Writing Task 2: Two-Part (Direct) Question Essay: Question 9
Syllabus W.task2
In numerous countries, the proportion of households that keep a cat, dog or other companion animal has climbed noticeably over the past ten years.
Why are more households choosing to keep a pet? Is this a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
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Worked solution
Examiner notes
Task Response
The introduction previews a specific cause (flexible schedules and a desire for companionship) and a clear stance (broadly positive) in one sentence, and each body paragraph answers exactly one of the two questions using the same developed example, Mrs Alvarez, so both answers feel connected rather than reading as two unrelated mini-essays. The conclusion restates both answers precisely, and the acknowledged risk (impulsive adoption) is addressed rather than ignored, without weakening the stated position.
Coherence & Cohesion
The topic sentences make the two-part structure explicit (“The chief reason behind the rise is…”, “Turning to whether this is a positive development…”), and referring back to “Mrs Alvarez herself” in the second body paragraph keeps the two parts of the essay tightly linked. The concessive sentence beginning “The genuine risk… is real, but…” signals a considered counter-point without undermining the overall argument.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and varied (“steady, undemanding companionship”, “documented benefits”, “impulsive adoptions”, “responsible planning”), and repetition of “pet” and “dog” is avoided through alternatives such as “companion animal” and “rescue dog”.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The essay uses an accurate range of complex structures: a semicolon joining two related independent clauses, a non-defining relative clause, a participle clause (“shedding weight she had struggled to lose for years”), and concessive subordination, all free of grammatical error.