IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
In some countries old age is highly valued, while in others youth is emphasized.
Which viewpoint do you agree with?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support arguments with example and relevant evidence.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
Aging is not merely a biological process, but at the same time it is a cultural issue of many nations. Different nations have different cultures and their attitudes and practices around aging and death are different. The culture of many countries celebrates the aging process and reveres the elders, while youth is fetishized and old people are usually discarded from the society and relegated to old homes or retirement homes in many western countries. However, I am of the honest opinion that we should venerate our elders. The following reasons could explain why.
Elders should be revered because of their highly specialized competence and wisdom. Hawaiian grandmothers are very good example here. They are venerated for their unique knowledge and skills at creating ornate leis and feather accessories. The older people can pass down their knowledge and wisdom to young generation which is invaluable for us. So, we have to respect our elders for their wisdom and life experiences.
Similarly, older people deserve respect and value as they are increasingly handy as grandparents for high-quality childcare to their grandchildren. In the contemporary society, most young mothers enter workforce and they have no choice but relying on babysitters or day care centres. In the case, grandparents offers superior, motivated and experienced child care since they have already gained valuable experience from raising their own children. Actually, grandparents usually love their grandchildren very much and are eager to spend their time with them. So, if there is one reason is enough for the reverence of the older people, then it is the child care that the grandparents offer to their grandchildren.
To recapitulate, older people should not be neglected, because they are our parents, grandparents. Once they have raised us with great care and now it is our duty to revere them, to make room in the community for them. This does not mean that I do not want to underestimate youth. What I want to say is that we need to emphasize youth but not at the cost of veneration of the older people.