Writing Task 2: More people living alone

February 28, 2020 Pooja Ph.D. CELTA

Writing task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Nowadays more people are choosing to live with friends or alone rather than with their families. This trend is likely to have a negative impact on communities.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
Write at least 250 words.

In the world where work and study opportunities are growing faster than ever before and travelling to other places is much cheaper and quicker, many people shift away from their roots. Sometimes their movement may be a preference rather than a necessity, especially when living alone or staying with friends is considered better. There are varied views about how such preferences affect communities.

On the one hand, it is believed that voluntarily shifting away from families is a sign of growing up and taking responsibilities. Especially because the decision to relocate needs a tremendous amount of the sense of self-reliance. Some opine that when someone shifts away from the comfort of one’s home, they tend to become much more independent. Further, they tend to develop more freedom of speech and are less likely to be a subject of others’ opinions. It is believed that nurturing of such virtues eventually adds to the overall health of the community and finally everyone benefits from such practice.

On the other hand, although the qualities of independence and self-reliance are more often present in individuals who stay away from their families, it does not mean that they cannot be imbibed in the people living with their loved ones. Furthermore, there are numerous interpersonal skills which can be effortlessly inculcated in a family setup. Take mutual respect for example, for a cohesive society it is an essential virtue. Tolerance to others’ opinions and actions are often tested with parents, spouses, siblings and other members of the family.

In addition, contributing to responsibilities of home and loved ones fosters the sense of belonging. When we live independently, we tend to think for ourselves and do things which benefit us. But, it is not the case in a family setup. We live, dance, eat, cry, take care, forgive, forget and celebrate together in a family. Any community will undoubtedly prosper with such values.

To conclude, I strongly believe that even if there are benefits of staying alone, any society is much more positively affected by more people choosing to live with their families. (354 Words)

Note: This essay has been written by one of my students. Its organisation, ideas and the range of vocabulary make it a well presented argument.

Feel free to call for suggestions and queries.