Should Employers Allow Time Off for Family Emergencies?
A complete IELTS General Training Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 314 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.
In some countries, employees are legally entitled to paid time off when a close family member becomes seriously ill or has an emergency. Others believe such time should not be paid, and may not even be guaranteed. To what extent do you agree that paid emergency family leave should be a legal right? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01State your position clearly in the introduction — 'strongly agree' or 'partially agree' frames the whole essay
- 02Give at least two distinct supporting reasons — humane and practical work well as separate paragraphs
- 03Use country comparisons (Sweden, Germany, the US) to anchor abstract claims in real policy
- 04Acknowledge the counterargument briefly and refute it with specific safeguards
- 05Use hedging where appropriate — 'rarely', 'far lower', 'in most cases'
- 06End with a conclusion that restates your position without simply repeating the introduction
Model answer
314 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.
When a child is taken to hospital or a parent suffers a stroke, employees in some countries can step away from work for several paid days while their job is protected. In others, they are expected to use annual leave, take unpaid time, or simply work through the crisis. I strongly agree that paid emergency family leave should be guaranteed by law as a basic employment right.
The first reason is humane. A family emergency is, by definition, unplanned and serious. Forcing a parent to choose between attending to a critically ill child and losing income places people in an unconscionable position, especially those on lower wages who cannot afford even a few days without pay. A civilised labour market should treat such moments as exceptional and respond accordingly. Countries such as Sweden and Germany already provide statutory paid leave of this kind, and the evidence suggests it neither bankrupts businesses nor creates widespread abuse.
The second argument is practical. Employees who are present at work while a relative is in intensive care are rarely productive. They make mistakes, miss deadlines, and risk burnout. Giving them a defined period of paid leave allows them to handle the emergency properly and return to work focused, rather than spreading their distress across weeks of underperformance. From a purely commercial standpoint, the cost to the employer of a few paid days is far lower than the long-term cost of staff turnover, mistakes, and damaged morale.
Critics may argue that such mandates burden small businesses and could be exploited. These concerns are real but manageable: a capped number of days per year, medical certification, and government co-funding for small employers can address the worst abuses without removing the protection.
In conclusion, the human and economic case for paid emergency family leave is overwhelming, and it should be enshrined in law in any country that takes worker welfare seriously.
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.
23 more than the median answer for this task type
5 words at the shortest, 35 at the longest
1 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 19.6 words and vary by 9.9 words either side of that, running from 5 words to 35. 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. 6 of the 16 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
5 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.
while
accordingly
such as
in conclusion
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 82 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 72 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 8 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
Take and develop a clear position on paid family emergency leave, supported by relevant reasons and a counter-rebuttal.
Coherence & Cohesion
Organise the essay into a clear introduction, body paragraphs grouped by argument, counter-paragraph, and conclusion.
Lexical Resource
Use precise vocabulary for employment law, family responsibilities, and economic trade-offs.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Use a range of complex structures including conditionals, concessive clauses, and passive constructions.
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