The tradition of families getting together to eat meals is disappearing. What are the reasons? What are the impacts?
Sample Response
Nowadays, it seems that families tend to eat together less frequently. This essay will put forward some explanations for this trend and an analysis of the potential impacts.
The fact that family members choose not to eat with each other can be attributable to two reasons. Firstly, since people these days tend to have heavier workloads and more hectic schedules than in the past, sitting down to share a meal with their family members might not be a convenient choice. Instead, these individuals usually eat out with their friends, colleagues or business partners near their workplace which can be more suitable for their timetable. Secondly, the fast food culture of modern life can change people’s eating habits because fast food can be found everywhere and is usually an inexpensive food choice. For instance, young people in Vietnam often grab a quick meal after a busy day at work or school, which leads them to skipping meals with their family when they go home.
The trend has both positive and negative impacts on people. In terms of the benefits, people are able to be much more flexible with their time. They will not have to show up at a fixed hour to have meals with their family and can eat whatever and whenever they want. However, in terms of the negative effects, this can lead to a weaker family bond. If a family continuously eats separately, family members may not be able to share their thoughts, feelings with each other, and therefore may feel isolated from each other. This will result in a lack of deep family connection.
In conclusion, the tendency of family members eating separately is mainly caused by the difference in their schedules or the preference to eat fast food, which can have both positive and negative impacts.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Restore parallel verbs Original: an analysis of the potential impacts Suggested revision: analyse the potential impacts Why it matters: The coordinated structure should pair the verb phrase 'put forward' with another verb phrase.
- 2. Correct verb form Original: attributable Suggested revision: attributed Why it matters: The passive construction requires the past participle 'attributed'.
- 3. Correct verb pattern Original: skipping Suggested revision: skip Why it matters: 'Lead someone to' is followed by the base form of the verb.
- 4. Use concise phrasing Original: meals with their family when they go home Suggested revision: family meals when they return home Why it matters: The revision expresses the same idea more concisely and formally.
- 5. Use natural collocation Original: much more flexible with their time Suggested revision: more flexible in how they use their time Why it matters: This phrasing states the intended kind of flexibility more naturally.
- 6. Use formal wording Original: show up at a fixed hour Suggested revision: be present at a fixed time Why it matters: The revision avoids the conversational phrasal verb and uses the more natural time expression.
- 7. Remove wordy transition Original: in terms of the negative effects, this Suggested revision: this Why it matters: The contrast marker 'However' already signals the shift, making the additional framing redundant.
- 8. Join coordinated nouns Original: share their thoughts, feelings Suggested revision: share their thoughts and feelings Why it matters: The two objects need the conjunction 'and' rather than a comma.
- 9. Use natural collocation Original: a lack of deep family connection Suggested revision: a lack of strong family connections Why it matters: 'Strong family connections' is the more natural collocation for close relationships.
- 10. Correct noun pattern Original: tendency of family members eating separately Suggested revision: tendency for family members to eat separately Why it matters: The noun 'tendency' is naturally followed by 'for' plus an infinitive construction here.
- 11. Use concise wording Original: people these days Suggested revision: people today Why it matters: The shorter time expression is more concise and equally clear.
- 12. Use natural phrasing Original: choose not to eat with each other Suggested revision: do not eat together Why it matters: The revision expresses the family-meal pattern more directly without implying a deliberate refusal.
Suggested Rewrites
- an analysis of the potential impacts analyse the potential impacts
- attributable attributed
- skipping skip
- meals with their family when they go home family meals when they return home
- much more flexible with their time more flexible in how they use their time
- show up at a fixed hour be present at a fixed time
Why this response received Band 7.0
The essay answers both questions clearly and organises its causes and impacts into an easy-to-follow progression, with relevant everyday examples. The main limitation is that the explanations, particularly the fast-food cause and the positive impact, remain somewhat general and could be analysed more deeply. The highest-priority improvement is to extend each point with a clearer causal chain and a more specific consequence.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both reasons and impacts are relevant and clearly presented, but some ideas receive only limited analysis beyond an initial explanation.
Develop the fast-food cause and time-flexibility benefit with more detailed reasoning about how they affect shared family meals.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing is effective and the sequence from causes to positive and negative impacts is consistently logical.
Use more varied internal linking so relationships are expressed without relying repeatedly on formulaic markers.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is sufficiently varied and generally precise, including effective topic language, though a few phrases are conventional or awkward.
Choose more natural collocations for ideas such as family members eating separately and differences in schedules.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures with good overall control, although a few errors occur in complementation and noun phrasing.
Correct forms such as “leads them to skipping” and review gerund constructions to improve grammatical accuracy.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The tradition of families getting together to eat meals is disappearing. What are the reasons? What are the impacts?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.