Cards to cut up/ Suggested answers
| However, this disadvantage is insignificant if we | (take the time to) | consider… |
| A | (comparatively/ very) | minor drawback could be… |
| A | (far/ significantly) | more important selling point of this idea is… |
| An | (additional) | advantage of this way of looking at things is… |
| The many possible arguments in support | (of this choice) | include… |
| As | (has been) | shown above, there are arguments for and against… |
| As we have seen | (above) | , there are advantages and disadvantages to… |
| Despite | (all of) | this,… |
| Eliminating the | (two) | least important factors,… |
| Even though | (all) | that is true,… |
| It is difficult to find any merit in this | (response) | at all. |
| Nevertheless, it cannot be denied | (by the authors of this paper) | that… |
| One of the main | (most significant) | merits of this course of action would be… |
| The good points | (easily) | outweigh the bad points. |
| The main argument in support of this policy is | (often) | said to be… |
| The most significant of those | (positive) | effects is most probably… |
| The overwhelming merit of this | (course of) | action is likely to be… |
| There are | (both) | pros and cons to these research methods. |
| There are far more benefits than | (there are) | drawbacks, so…. |
| Turning | (now) | to the other side of the argument,… |
| Turning from the positive aspects to the | (greater number of) | negative ones,… |
| We can balance against this potential minus the | very | real pluses of… |
| Weighing up | (all) | the pluses and minuses described above,… |
Instructions for the teacher
Give out a pack of cards with just the left and right hand columns above shuffled up to each group of two to four students. Ask them to match up the beginnings and endings to make sentences to look at both sides of an argument. When a few groups think they have finished, give out a pack of cards with the middle column of optional words to each group and ask them to put them into the middle of their sentences, using that to check their answers to the previous task.
Give out un-cut-up versions of the worksheet above for them to check their answers with, asking them to check any other matches which they think are possible with you.
Ask them to test each other in their groups, for example
– Saying the full phrase and seeing if their partner can remove the middle part
– Saying the left and middle part and seeing if their partner can complete it
– Saying the short part and seeing if their partner can add anything
– Giving a key word or two and seeing if their partner can complete the phrase
They can then try to use the phrases on the cards in a speaking activity, for example dealing out the cards and using those words as they brainstorm advantages and disadvantages of something and then debate a conclusion.
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PDF for easy saving and printing: dis-advantages-longer-phrases
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