Boys are most influenced by their fathers while girls are by their mothers

IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

Boys are most influenced by their fathers; girls are most influenced by their mothers.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.


Sample Answer:

It goes without saying that the children’s personality is influenced mostly by their parents. But when it comes to the issue that boys are influenced by their fathers and girls are by their mothers, people are divided in their opinions. However, I am of the honest opinion that the above statement is true.

To start with, boys tend to emulate and imitate their father. Every boy loves his father and wants to do what he does, both to admire him, to earn his complement, and to compete with him. Men are utterly crucial in conveying messages about being men. Moreover due to biological and genetical differences, boys are different from girls and their interest, thinking pattern or psychic pattern are totally distinctive from girls. Thereby, boys’ aspiration or interest naturally matches with their fathers and they try to mimic their father’s actions. For instance, I always try to imitate my father. I emulate his facial expressions, his walking style, and even the way he combs his hair. And more importantly, in my decision making process, dad’s influence is so obvious. In my life, my dad is a role model for me.

On the other hand, the mental attachment of girls to their mother is distinctive. Girls idolize their mother, emulate her and learn from her how to become adult female. Many psychoanalysts contend that girls develop unconscious internalization of their mother’s value and behavior.  Girls mimic their mother’s behavior as guidelines for their own conduct. Daughters tend to look toward their mother in her mind and in her life – compassionately, competitively, contentiously, and longingly. From my own experience, I wore my father’s pants and shirt while my sister wore my mom’s dress. Then, my sister sneaked into our parents’ room borrowed mom’s hair clips and necklaces while I went to get my school bag pretending as father’s briefcase.

In pithy, father and mother influence their sons and daughters in distinct ways. As far as I believe that this influence does not extend across gender limits.