General Training Model Answer – IELTS (Task 2)

It is generally accepted that families are not as close as they used to be.
Give some reasons why this change has happened and suggest how families can be brought closer together.

In today’s world the idea of community and family is different to what it was in the past. Whereas previously family was considered the most important unit in society with families spending plenty of time together, this is not the case today.

Firstly, our value systems have changed, with society emphasizing money and wealth as a symbol of success. As a result, individuals focus on their work at the expense of family life and often move to other countries for this purpose becoming further distanced from them. Thus, modern society encourages selfishness and individual profit.

Secondly, as we cannot choose our family members there are often tensions, arguments and misunderstandings between them. In these cases friends become important and families drift apart. Family members may also become bitter when there is a divorce or a parent remarries which is an event that can be seen frequently today.

Even though some distance between families is ideal especially if they are demanding or overbearing, they may be brought together by spending some time together. This might be during celebrations, festivals or even sharing a meal once a month.

Each culture has its unique vision of family. Asians for example tend to have closer family ties and tend to be loyal to their family compared to Western societies. In the fast paced West, individuals are too busy making money to pay attention to their family and this trend is affecting the traditional family unit. In addition, no attempt is made to get close to the family resulting in everyone minding their own business.

Question taken from Past Papers IELTS 3 p.126