Example
benefit (noun)
A good effect or result; the closest swap.
The main benefit of working from home is the time saved on commuting.
Written by Fizza Butool Zaidi and Ali Zaidi
11 alternatives
A good effect or result; the closest swap.
The main benefit of working from home is the time saved on commuting.
A good quality; often plural in 'the merits of'.
Both approaches have their merits, but the second is cheaper.
A good feature of a plan, system or person.
One strength of the scheme is that it costs taxpayers very little.
A person or thing that is useful or valuable.
Speaking a second language is a real asset in the job market.
Something obtained, often economic.
The economic gains from tourism are rarely shared evenly.
An advantage over others in a competition.
Work experience gives graduates an edge over other applicants.
Something very helpful; slightly journalistic.
Online banking has been a boon for people living far from towns.
The positive side of a situation; semi-informal.
The upside of living in a small town is that everything is close by.
An advantage; informal.
The flat is small, but being near the station is a big plus.
Advantages, in the phrase 'pros and cons'.
There are pros and cons to studying abroad, but for me the pros win.
Don't swap blindly: Fine in speech; in Task 2 'advantages and disadvantages' is more formal.
What makes something attractive.
The appeal of city life lies mainly in its job opportunities.
Don't swap blindly: Appeal is about attraction, not about practical benefit.
Paraphrasing
Band tip: the public IELTS Writing band descriptors for Lexical Resource describe Band 7 as using “less common lexical items” with “some awareness of style and collocation”. A synonym that changes your meaning or breaks a collocation works against you, so choose the word that fits the sentence, not the rarest one you know.
In context
The most obvious benefit of starting a second language early is pronunciation, since young children copy sounds more accurately than adults. A further strength of early teaching is that it gives pupils more years of study before they leave school, which can be a real asset when they apply for jobs that require international communication.
Benefit is the closest. Merit and strength are good for the positive qualities of a plan or idea, asset for a useful skill or person, and edge for an advantage over competitors.
It is understood and not wrong, but 'advantages and disadvantages' or 'benefits and drawbacks' is more formal. Use 'pros and cons' in Speaking.
An advantage is a feature that puts something in a better position than an alternative. A benefit is a good result for someone. They overlap so often that you can usually alternate them.
Name the advantage in the first sentence: 'The main benefit of X is Y.' Then explain why and give an example.
Practise
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