Do the preparation exercise first. Then watch the video and do the exercises to check your understanding and practise the language.
Transcript
Ana: Hi! I'm Ana. Welcome to What to Say!
Do you know what to say when you discuss advantages and disadvantages? Listen out for useful language for discussing advantages and disadvantages. Then, we'll practise saying the new phrases – after this.
Noelia: So, table tennis, bean bags, board games, video games! Hey, how about a trampoline?
Yuna: Stop right there. I love your ideas, Noelia, but a trampoline? Really?
Noelia: Absolutely. When do you have your best ideas?
Yuna: I don't know. Usually when I'm cooking, I suppose.
Noelia: Exactly. We often have our best ideas when we are away from our desks. The other day I was on a trampoline and the vision for the creativity room came to me.
Yuna: Why were you on a trampo…? Never mind. Look, on the one hand it's a lovely idea and it fits with our brand, but on the other hand it could be noisy and chaotic and maybe too much fun!
Noelia: But having fun helps you be creative, and being creative is vital to our business!
Yuna: I see what you mean, but I'm just not sure if a trampoline is necessary. Also, there could be an issue with the clients arriving at the office and seeing us all jumping around.
Noelia: I see where you're coming from, but I think our clients will love it! And there are lots of advantages to trampolining. It's good for the body and the mind.
Yuna: Maybe, but I can also see the disadvantages. What if someone hurts themselves?
Noelia: But we're all adults. And we can get extra insurance. Come on! It's a great idea!
Yuna: OK, I'll think about it.
Noelia: Perfect. I'll email you some links!
Yuna: I haven't said yes! Oh, Noelia!
Ana: Hello again! A trampoline in the office? Well, there's an idea! So, did you notice the useful phrases used for discussing advantages and disadvantages? Listen to me and then repeat.
On the one hand …, but on the other hand …
I see what you mean, but I'm just not sure.
There could be an issue with that.
I see where you're coming from, but I think they'll love it.
There are lots of advantages.
Maybe, but I can also see the disadvantages.
Ana: Try and use some of these phrases the next time you discuss advantages and disadvantages in English. Bye for now!
Hello Rafaela1,
'pro' is a common prefix (from Latin, which provided a lot of vocabulary for English over the centuries) that means 'in favour of'. 'con' is another common prefix, but in this case, as far as I know, it's an abbreviated form of 'contra', which is basically the opposite of 'pro'. So 'pro' means 'advantages' and 'cons' means 'disadvantages'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team