed the same logical order as mentioned in topic question (topic about children doing paid work)
    can i talk about paper book first(admittedly, there are some basic benefits of using paper books…) and then mention e-books (nevertheless, despite the advantages..)?
    Is it alright to change the order?

    • Always have a logical structure. The order in your introduction will be the order in your essay. Also use clear signposts in your essay so the reader knows immediately which paragraph is about which issue. The examiner is testing logical organisation and clear linking.

  6. hi liz,
    should i write the advantages or disadvantages ?
    thank you .

  7. Christina says

    Hello,Liz! This is my first time to take ielts..could you please have a look at my essay and give me your feedback 🙂

    Nowadays, a majority of people choose to rely on electronic gadgets to read rather than traditional books.Despite of the daggers drawn as a results of e-books, it has numerous merits.

    First of all, it is preferable to choose e-books as they are convenient and extremely portable. For instance,instead of packing a bunch of books to keep your self entertained while you are on a holiday, you can carry a pocket-size device where you can store multiple books of different genres.Apart from its convenience, it is possible to magnify and adjust the font and size of the words according to the reader’s preference and therefore, it makes it enjoyable to read.This is also a blessing to people who has eye-related problems. Moreover, probably many people spend most of their money on buying new books. It is affordable to buy a laptop or an ipad instead of wasting your money on printed counterparts.

    However, on the other hand, it is perceived that e-books possess numerous negative impacts. People tend to spend innumerable hours glued to the device to read a story. This possibly has myriads detrimental health hazards. For example, radiations can destroy your nerve cells,not only this but excessive use of electronic devices damages your eyes as well.

    In conclusion, too much of anything ruins it. E-books receives many tremendous benefits to people.So, to avoid missing any of them and protect yourself from their harms, it is advisable to limit the number of reading hours.

      • In “advantages outweigh disadvantages” essays, if we are taking side of “advantages”, do we need to mention disadvantages?im bit confused about tgis type of essays

        • “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” This means if you agree the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, you need to show that the advantages are more important and the disadvantages are less important. As you see, you tackle both but lean clearly to one side more than the other side. This means you don’t choose one side and ignore the other – you tackle both but with a very clear position of each.

  8. maria cavaco says

    Thank you so much, it really helped and I will keep practicing until I get it better. Thank you again for your help and for all your dedication.

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