Ielts writing task 2: Advantages and Disadvantages

Question

(Dear my teacher. Now, I am quite busy as I have to revise for other tests but I still try to practice my writing).

Tittle: In many part of the world, families were larger in the past because people had more children.

Do you think there were more advantages or disadvantages to being part of a large family in the past ?

Nowadays, each couple in marriage averages one or two children. However, in some countries in the world, there were a lot of extended families as people had more offspring. In my view, this situation brings both benefits and drawbacks.

There is some evidence to show advantages of a large family. Firstly, in ancient times, a large family had many children that they would learn social skills from each other. They knew how to organize teamwork effectively when they played games, shared lots of trivial things, and together overcame difficulties. Secondly, members of a large family knew their responsibilities of joining hands to make a warm home. For instance, offspring helped their parents do house chores and grandparents looked after their younger kids. That built more happinesses of a large family when everyone had supportive relationships.

On the other hand, undoubtedly an extended family, having many children always had a number of difficulties in bringing up them. If one parent was unemployed or earned less money, the other person would be under of pressure about economic burdens. For instance, they had to consider consumption of familial finance carefully to ensure enough necessary demand (such as food, clothes,...) for each member. In terms of education for kids, few children living in the poverty of a large family were likely to study at state schools due to low-income families.

In conclusion, I think there are more advantages of a large family, having more children several decades ago. Like my grandparents have four children, and all of them now are successful in their life, so, they look after their parents and protect them each other. (271 words)

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Nowadays, each married couple ~~in marriage~~ averages one or two children. However, in some countries in the world, there were a lot of extended families (wrong expression. An extended family is aunts, grandparents, uncles and cousins. The topic is about family sizes in the past compared to the present. You have not adequately paraphrased the topic.) as people had more offspring. (wrong word. Offspring is used more for animals.) In my view, this situation brings both benefits and drawbacks.

There is some evidence to show the advantages of a large family. ~~Firstly~~, First, in ancient times, a large family had many children so that they would learn social skills from each other. They knew how to organize teamwork effectively when they played games, shared lots of trivial things, and together overcame difficulties. ~~Secondly~~, Second, members of a large family knew their responsibilities of cooperating ~~joining hands~~ to make a warm home. For instance, ~~offspring~~ the little ones helped their parents do house chores and grandparents looked after their younger kids. That built more happinesses of a large family when everyone had supportive relationships.

On the other hand, undoubtedly an extended family, having many children always had a number of difficulties in bringing up them. If one parent was unemployed or earned less money, the other person would be under of pressure about economic burdens. For instance, they had to consider consumption of familial finance carefully to ensure enough necessary demand (such as food, clothes,...) (Do not use ellipses or "etc." in an essay.) for each member. In terms of education for kids, few children living in the poverty of a large family were likely to study at state schools due to low-income ~~families~~.

In conclusion, I think there are more advantages of a large family, ~~having more children several decades ago.~~ ~~Like~~ My grandparents have four children, and all of them now are successful in their life, so, they look after their parents and protect them each other. (Do not put new ideas in the conclusion. )

You completely missed the topic of this essay.

In the past, families were larger because modern conveniences did not exist.

Here are some reasons why families were larger, with 10 or more children, compared to the present where family sizes are one or two.

1. There was no birth control available to women, so women had babies nearly every year.
2. Most people were subsistence farmers. There were no modern machines to do the heavy farm work. Children, especially teenagers, could do a lot of work on the farm, planting crops, weeding and then harvesting. Staple crops, such as rice, millet and wheat needed to be prepared for storage. Even younger children could help by growing vegetables, feeding chickens and gathering eggs. They could also care for infants while their mothers worked around the house. There was a lot of housework, since labor-saving appliances were either non-existent or too expensive for most families to afford.
3. There was no modern medicine, so many children died childhood diseases such as measles, cholera, typhoid fever and malaria. Couples, even those living in cities, had to have a lot of children so some would grow up to be adults.
4. There was no government pension, so parent had to have adult children who would support them when they got too old to work.

Ielts writing task 2: Advantages and Disadvantages

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