Some people think that keeping pets is good for children while others think it is dangerous and unhealthy. Which opinion do you agree with? Discuss both options and give examples.

To begin
with,
although
exotic pets (e.g.
snakes
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
Snakes
, spiders, apes, etc.) Have been known to occasionally hurt and even kill children,
such
incidents are so statistically rare as to be negligible.
This
is because the overwhelming majority of children have non-lethal cats, dogs, fish, rodents and rabbits for pets.
For example
The Child Safety Institute found that over 90% of the children owned the aforementioned pets, and professed that they had never felt in the least bit endangered by them. Seen in
this
light, it is clearly unfounded to claim that pets present any physical danger to children.
Secondly
, pets can impact positively upon child psychology.
This
is because young pet owners frequently empathise with their pets and perform a diverse range of actions to maintain their well being (e.g. Feeding, grooming, administering medicine, etc.).
For example
, the Cambridge Developmental Psychology Unit found that children who had grown up with pets were 30% less likely to bully others and resolve conflicts through aggression.
Consequently
, it is undeniable that a child’s pro-
sociality
and mental health can be improved through exposure to pets. In conclusion, the cited evidence provides strong support for the view that children owning pets is a good thing. In the future, as more laws are introduced to ban the ownership of illegally acquired exotic pets,
this
viewpoint will no doubt surge in popularity.
Submitted by Jo Hn on

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Structure your answers in logical paragraphs

The easiest way to score well on the IELTS Task 2 writing portion is to structure your writing in a solid essay format.

A strong argument essay structure can be split up into 4 paragraphs, each containing 4 sentences (except the conclusion paragraph, which only contains 3 sentences).

Stick to this essay structure:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

Read more in the eBook

The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ »

* free ebook for Premium users

Topic Vocabulary:
  • companion
  • responsibility
  • care
  • empathy
  • compassion
  • social skills
  • transmit
  • diseases
  • allergies
  • safety risks
  • time
  • effort
  • money
  • mature
  • handle
What to do next:
Look at other essays: