Plan this problem and solution essay about family with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many parents work such long hours that they spend little time with their children.
What are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Many parents work such long hours that they spend little time with their children. This essay will discuss the causes of this problem and suggest some solutions.
The main cause is economic pressure. In many countries, the cost of housing and living is so high that both parents must work full-time, and some take extra jobs just to cover essential expenses. Long commutes in large cities further reduce the hours available at home. A second cause is workplace culture. Some employers expect staff to stay late, to answer messages at home and to avoid taking leave, and employees fear that refusing may harm their careers. Ambition plays a part as well: some parents prioritise promotion and income, believing that they are providing a better future for their children, even when this means missing daily family life.
Solutions require action by employers, governments and parents. Employers can introduce flexible hours, remote working and a limit on overtime, which would allow parents to collect children from school or eat dinner together. Governments can support families through paid parental leave, affordable childcare and shorter standard working weeks; Sweden, for example, provides generous leave for both parents and has high levels of employment together with strong family involvement. Parents can make the time they do have count, by switching off phones during meals, reading with children at bedtime and setting aside weekends for shared activities. Quality of time matters as much as quantity.
In conclusion, financial pressure and demanding workplaces explain why parents spend so little time with their children. Flexible employment, government support and conscious family habits would help parents to be more present in their children's lives.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| quality time | time fully spent paying attention to someone |
| long working hours | many hours spent at a job |
| parental leave | time off work to care for a child |
| flexible working | ability to choose when and where to work |
| emotional bond | close feeling between people |
| work-life balance | healthy division between work and home |
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