IELTS Essay: Fathers
Some think that fathers should have time off from work after the birth of a child.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Critics of such a policy claim that there is little physical justification for paternity leave. Few would argue that women should have time off in order to both establish an emotional connection with their child and to recover their physical strength for work. Men, however, do not suffer physical side-effects and therefore do not need time to recuperate before returning to work. They may require a period of time for emotional recovery but this claim is tenuous and difficult to support with clear evidence. Therefore, the norm in most countries is to prioritize workplace productivity and provide little or no contractually obligated paternity leave.
However, fathers need time with their children and spouse to form strong emotional bonds for the good of all family members. In past generations, taking care of children and the home was the domain of mothers and men were defined primarily as earners. The recent shift in society that sees more women entering the workforce also recognizes for the emotional needs of men and its importance for the entire family unit. Research has shown that the single most important element of healthy childhood development is a loving and supportive home environment. The consequence is that fathers are now expected to be more involved in the child-rearing process. By staying home for several weeks or months after birth, they can become more active, helpful participants.
Analysis
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. Critics of such a policy claim that there is little physical justification for paternity leave. 2. Few would argue that women should have time off in order to both establish an emotional connection with their child and to recover their physical strength for work. 3. Men, however, do not suffer physical side-effects and therefore do not need time to recuperate before returning to work. 4. They may require a period of time for emotional recovery but this claim is tenuous and difficult to support with clear evidence. 5. Therefore, the norm in most countries is to prioritize workplace productivity and provide little or no contractually obligated paternity leave.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
- Extend even more for a higher task achievement mark.
1. However, fathers need time with their children and spouse to form strong emotional bonds for the good of all family members. 2. In past generations, taking care of children and the home was the domain of mothers and men were defined primarily as earners. 3. The recent shift in society that sees more women entering the workforce also recognizes for the emotional needs of men and its importance for the entire family unit. 4. Research has shown that the single most important element of healthy childhood development is a loving and supportive home environment. 5. The consequence is that fathers are now expected to be more involved in the child-rearing process. 6. By staying home for several weeks or months after birth, they can become more active, helpful participants.
- 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!
- Relate back to the overall topic.
- 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.
Critics of such a policy claim that there is little physical justification for paternity leave. Few would argue that women should have time off in order to both establish an emotional connection with their child and to recover their physical strength for work. Men, however, do not suffer physical side-effects and therefore do not need time to recuperate before returning to work. They may require a period of time for emotional recovery but this claim is tenuous and difficult to support with clear evidence. Therefore, the norm in most countries is to prioritize workplace productivity and provide little or no contractually obligated paternity leave.
However, fathers need time with their children and spouse to form strong emotional bonds for the good of all family members. In past generations, taking care of children and the home was the domain of mothers and men were defined primarily as earners. The recent shift in society that sees more women entering the workforce also recognizes for the emotional needs of men and its importance for the entire family unit. Research has shown that the single most important element of healthy childhood development is a loving and supportive home environment. The consequence is that fathers are now expected to be more involved in the child-rearing process. By staying home for several weeks or months after birth, they can become more active, helpful participants.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
critics people who are against this idea
policy claim idea argue that
little physical justification not much reason for it based on the body
paternity leave time off work for fathers
argue claim
in order to so that
establish create
emotional connection interpersonal relationship
recover get better
physical strength body health
suffer physical side-effects weakened body
therefore thus
recuperate recover, get better
returning going back
require need
period space of time
emotional recovery feeling better mentally
claim argue
tenuous not strong
support reason for
clear evidence good support
norm normal practice
prioritize workplace productivity consider the company more important
provide little not give much
contractually obligated have to do because of what the contract says
spouse wife/husband
form strong emotional bonds have a good relationship with
family members people in the family
in past generations years before
taking care of children looking after kids
domain control over
defined primarily as earners just make money
recent shift new change
entering going into
workforce being employed
recognizes notices
emotional needs mental requirements
importance relevance
entire family unit whole family
research has shown that studies indicate that
single most important element of the biggest part of
healthy childhood development grow up well
loving with lots of support
supportive home environment happy family life
consequence result
expected have the duty to
involved dealing with
child-rearing process kids growing up
active not passive
helpful participants actually contributing
Pronunciation
Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:
səˈʤɛst
dɪˈzɜːv
liːv frɒm wɜːk
bɜːθ ɒv ə ʧaɪld
taɪm ɒf wɜːk
ɪz nɒt æz ˈʤʌstɪfaɪd æz ɪt ɪz fɔː
ˈpɒlɪsi
ˈfɔːwəd-ˈθɪŋkɪŋ
ədˈvaɪzəbl
ˈkrɪtɪks
ˈpɒlɪsi kleɪm
ˈlɪtl ˈfɪzɪkəl ˌʤʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən
pəˈtɜːnɪti liːv
ˈɑːgjuː
ɪn ˈɔːdə tuː
ɪsˈtæblɪʃ
ɪˈməʊʃənl kəˈnɛkʃən
rɪˈkʌvə
ˈfɪzɪkəl strɛŋθ
ˈsʌfə ˈfɪzɪkəl saɪd-ɪˈfɛkts
ˈðeəfɔː
rɪˈkjuːpəreɪt
rɪˈtɜːnɪŋ
rɪˈkwaɪə
ˈpɪərɪəd
ɪˈməʊʃənl rɪˈkʌvəri
kleɪm
ˈtɛnjʊəs
səˈpɔːt
klɪər ˈɛvɪdəns
nɔːm
praɪˈɒrɪˌtaɪz ˈwɜːkˌpleɪs ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvɪti
prəˈvaɪd ˈlɪtl
kənˈtræktjʊəli ˈɒblɪgeɪtɪd
spaʊz
fɔːm strɒŋ ɪˈməʊʃənl bɒndz
ˈfæmɪli ˈmɛmbəz
ɪn pɑːst ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃənz
ˈteɪkɪŋ keər ɒv ˈʧɪldrən
dəʊˈmeɪn
dɪˈfaɪnd ˈpraɪmərɪli æz ˈɜːnəz
ˈriːsnt ʃɪft
ˈɛntərɪŋ
ˈwɜːkˌfɔːs
ˈrɛkəgnaɪzɪz
ɪˈməʊʃənl niːdz
ɪmˈpɔːtəns
ɪnˈtaɪə ˈfæmɪli ˈjuːnɪt
rɪˈsɜːʧ hæz ʃəʊn ðæt
ˈsɪŋgl məʊst ɪmˈpɔːtənt ˈɛlɪmənt ɒv
ˈhɛlθi ˈʧaɪldhʊd dɪˈvɛləpmənt
ˈlʌvɪŋ
səˈpɔːtɪv həʊm ɪnˈvaɪərənmənt.
ˈkɒnsɪkwəns
ɪksˈpɛktɪd
ɪnˈvɒlvd
ʧaɪld-ˈrɪərɪŋ ˈprəʊsɛs
ˈæktɪv
ˈhɛlpfʊl pɑːˈtɪsɪpənts
dɪsˈpaɪt
læk
wɛn ˈpɒsəbl
ɪmˈplɔɪəz
ˈædvəkɪt
ɪksˈtɛnd
ˈprɪvɪlɪʤ
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:
C_______s of such a p___________m that there is l_________________________n for p________________e. Few would a______e that women should have time off i______________o both e__________h an e___________________n with their child and to r________r their p_____________________h for work. Men, however, do not s_________________________s and t__________e do not need time to r____________e before r____________g to work. They may r__________e a p________d of time for e______________y but this c_______m is t_________s and difficult to s________t with c_______________e. Therefore, the n_____m in most countries is to p________________________________y and p_____________e or no c_____________________d paternity leave.
However, fathers need time with their children and s________e to f__________________________s for the good of all f__________________s. I___________________s, t_________________________n and the home was the d__________n of mothers and men were d______________________________s. The r______________t in society that sees more women e_____________g the w_____________e also r______________s for the e_________________s of men and its i_____________e for the e_________________t. R______________________t the s__________________________________f h_______________________________t is a l__________g and s_____________________________________t. The c_____________e is that fathers are now e______________d to be more i__________d in the c________________________s. By staying home for several weeks or months after birth, they can become more a_________e, h_________________________s.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic by watching videos from The New York Times YouTube channel below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/01/the-daddy-track/355746/
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Talkative Children
- Do think being talkative is a good quality for children?
- Is it good for children to talk a lot in every situation?
- Why do children talk so much?
- What makes children talk less as the get older sometimes?
- What can teachers do to encourage children to talk more?
Writing Practice
Practice with the related IELTS essay topic below:
It is better for children if the whole family including aunts, uncles and so on are involved in a child’s upbringing, rather than just their parents.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
There is a statement that kids should be educated by not only parents but also many relationships. In my opinion, it is a terrible idea to nurse a child. Because aunts, uncles and parents may have opposite ideas on education, which leads to a incomplete education for child.
It is hard for relationships and parents have the same direction in education. Although they grow up together when they are kids, they have different careers in the rest of their lives. For example, when a father works as a professor majoring in computer science and an uncle is a doctor, they have distinct views on the child’s future. It may lead to an argument, and all of their educational plans can not be settled. As a result, the child may have an unhappy childhood because of the controversy.
What’s more, education should be continusous and operated by only parents. If a child has a choice, he will always pick the happy one instead of the correct one. An uncle may spoil the child and parents are strict with him. It could be a result that the child tends to stay with uncle, as he can play video games and stay far away from homework. Hence, it is bad for a child to have a better life.
In sum, education for a kid should be done primarily by parents, and others should stay away from it, because of the different educational conceptions. Moreover, parents should raise their kid themselves instead of others.
Nice job, Gakki!
What’s more is a little too informal – also avoid informal phrasal verbs.