This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of celebrating family events from the real IELTS general training exam.
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Dave
IELTS Essay: Celebrating Family Events
Some people spend a lot of money celebrating personal family events, such as weddings and birthdays.
How important is it to celebrate such events?
Do you think people spend too much money on these events?
It is common for individuals to invest heavily in celebrating important family events. In my opinion, such celebrations are vital to healthy family life and the associated costs are reasonable in most cases.
Events that bring together the whole family encourage stronger internal cohesion. This is best illustrated through the counter-example of families that rarely meet for large social gatherings. These families are likely to grow distant and remain family members in name rather than actuality. Family members that often meet, such as in many Asian nations where familial bonds are prioritised, are closer to both their immediate and extended family. The result of such closeness is they can ask for advice, lend a helping hand, and feel the unconditional support and love that is essential for mental health.
Generally, for these events families spend only as much as they can reasonably afford. There are rare exceptions, such as when a newly married couple spends excessively on the wedding. However, most families abide by an internal calculus that keeps their spending under control. A wealthy family may stage lavish reunions, family dinners, and weddings, but they are able to afford them and only appear excessive from the perspective of less privileged spectators. A less affluent family, on the other hand, will tend to hold more modest events and, in the case of weddings, may be able to recoup a substantial proportion of the costs from gifts. For example, the giving of an envelope containing money at a wedding is common in Vietnam and helps couples begin their marriage on solid financial footing.
In conclusion, family gatherings play a key part in strengthening bonds and their cost is justifiable and moderate. Families should therefore strive to maintain their traditions in an increasingly insular society.
Analysis
1. It is common for individuals to invest heavily in celebrating important family events. 2. In my opinion, such celebrations are vital to healthy family life and the associated costs are reasonable in most cases.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. Events that bring together the whole family encourage stronger internal cohesion. 2. This is best illustrated through the counter-example of families that rarely meet for large social gatherings. 3. These families are likely to grow distant and remain family members in name rather than actuality. 4. Family members that often meet, such as in many Asian nations where familial bonds are prioritised, are closer to both their immediate and extended family. 5. The result of such closeness is they can ask for advice, lend a helping hand, and feel the unconditional support and love that is essential for mental health.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
- Stay focused on the same main idea.
1. Generally, for these events families spend only as much as they can reasonably afford. 2. There are rare exceptions, such as when a newly married couple spends excessively on the wedding. 3. However, most families abide by an internal calculus that keeps their spending under control. 4. A wealthy family may stage lavish reunions, family dinners, and weddings, but they are able to afford them and only appear excessive from the perspective of less privileged spectators. 5. A less affluent family, on the other hand, will tend to hold more modest events and, in the case of weddings, may be able to recoup a substantial proportion of the costs from gifts. 6. For example, the giving of an envelope containing money at a wedding is common in Vietnam and helps couples begin their marriage on solid financial footing.
- Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
- Explain your new main idea.
- Include specific details and examples.
- Continue developing it…
- as fully as possible!
- Here I add an extra example to make it more specific.
1. In conclusion, family gatherings play a key part in strengthening bonds and their cost is justifiable and moderate. 2. Families should therefore strive to maintain their traditions in an increasingly insular society.
- Summarise your main ideas.
- Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
It is common for individuals to invest heavily in celebrating important family events. In my opinion, such celebrations are vital to healthy family life and the associated costs are reasonable in most cases.
Events that bring together the whole family encourage stronger internal cohesion. This is best illustrated through the counter-example of families that rarely meet for large social gatherings. These families are likely to grow distant and remain family members in name rather than actuality. Family members that often meet, such as in many Asian nations where familial bonds are prioritised, are closer to both their immediate and extended family. The result of such closeness is they can ask for advice, lend a helping hand, and feel the unconditional support and love that is essential for mental health.
Generally, for these events families spend only as much as they can reasonably afford. There are rare exceptions, such as when a newly married couple spends excessively on the wedding. However, most families abide by an internal calculus that keeps their spending under control. A wealthy family may stage lavish reunions, family dinners, and weddings, but they are able to afford them and only appear excessive from the perspective of less privileged spectators. A less affluent family, on the other hand, will tend to hold more modest events and, in the case of weddings, may be able to recoup a substantial proportion of the costs from gifts. For example, the giving of an envelope containing money at a wedding is common in Vietnam and helps couples begin their marriage on solid financial footing.
In conclusion, family gatherings play a key part in strengthening bonds and their cost is justifiable and moderate. Families should therefore strive to maintain their traditions in an increasingly insular society.
Answers
common pervasive
invest heavily put a lot of money into
celebrating important family events birthdays, weddings, family reunions, etc.
vital really important
healthy family life good relationships in families
associated costs related expenses
reasonable not excessive
in most cases generally
bring together make closer
whole family everyone in the family
encourage foster
best illustrated clearest illustrations
counter-example example showing the opposite
rarely not often
large social gatherings big get-togethers
grow distant become like strangers
remain family members continue to be family
in name not in reality
rather than instead of
actuality reality
familial bonds relationships between family members
prioritised considered more important
immediate and extended family parents/siblings and then more distant family members like cousins
result outcome
closeness how close your are
advice suggestions
lend a helping hand give help
unconditional support no strings attached support
essential vital
mental health your mental state, emotions, etc.
generally overall
reasonably afford able to pay for
rare exceptions some different instances
newly married just married
excessively too strong
abide by stick to
internal calculus calculator in your head
keeps their spending under control stops them from spending too much money
stage lavish reunions put on big celebrations
appear excessive seem to be too much
perspective viewpoint
less privileged spectators poorer people
affluent rich
on the other hand however
tend to hold more modest events usually have less expensive celebrations
recoup get back
substantial proportion large percentage
envelope paper for letters
solid financial footing have enough money
strengthening bonds making relationships better
justifiable reasonable
moderate within reasonable limits
strive try hard
maintain sustain
traditions customs
insular isolated and alone
Pronunciation
Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:
ˈkɒmən
ɪnˈvɛst ˈhɛvɪli
ˈsɛlɪbreɪtɪŋ ɪmˈpɔːtənt ˈfæmɪli ɪˈvɛnts
ˈvaɪtl
ˈhɛlθi ˈfæmɪli laɪf
əˈsəʊʃɪeɪtɪd kɒsts
ˈriːznəbl
ɪn məʊst ˈkeɪsɪz
brɪŋ təˈgɛðə
həʊl ˈfæmɪli
ɪnˈkʌrɪʤ
bɛst ˈɪləstreɪtɪd
ˈkaʊntər-ɪgˈzɑːmpl
ˈreəli
lɑːʤ ˈsəʊʃəl ˈgæðərɪŋz
grəʊ ˈdɪstənt
rɪˈmeɪn ˈfæmɪli ˈmɛmbəz
ɪn neɪm
ˈrɑːðə ðæn
ˌækʧʊˈælɪti
ˈfæmɪliəl bɒndz
praɪˈɒrɪˌtaɪzd
ɪˈmiːdiət ænd ɪksˈtɛndɪd ˈfæmɪli
rɪˈzʌlt
ˈkləʊsnɪs
ədˈvaɪs
lɛnd ə ˈhɛlpɪŋ hænd
ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənl səˈpɔːt
ɪˈsɛnʃəl
ˈmɛntl hɛlθ
ˈʤɛnərəli
ˈriːznəbli əˈfɔːd
reər ɪkˈsɛpʃənz
ˈnjuːli ˈmærɪd
ɪkˈsɛsɪvli
əˈbaɪd baɪ
ɪnˈtɜːnl ˈkælkjʊləs
kiːps ðeə ˈspɛndɪŋ ˈʌndə kənˈtrəʊl
steɪʤ ˈlævɪʃ riːˈjuːnjənz
əˈpɪər ɪkˈsɛsɪv
pəˈspɛktɪv
lɛs ˈprɪvɪlɪʤd spɛkˈteɪtəz
ˈæflʊənt
ɒn ði ˈʌðə hænd
tɛnd tuː həʊld mɔː ˈmɒdɪst ɪˈvɛnts
rɪˈkuːp
səbˈstænʃəl prəˈpɔːʃən
ˈɛnvələʊp
ˈsɒlɪd faɪˈnænʃəl ˈfʊtɪŋ
ˈstrɛŋθənɪŋ bɒndz
ˈʤʌstɪfaɪəbl
ˈmɒdərɪt
straɪv
meɪnˈteɪn
trəˈdɪʃənz
ˈɪnsjʊlə
Vocabulary Practice
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
It is c___________n for individuals to i______________y in c________________________________s. In my opinion, such celebrations are v_____l to h___________________e and the a_________________s are r______________________________s.
Events that b_______________r the w______________y e_____________e stronger internal cohesion. This is b_________________d through the c__________________e of families that r________y meet for l______________________s. These families are likely to g______________t and r_______________________s i__________e r____________n a____________y. Family members that often meet, such as in many Asian nations where f_________________s are p___________d, are closer to both their i______________________________y. The r________t of such c__________s is they can ask for a_________e, l________________d, and feel the u_______________________t and love that is e___________l for m______________h.
G__________y, for these events families spend only as much as they can r___________________d. There are r__________________s, such as when a n__________________d couple spends e_______________y on the wedding. However, most families a_________y an i____________________s that k_________________________________l. A wealthy family may s_______________________s, family dinners, and weddings, but they are able to afford them and only a___________________e from the p_____________e of l___________________________s. A less a__________t family, o__________________d, will t_______________________________s and, in the case of weddings, may be able to r_______p a s__________________________n of the costs from gifts. For example, the giving of an e___________e containing money at a wedding is common in Vietnam and helps couples begin their marriage on s_____________________________g.
In conclusion, family gatherings play a key part in s_____________________s and their cost is j____________e and m___________e. Families should therefore s_______e to m_____________n their t_____________s in an increasinly i_________r society.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
https://www.aarp.org/home-family/friends-family/info-2020/new-holiday-traditions.html
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Celebrations
- What kind of celebrations are common in your country?
- How much do people typically spend on their wedding?
- Are there big differences between the way that young and old people celebrate their birthdays?
- Do all people in your country take part in the same celebrations?
- What is the importance of national holiday?
Writing Practice
Practice with the same basic topic below and then check with my sample answer:
Many parents encourage young people to leave home when they become older, while others think they should stay at home with the family.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Hi Dave, would you please take a look at my essay? 🙂
It is true that some invest heavily in the celebration of family events. In my opinion, these events have a crucial role to play in both strengthening relationships between family members and giving individuals opportunities to cherish important moments in their lives, and I opine that an excessive amount of money is spent on these events.
Family events may bring the whole family closer together. Indeed, individuals these days have been exceedingly occupied themselves with responsibilities such as raising children and working, possibly oblivious of interacting with their family. Therefore, family events may provide a chance for them to gather together and update each other’s personal or professional developments, potentially improving family bonds. Additionally, personal events also help to highlight special moments in ones’ life. For example, marriage is often considered to occur only once, thus couples usually allocate a large amount of time and effort to rendering their weddings memorable, while some families hold a party to honor a recent graduate, encouraging him or her to strive harder to achieve greater future accomplishments.
Nevertheless, I claim that an exceeding amount of money is spent on holding family events. For example, since weddings are regarded as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity, people are willing to squander a hefty amount of money on hiring luxurious hotels, offering gourmet meals, or buying stunning decorations. The situation is made worse when the newly-weds’ expenditures on these events are beyond their financial capabilities, often leading to them facing future financial problems. Furthermore, these occasions are also prohibitively expensive for the guests. This means that when attending these lavish family events, those who are invited to partake feel obliged to buy the host sumptuous gifts. This is compounded by the fact that there are some who have to buy flight tickets to be able to participate in these events. Clearly, these family events cost a great deal of money not only for the host but also for the guests.
In conclusion, family events are of paramount importance to solidifying the relationships between family members and offering a chance to enjoy special moments in one’s life, and I am strongly convinced that too much money has been spent on these events.
Sure!
Really accurate vocabulary and grammar! Careful sometimes with your present perfect verbs and over-use of linkers in paragraphs as well as the occassional collocation.
Keep up the hard work!