IELTS Writing Task 2 topics: Family, with practice questions and ideas
Quick answer
IELTS publishes no list of Task 2 topics. Family is one of the themes candidates commonly report from practice material, usually through parenting and discipline, working parents, the care of older relatives, changing family shapes and screen time at home. Prepare ideas and vocabulary for each angle, and practise each essay shape, but do not memorise an essay: content unrelated to the question is penalised.
The app marks a Task 2 essay on all four criteria and gives an Examiner's Summary, so you can check that your family essay answers the question you were given.
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On this page
Family questions ask you to reason about how people raise children, share care and live together, and they are among the easiest themes to write about because everyone has something to say. That is also the risk: personal stories can crowd out an argument. IELTS publishes no list of Task 2 topics, and the themes here are candidate-reported from practice material, so prepare by theme and by essay shape, not by guessing the exact question.
The angles this theme comes up with
Parenting and discipline. A question may ask whether children need firm rules or more freedom, or how far parents should shape their children’s choices. You are asked to weigh guidance against independence.
Working parents and children’s time. Questions may ask whether children suffer when both parents work, or how parents can share responsibilities. You weigh what a child gains from time with parents against what a family gains from two working adults.
Caring for older relatives. A question may ask whether adult children should look after their parents at home or whether the state and care homes should take the lead. You weigh duty and closeness against practicality and the carer’s own life.
Changing family shapes. Practice material often reports questions about smaller families, later marriage, or children living with grandparents. You weigh what society gains and loses as households change.
Technology and family time. A question may ask whether phones and games weaken relationships at home. You weigh connection across distance against attention lost at the dinner table.
Practice questions
These ten questions are invented for practice, in our own words. They are not copied from any list or past paper. Each is labelled with its shape; the first of each shape links to that shape’s guide.
- Children who are brought up with strict rules become more responsible adults than children who are given more freedom. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Agree or disagree
- Some people think young children should be looked after by their parents at home. Others believe nurseries and schools do this better. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Discuss both views
- More families now have both parents in full-time work. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend for children? Advantages and disadvantages
- Many older people spend their last years without regular contact with their families. What problems does this cause, and what can be done about it? Problem and solution
- In some countries, young people are leaving the family home later than in the past. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development? Two-part question
- It is the duty of adult children to care for their elderly parents at home, not the responsibility of the state. Do you agree or disagree? Agree or disagree
- Some people believe that families should eat together every day. Others think busy modern life makes this unrealistic. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Discuss both views
- Families today are smaller than they were fifty years ago. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? Advantages and disadvantages
- Children spend more time on screens than talking with their families. What problems does this cause, and what are some possible solutions? Problem and solution
- Some parents make most decisions for their teenage children. Why do they do this? Should teenagers have more say in decisions about their own lives? Two-part question
Ideas for and against
Parenting and discipline
- For firm rules: children learn what to expect, so they feel secure and can concentrate on school; a household with clear limits on bedtime avoids daily arguments.
- For firm rules: habits formed early, such as finishing homework before play, are likely to continue into adult working life.
- For more freedom: a child who chooses and sometimes fails learns to judge risk, whereas one who is always told what to do may struggle when no one is watching.
- For more freedom: strict control can lead to secrecy, so teenagers hide their problems from the people best placed to help.
Working parents and children’s time
- Against both parents working: parents who return tired have little energy for homework help or conversation, which can weaken the bond.
- Against: young children who spend long hours with carers may form closer ties with them than with their parents.
- For: two earners give a family stability, so a job loss in one household member does not threaten everything, which lowers stress at home.
- For: children see both parents working and sharing chores, and they may adopt the same attitudes towards work and equality.
Caring for older relatives
- For family care: an elderly person at home is among familiar faces and routines, which can protect their wellbeing and reduce loneliness.
- For family care: children return the care they received, and doing so teaches grandchildren to respect older people.
- For state or professional care: trained staff can manage medical needs that a relative cannot, and carers who give up work to stay home may become isolated or exhausted.
- For state or professional care: it lets families remain close without one person carrying the whole burden.
Changing family shapes
- Smaller families: each child receives more attention and time from parents, and housing and resources are shared among fewer people.
- Against: fewer siblings means fewer lessons in sharing and negotiating, and fewer relatives to rely on later in life.
- Later marriage: people finish education and settle in a career first, so they may be more prepared as parents.
- Against: a falling birth rate leaves fewer young people to support an ageing society, which may strain public services.
Technology and family time
- For: video calls keep grandparents, and relatives who have emigrated, part of a child’s daily life.
- For: a shared film or game can give a family something to talk about.
- Against: a parent scrolling through a phone at dinner shows children that conversation comes second, and shared meals lose their purpose.
- Against: children who play alone online may stop joining in household activities, so that family members share a house but not their days.
Vocabulary for this theme
| Word or phrase | What it means | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bring up a child | to raise a child, caring for them until adulthood | Parents who bring up a child in a stable routine often see the benefit in school. |
| extended family | parents, children and other relatives such as grandparents living close together | Living within an extended family means there is almost always someone to help. |
| nuclear family | a household of two parents and their children only | The rise of the nuclear family has left many grandparents living alone. |
| work-life balance | a fair division of time between a job and personal life | A job with fixed hours gives parents a better work-life balance. |
| generation gap | differences in attitudes between older and younger people | A generation gap can make it hard for teenagers to talk to their grandparents. |
| authoritative parenting | setting clear rules while explaining the reasons for them | Authoritative parenting tends to produce children who understand limits, not only fear them. |
| peer pressure | the influence of people of the same age on your behaviour | Teenagers who feel secure at home resist peer pressure more easily. |
| quality time | time spent giving someone your full attention | Twenty minutes of quality time can mean more than an afternoon in the same room. |
| primary carer | the person mainly responsible for looking after someone | When a grandparent becomes ill, one daughter often ends up as the primary carer. |
| family ties | the bonds that connect relatives | Regular visits keep family ties strong even when relatives live far apart. |
| set an example | to behave in a way others, especially children, may copy | Parents who read in the evenings set an example that children notice. |
| ageing population | a society in which the proportion of older people is rising | An ageing population increases the need for support within families. |
A worked plan
Planned from question 6: It is the duty of adult children to care for their elderly parents at home, not the responsibility of the state. Do you agree or disagree?
- Position: I partly agree. Families should be the first source of care and affection, but the state should provide the practical support that makes it possible, so care is shared.
- Introduction: Rephrase the statement in your own words, then state the position in one sentence with its boundary.
- Body paragraph one (agree): Reason: older people do best among familiar people and routines. Consequence: loneliness and decline are less likely at home. Example: a grandfather who lives with his daughter and joins the family for meals stays connected to his grandchildren, which a care home visit once a week cannot match.
- Body paragraph two (limits): Reason: caring is demanding, and one person cannot manage it alone. Consequence: a daughter who leaves her job to care full time may become exhausted and isolated. Example: nurses visiting the home, or day centres, let her keep her work and her health, so the arrangement lasts.
- Conclusion: Restate the position in different words: family care is the best foundation, but it works only when public services share the load. No new argument.
How the app marks it
IELTS Mentor AI marks a Task 2 essay on all four criteria and gives an Examiner’s Summary, followed by what worked and how to improve for each criterion. For a family essay, read the Task Response comments first: they show whether you answered every part of the question or drifted into your own family’s story.
Where this fits
This page is one of the theme pages behind the general answer to what the common Task 2 topics are. Practise each theme in every shape: agree or disagree, discuss both views, problem and solution, advantages and disadvantages and two-part questions. To see how bands differ on one question, read the discuss both views essay at Band 6, 7 and 8. When you have written an essay, use the essay checker.
Frequently asked questions
What are the common IELTS Writing Task 2 family topics?
IELTS publishes no list, so nobody can say which family question you will get. Practice material commonly reports parenting and discipline, working parents, the care of older relatives, changes in family structure and the role of technology in family life. Treat these as angles to prepare, not a forecast.
Do I need personal experience of the family situation in the question?
No. Task 2 asks for a developed argument, not a personal story. You can use a general example, such as a household where both parents work, as long as it supports your point and stays on the question. Examples need to be relevant, not true to your own life.
Can I use the same family ideas for different essay shapes?
Yes. The ideas carry across shapes, but the plan changes. The same point about shared childcare can support an agree or disagree essay, one side of a discuss both views essay, or a solution. Re-read the question each time and answer the wording in front of you.
Should I write about my own culture's family customs?
You can, if it answers the question and you explain it for a reader who does not know your country. Keep it as an example for your argument, not a description of customs. IELTS.org says content not related to the topic is penalised.
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