In today's lesson, we're going to use the following Task 2 question to demonstrate language patterns that compare or contrast topics in an appropriately academic way:

Some people think cars are better than bicycles when transiting a city. What is your opinion? Discuss both views in your response.

Here are some comparative linking language examples that will be helpful to the response:
however
although
on the one hand / on the other hand

As can be expected, comparative adjectives will also play a central role when comparing and contrasting cars with bicycles:
faster
greater capacity
more
less
unlike (As in 'Unlike bicycles, cars allow...')

Other transition language will be used to help the essay sequence its comparing and contrasting points:
firstly
secondly
further
also
in addition to this
thus
therefore
because

Read the example essay below and see if you can identify some of the above language. Then watch my video on the subject of comparing and contrasting items in academic English:

There are benefits and drawbacks to both cars and bicycles when transiting a city. This essay will examine these areas before declaring a position.

The obvious advantage of travelling around a city by car is speed. For example, a car could get its driver from one side of New York City to the other in only a few hours. This, however, would simply not be possible by bicycle. Further, unlike bicycles, cars allow travellers to take a large number of items with them, a trait that is especially useful to professionals commuting to and from work. Thus, there is clearly merit to the argument that cars are better than bicycles for certain kinds of city-based travel.

Bicycles nevertheless have their own unique advantages when used to traverse a city. For one, they enhance the cleanliness of a city, as bicycles do not produce harmful emissions. Secondly, because bicycles are small enough to navigate their way between cars, they are less prone to delays in traffic jams. They also do not require parking spaces, which is a difficult to find and expensive necessity for cars. Therefore, although they may not be entirely practical for all forms of city travel, bicycles can greatly reduce travel times across short distances.

Because both sides of this debate present valid and convincing arguments, it is difficult to declare one form of transport universally better than the other. It must therefore be concluded that the effectiveness of both car and bicycle travel within a city depends on the specific circumstances of the traveller.