Do Pets Benefit Children's Development?
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 326 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
Some people believe that keeping pets at home has many benefits for children's development. Others, however, think that having pets is unnecessary and even problematic for modern families. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01Discuss both views in separate paragraphs before giving a balanced opinion
- 02Support claims with concrete examples or references such as paediatric research
- 03Acknowledge legitimate concerns rather than dismissing the opposing view
- 04Use conditional language to qualify your opinion: 'when families are able to'
- 05Use child-development vocabulary: 'empathy', 'responsibility', 'companionship'
- 06Keep the conclusion focused on conditions rather than a flat for-or-against verdict
Model answer
326 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
Few household decisions are as emotionally charged as whether to bring a pet into a family with young children. While critics raise legitimate concerns about cost, hygiene, and welfare, I believe the developmental advantages for children, when a family is genuinely able to commit, outweigh the drawbacks.
Those who view pets as beneficial point to a wide range of positive effects on child development. Caring for a dog, cat, or even a small animal such as a rabbit teaches children responsibility through daily routines like feeding, grooming, and walking. Studies from organisations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics have linked pet ownership in childhood to greater empathy, lower stress levels, and even stronger immune systems through early exposure to animal microbes. For only children or shy children, a pet can also act as a constant companion and a non-judgemental confidant, supporting emotional development in a way that adults sometimes cannot.
On the other hand, sceptics argue that pets are an unnecessary burden in modern urban life. Apartments are often small, parents are time-pressured, and the financial cost of food, vaccinations, and veterinary bills can be considerable. Allergies and asthma are real concerns for some children, and there are genuine welfare issues when families take on a pet impulsively and later abandon it. From this perspective, pets become another commitment in an already overstretched household.
In my view, the answer depends on the circumstances of each family rather than on a universal rule. When parents have the time, space, and resources to look after an animal properly, the benefits for a growing child, in empathy, responsibility, and companionship, are substantial. When those conditions are not met, however, it is wiser to wait or to consider lower-maintenance alternatives such as fostering.
In conclusion, while pets are certainly not essential, they offer real developmental gains for children in households that are prepared for them. The key is honesty about whether a family can truly meet an animal's needs.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
35 more than the median answer for this task type
12 words at the shortest, 33 at the longest
3 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 21.7 words and vary by 5.8 words either side of that, running from 12 words to 33. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 7 of the 15 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
9 in total, spread across 4 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
on the other hand, however, while
such as
in conclusion
certainly
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 82 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 70 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 2 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Discuss both views and present a clear, qualified opinion
Coherence & Cohesion
Clear paragraphing with smooth transitions between views
Lexical Resource
Range of vocabulary on family life and child development
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Accurate complex structures including conditionals and modals
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