👨👩👧 Family & Children13 questionsReal reported + Cambridge
IELTS family & children
essay questions.
13 Task 2 questions on family & children. Click any question to open the full breakdown, examiner watch-outs, and a 40-minute mock.
About this theme
Parenting, working mothers, only children, elderly care, marriage age, family meals, generational change. Family & Children prompts often hide a values question inside a practical one. Best essays acknowledge that the "right" arrangement varies by culture and class, and ground their position in observable trade-offs rather than nostalgia.
Task 2📱 Family & ChildrenProblem & solution🔥 Hot
“Many parents struggle to limit their children's screen time. What are the causes, and what can be done?”
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Task 2👶 Family & ChildrenProblem & solution🔥 Hot
“In many countries, families are having fewer children than they did in the past. What are the causes, and what effects does this have on society?”
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Task 2👵 Family & ChildrenDiscuss both views
“Some say families should look after elderly relatives, while others believe this is the state's responsibility. Discuss both views.”
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Task 2💼 Family & ChildrenDiscuss both views
“Some believe teenagers should have part-time jobs to learn responsibility. Others think they should focus solely on school. Discuss both views.”
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Task 2👨👩👧 Family & ChildrenOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Some argue that fathers should share childcare equally with mothers. To what extent do you agree?”
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Task 2👶 Family & ChildrenTwo-part question
“In many countries, more couples are choosing to have only one child. What are the causes, and is this a positive or negative trend?”
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Task 2👩💼 Family & ChildrenOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“In some countries, an increasing number of mothers return to work soon after having a child. Is this a positive or negative trend?”
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Task 2👨👩👧 Family & ChildrenOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Some say parents should be legally responsible for their children's behaviour. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
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Task 2👴 Family & ChildrenAdvantages & disadvantages
“In some cultures, grandparents play a major role in raising their grandchildren. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement?”
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Task 2👶 Family & ChildrenAdvantages & disadvantages
“In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?”
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Task 1 · Academic👶 Family & ChildrenLine chart
“The line graph shows the fertility rate in five countries from 1970 to 2020.”
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Task 1 · Academic🏠 Family & ChildrenPie chart
“The pie chart shows the average UK household's weekly spending by category in 2020.”
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Task 1 · Academic👴 Family & ChildrenBar chart
“The bar chart shows the share of the population aged 65 and over in six countries in 2010 and 2020.”
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❓ FAQ
About family & children in IELTS
- How often does family & children come up in IELTS Writing Task 2?
- It's one of the most-tested themes. Examiners draw on it because it generates strong opinions while remaining accessible to candidates from any background. You can reasonably expect to encounter a family & children question in practice tests and on the real exam.
- What question types should I expect on family & children?
- All five Task 2 shapes are fair game: opinion (agree/disagree), discuss both views, problem-solution, two-part, and advantages-and-disadvantages. The same theme can appear in any of these shapes, so practise the same idea across multiple question types rather than memorising essays.
- How specific do my examples need to be?
- Specific enough to be falsifiable. "Many studies show X" is empty; "a 2019 OECD report on X found Y in Z country" is concrete. You don't need a real citation. Examiners reward the specificity of the claim, not the accuracy of the source. Naming a country, a year, or an industry counts.
- Can I use the same vocabulary across all family & children essays?
- Topic-specific lexis matters. Each of the 13 questions below hides a slightly different angle, and Band 7+ vocabulary depends on naming the precise mechanism: "carbon-intensive industries" beats "polluters", "screen-mediated communication" beats "talking online".