Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Same questionCompare 6 different answers (Band 8–8.5)

Sample Response

1

Who should impart the values and skills necessary for children to become responsible members of society is a topic that remains contentious. This essay will explore the contrasting perspectives on whether parents or schools hold the primary responsibility for instilling these qualities. Personally, I believeopine that while schools play a role, parents should take primary responsibility for teachingpredominantly undertake the task of teaching children how to be ideal members of society.

2

Proponents of the idea that schools should bear this responsibility highlight the structured educational environment as an ideal setting for cultivating social values. Schools provide a formal curriculum that includes moral education programmes and extracurricular activities promoting teamwork and social harmony. Through these activities and moral education, teachersteachers in school can teach children to become responsible citizens. For instance, through civic education courses or community service initiatives, schools often succeed in instilling the values and responsibility of citizens among children.

3

By contrastOn the contrary, advocates of the viewpoint that parents should impart societal values argue that family influence is crucialfamily influences are crucial in shaping a child's character. Parents serve as the primary role models, imparting moral values, empathy, and social etiquette through everyday interactions. As children spend most of their time with their parents and often imitate their behaviours, they are more influential in teaching children moral values and responsibilitymorality and responsibilities. For instance, much researchmany research outcomes demonstrate that children observe and imitate the behaviour of their parents, learning essential traits like respect, kindness, and responsibility when parents demonstrate those qualitiesif parents possess those qualities.

4

I believe that, while schools undeniably contribute to a child's social development, parents should play the central role in teaching children how to be good members of society. The familial environment offers continuous and personalized guidance crucial for character development. Parents serve as constant influencers, shaping a child's worldview and moral compass from an early age and providing a strong foundation for their role in society.

5

In conclusion, the debate surrounding whether parents or schools should take the leading rolethe role of parents versus schools in shaping good citizens highlights the significance of both influences. Nevertheless, the enduring and personalized guidance provided by parents hascreates a substantial impact on a child's development into a responsible and contributing member of society.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 8.0

The essay fully discusses both views, maintains a clear preference for parental responsibility, and develops each side through relevant mechanisms and examples. Its strongest feature is the controlled, logical progression from institutional teaching to continuous family influence. The main limitation is occasional repetition and slightly unnatural phrasing; the best refinement is to make the comparison more concise and sharpen a few collocations.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

8.0
Scoring rule

Both views are thoroughly addressed and the preference for parents is clear, consistent, and supported by relevant explanation.

Next step

Deepen the comparison by acknowledging one limitation of parental guidance or one circumstance in which schools may be more effective.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

8.0
Scoring rule

Paragraphing and progression are highly controlled, with each section serving a clear role and the opinion reinforced consistently.

Next step

Reduce the separate opinion paragraph's repetition of the parents paragraph by using it for direct comparison and synthesis.

LR

Lexical Resource

7.5
Scoring rule

Vocabulary is broad and precise overall, though phrases such as research outcomes, responsibility of citizens, and creates a substantial impact are slightly unnatural.

Next step

Use more idiomatic forms such as research findings, civic responsibility, and has a substantial impact.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

8.0
Scoring rule

A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, with only rare minor awkwardness that does not impede communication.

Next step

Refine parallel structures and pronoun reference when comparing the influence of parents with that of schools.

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IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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