IELTS General Training Writing Task 2 Topic:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Children in many countries are eating more fast food and convenience snacks.
Why are children doing this and how serious are the consequences?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
PLAN YOUR ANSWER
Exercise:
Band 8.0 Sample Answer:
If you travel to almost any city of the world you can see western-style fast food outlets serving burgers, pizzas, coffee, fried chicken, and sandwiches. Children enjoy this food; however, their parents are not supervising them very carefully. This essay will try to explain why and assess some of the consequences.
Why are children eating more fast food? A key reason is the ever larger numbers of fast food restaurants. In addition, children in some countries have more pocket money to spend and seem to associate fast food with international culture. Also, young people are affected by peer pressure so, if fast food Is seen as ‘coo!’, then eating it helps them to be accepted by others.
As it is often children who eat fast food, we can ask why parents don’t control their kids’ eating habits a little more. Possibly, parents today are working harder and longer and don’t talk with their children about diet. Moreover, they have to deal with a lot of pressure from children who are frightened of seeming ‘different’ from classmates. Added to this, in some societies, parents no longer use strong discipline, and find It hard to resist the powerful advertising Images which fast food companies use.
The consequences are really serious, however. Eating fast food frequently can cause obesity in some children, and it may mean an unbalanced diet, with too much processed and sweet food. As adults, children might experience health problems like diabetes, Finally, by eating fast food regularly, children get used to spending money too easily. This could create poor money management in adulthood.
Parents should think through the consequences of letting their children eat fast food. It is not just a question of diet, there is also a threat to cultural values and eating traditions. Traditional diets may not be fashionable, but they are healthy and worth protecting.
Notes
• The introduction ends with the less personal This essay will try to explain…’ rather than I will try to explain…’
• As the essay is giving a range of points in support of topic sentences, there is frequent use of a variety of connecting expressions to signal additional points, for example, ‘Moreover’, ‘Added to this’, In addition’.
• The writer tries to avoid too much repetition of the word ‘children’ by using synonyms (kids, young people, classmates).
• Each main paragraph has a single theme (often in the form of a question requiring some answers) which is developed after each topic sentence.