IELTS Task 2 sample essay: Family Care or Care Homes for the Elderly
DiscussionFamily and children
The question
Some people think elderly people should live with their families, while others believe care homes are a better option. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Try writing your own answer first, then compare. Reading a model before you write tends to make you copy it.
The plan
Position: Living with family is ideal when the family can provide care; care homes are better when needs are complex.
- View A: family brings love, familiarity and respect, and avoids loneliness.
- View B and my view: care homes provide professional, round-the-clock care that families often cannot; the right choice depends on the person's needs.
Model answer
290 wordsAs populations age, families increasingly face a difficult decision about where elderly relatives should live. Some believe older people should live with their families, while others think care homes offer a better solution. In my view, living with family is the better option when relatives can genuinely provide the care needed, but a good care home is the kinder choice when needs become complex.
The case for family care rests on love and familiarity. Older people who live with their children and grandchildren remain part of daily family life, which protects them from the loneliness that many feel in later years. They are surrounded by people who know their history, their habits and their preferences. In many cultures, caring for parents at home is also a matter of respect, a way of repaying the care they once gave.
On the other hand, caring for a frail relative can be extremely demanding. An elderly person with dementia, limited mobility or serious medical conditions may need help at night, specialist knowledge and constant supervision. Few families can provide this while working full-time and raising children, and exhausted carers sometimes become ill themselves. A well-run care home offers trained staff, medical support at any hour and the company of people of the same age, which can be better for the older person as well as the family.
The right answer therefore depends on the individual. Relatives should consider the person's health, their wishes and the family's real capacity to care, rather than following custom alone.
In conclusion, living with family is ideal for elderly people who are relatively healthy, because it offers love and belonging. When care needs become intensive, however, a good care home can provide a safer and more dignified life.
Scored by the MyBandPrep checker on 7 October 2026. An estimate, not an examiner’s mark. How scoring works
Why it works
- Task Response
- Both views are explained, and the opinion is precise: it names the condition that decides between them.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Each view gets a paragraph; the fourth paragraph turns the discussion into practical advice that supports the conclusion.
- Lexical Resource
- Sensitive, precise vocabulary: “frail relative”, “limited mobility”, “constant supervision”, “more dignified life”.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Accurate complex sentences with relative clauses and participle phrases.
Phrases worth reusing
- rests on love and familiarity
- a way of repaying the care they once gave
- extremely demanding
- the family's real capacity to care
- a safer and more dignified life
Now write your own
Answer this question in 40 minutes and get an estimated band with the sentences to fix.