IELTS Writing 2 Topic: The tradition that the family gets together to eat meals is disappearing
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In IELTS Writing Task 2, students are asked to write a formal essay of at least 250 words, in 4-5 paragraphs based on the given Writing Task 2 essay topics. The task is similar for both Academic and General Training with regards to the type of questions and the scoring, but the topics given for General Training will be slightly easier than Academic. Given below is a cause and effect essay with a sample answer that will help you to practise and get a good score.
The tradition that the family gets together to eat meals is disappearing. What are the reasons? What are the impacts? OR
In many countries, the tradition of families having meals together is disappearing. Why is this happening? What will be the effect of it on the family and society?
Essay Plan :
Introduction : comment on the statement, state that you will discuss some reasons and impacts.
Paragraph 2 : reasons (1) children eat in front of the TV (2) close-knit family is disappearing – so no regular mealtimes.
Paragraph 3 : impacts (1) on family life – stability of family routine impacts on upbringing of children (2) on children’s health – they develop unhealthy eating habits, leading to disorders.
Conclusion : some reasons can be identified and the impacts are serious.
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Essay :
The traditional family mealtime is indeed becoming a thing of the past. There are some reasons which can explain this changing pattern of behaviour, and there are significant impacts on family life and health.
There are two obvious reasons why families no longer share mealtimes as they used to do in the past. Firstly, children are often too impatient to eat at the table, and parents sometimes allow them to have their meal in front of the TV or sitting in front of the computer. Secondly, the close-knit family is disappearing in the face of economic pressures. In single-parent households or families with working mothers, it can be almost impossible to arrange regular times for meals when all the family is together.
The consequences for family life and children’s health are dire. From the perspective of the family, meals taken together are a critical feature of a stable family background. This stability of family routine is an essential factor in shaping children’s personality during their formative years. Family mealtimes are a time to share news, give guidance and to make plans together. In terms of children’s health, family meals were an opportunity to provide all the family members with a healthier diet, based on wholesome home-made food. Without this routine, children are sometimes left to have snacks, or eat junk food at fast-food chains. Health consequences such as obesity and hyperactivity often result when youngsters fail to eat a balanced diet, such as used to be provided at family mealtimes.
In conclusion, some reasons can be identified for the decline in shared family meals, and the impacts are overwhelmingly negative.
Vocabulary :
Family and Children :
- patterns of behaviour
- Meaning: ways of acting and doing things (either positive or negative).
Example: Patterns of behaviour copied from parents often influence the way that children grow up. - a close-knit family
- Meaning: a family having strong relationships with each other, helping with problems and enjoying a lot of time together.
Example: Children who come from a close-knit family generally perform well at school and enjoy a happy childhood. - a single-parent household
- Meaning: a family in which one parent takes care of the children without the help of a husband, wife or partner.
Example: As a result of changes in society, single-parent households are no longer considered unusual. - working mothers
- Meaning: women who have a job and also have to take care of their children. Example: As more and more women have entered the workforce, working mothers have to balance the demands of home and work.
- family background
- Meaning: the details of a person’s family life
Example: Criminals sometimes have a bad family background, neglected or abused by parents. - to shape a child’s personality
- Meaning: to decide or influence the form of a child’s personality.
Example: Parents are very influential in shaping their children’s personality through the example that they set. - formative years
- Meaning: A period of a person’s life, usually childhood, that has a big influence on the person that they become later in life.
Example: UNICEF states that the early childhood years from birth through age 8 are formative years in terms of intelligence, personality and social behaviour.
Food and Diet :
- to provide somebody with a healthier diet
- Meaning: to give somebody a diet which is more healthy than that which they have at present.
Example: Eating only fresh fruit and vegetables provides people with a healthier diet. - home-made food
- Meaning: food which is prepared at home using individual ingredients.
Example: In developed countries, the young generation must rediscover the art of preparing home-made food, as part of a healthy lifestyle. - to have a snack
- Meaning: to eat a small amount of food between main meals.
Example: Unless people are doing vigorous exercise, it is a bad habit to have a snack between meals. - junk food
- Meaning: food that is quick and easy to prepare and eat, but that is thought to be bad for your health.
Example: The consumption of too much junk food is a major factor in the increase in childhood obesity. - fast food chains
- Meaning: groups of shops owned by the same company, serving food to the public.
Example: Healthy eating means avoiding eating out at fast food chains like McDonald’s or Pizza Hut. - to eat a balanced diet
- Meaning: to eat the correct types and amounts of food.
Example: The health benefits of eating a balanced diet are obvious.
Other Vocabulary :
- hyperactivity (noun)
- Meaning: a state in which a person, usually a child, is only able to keep quiet and still for a short period.
Examples: Children who show signs of hyperactivity cause problems for teachers and parents. - overwhelmingly (adverb)
- Meaning: in a way that is very great or very strong.
Example: they voted overwhelmingly against the plan to raise taxes.
Bonus Question:
In many countries, traditions and customs are disappearing. What are the reasons? What should schools and parents do to keep our traditions alive?
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6 Comments
Maryamsfrzd
Posted on Mar 30, 2022
The tradition of family mealtime is indeed becoming a thing of the past. In my opinion, there might be several reasons and some impacts, which I will outline now.
There seem to be two principal reasons why the number of sharing meals in families has been on the decline. Foremost, the lifestyle of the majority of people has been changing as a result of industrialization, meaning that a wider range of people compared to the past century are under employment including working mothers. This would lead family gatherings to be as narrowed as it had been never before. To illustrate, nowadays, children tend to eat in front of the TV with their parents at work. The other reason why families are no longer having their meals traditionally together are youngsters who are patently reluctant to spend time with their parents. That may be because they feel they do not have much in common with their parents anymore, who are from the previous generation. Instead, they rather spend a deluge of time outdoors, sharing their meals with their mates at the same age.
The effects on children’s health can be devastating indeed. With neither of parents at home preparing home-made food, children are forced to either get a take away or zap a pre-packed meal in the microwave, both of which would result in a great deal of fast food being consumed periodically. Such foods are undoubtedly high in detrimental ingredients ranging from saturated fat to excessive salt, which definitely are the main culprit behind child obesity in modern societies. Moreover, in terms of family ties, fewer family conversations at the dinner table for instance, may trigger teenagers being more inclined to their pals who might listen to them in the first place, but then exert influence on them to make them get involved in offensive or worse, criminal activities.
To sum up, I believe that modernization as well as the gap between generations lead to sharing meals in families less than past. Unfortunately, we can witness that breaking with the traditions like having meals with family members can take its toll on both family bonds and also children’s health.
Reply
kasturika
Posted on Mar 31, 2022
Band Score – 5.5
Concentrate on the correct usage of preposition, pronouns, verb forms and punctuation.
Use C2 level of words and appropriate linkers.
ephemera
Posted on Sep 23, 2021
Across the globe, less and less families are having their meals together owing to busy schedules and different priorities of people nowadays. This is resulting in family members being detached from one another and eroding the sense of community of individuals.
These days, people are not sitting down to eat together due to the hectic schedules of most of the family members. The people are busier than ever often with clashing schedules, whether it is demanding work appointments or multiple class assignments and they simply do not have the time to have a meal together. Additionally, with the popularity of social media people simply do not make mealtimes together a priority; they would much rather de-stress from a tiring day in front of the TV.
Not sharing meals together will have harmful impacts on families and society on the whole. Mealtime is an important part of the day during which all the daily requirements are put on hold and the relatives can simply talk to each other. In fact, parents will get informed of any troubles their children are going through or even notice any signs that something is bothering them. Moreover, people being unable to bond during mealtimes will result in a somewhat defragmented society as well. The people will have no sense of community and will isolate themselves from their loved ones and from society as well.
In conclusion, gathering at the dining table brings a family together not only for meals but also as a way of keeping in touch with each other. This tradition has been fading away because most people have busy lives and they simply don’t make this a priority. This has led to people being detached from their families and from society as a whole.
Reply
Janice Thompson
Posted on Sep 24, 2021
Band : 6.5
Lexical Resource: In the first line, “less and less” could be replaced with fewer.
: Avoid using filler phrases like “simply”. They make you sound less confident of the language.
Suggestions for Lexical Resource: Learn “C2” vocabulary
Mariia
Posted on Aug 23, 2021
Hello. Is it still possible to submit an essay on this topic for a free evaluation? If so, here’s mine:
Being around family has historically played an integral role in individual’s existence. As for now, more and more people fail to connect with their kin and spend some time together at the dinner table and this behavioral shift impacts the way we all live.
It figures, that the urge of younger people to move away from home largely contributes to the loss of this tradition. Oftentimes, it is the opportunities of large cities that attract youth and that is why being on your own can be associated with success, while strong ties with family can become a signal of immaturity. Another reason is that at the time of rapid economic growth one tends to focus on personal gain, strives for a more respected position in society. Consequently, people no longer regard themselves as a part of a community, but more so as individuals, and, ultimately, neglect relationships.
However, family bonds have always been the key instrument for passing on cultural values, knowledge and experience. Their significance lies beyond just families as it connects generations, nations and even humankind. Thus, losing close relationships with our next of kin exacerbates our cultural and historical awareness. More than that, it makes us blind towards other people as we focus less on ameliorating the world and more on solving personal problems.
All in all, even though the state our society is currently in requires separation for individual success, failing to share at least some time with ones’ family over a meal regularly is tantamount to leaving behind age-old traditions and cultural values.
Reply
Janice Thompson
Posted on Sep 6, 2021
Overall band: 6
Try to use C2 vocabulary