GT-T2-201 General Training · Task 2 · beginner · 40 min · 250+ words Opinion Essay Family

Adult Children Paying Rent at Home

The question

Many young adults continue to live with their parents into their late twenties because housing is expensive. Parents should charge adult children who have a regular salary a fixed amount of rent. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Instructions

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. • State your position clearly in the introduction and keep it consistent throughout. • Support your view with reasons and relevant examples from everyday life. • Briefly acknowledge the counter-arguments before explaining why you reject them. • Organise your ideas into clear paragraphs and use cohesive devices.

How to approach this opinion essay question

An opinion (agree or disagree) essay needs a clear position from the introduction to the conclusion.

Paraphrase the statement and state your opinion in the introduction.
Give two main reasons, one per body paragraph, each with an example.
Consider the opposite view briefly, then explain why you still hold yours.
Conclude by restating your position in different words.

How to plan this answer

Structure

Introduction: paraphrase the rising cost of housing and the proposed fixed rent, then state that you disagree with a fixed charge.
Body 1: a fixed rent takes money that young workers need for a deposit or emergency savings, so it can delay independence rather than speed it up.
Body 2: family support is usually two-way; many adult children already pay for bills, food or childcare, and a formal fee ignores each household's real circumstances.
Body 3: acknowledge that rent teaches responsibility, then show the same lesson can come from agreed contributions and savings goals without a fixed amount.
Conclusion: restate your disagreement and suggest a flexible, agreed arrangement as the better alternative.

Idea bank

A worker on a modest salary in a city where a room costs most of their pay, leaving almost nothing for a house deposit.
A young adult who covers the weekly shop and utility bills, which is a real contribution without any formal rent.
Parents who are retired and rely on a stable income, so a sudden disagreement about rent can cause family tension.
Counter-argument: a small monthly payment builds budgeting habits, but a shared savings plan teaches the same discipline.
Contrast a student apprentice on a low wage with a graduate in a well-paid job, showing why 'regular salary' alone is not a fair test.

Useful vocabulary

to put money aside: Many young workers find it hard to put money aside for a deposit when rents take most of their pay.
a financial burden: A fixed charge can become a financial burden for someone on a low but steady wage.
to foster independence: Shared responsibility can foster independence without forcing a clean break from home.
to strike a balance between: Families need to strike a balance between support and fairness.
to shoulder the cost of: Parents often shoulder the cost of food and utilities for adult children who are still studying.
household bills: Contributing to household bills is a practical alternative to paying rent.
to dip into savings: A sudden rent demand may force a young worker to dip into savings.
a nominal fee: Some families agree on a nominal fee that covers only a fraction of the true cost.
counterproductive: A rigid rule could be counterproductive if it damages family relationships.
to be left with little: After paying rent, many young adults are left with little to save each month.

Common mistakes

Changing position in the conclusion, for example agreeing with a fixed rent after arguing against it throughout.
Ignoring the condition in the question about adult children who have a regular salary and discussing unemployed young adults instead.
Giving the counter-argument one vague sentence and then moving on, rather than rebutting it with a reason.
Describing only the young person's perspective and never considering what the parents gain or lose.

Examiner tip: Keep one clear position from introduction to conclusion, and give the counter-argument a sentence of its own before you explain why it does not persuade you.

Model answers by band score

Written for this question to show what changes from one band to the next. Try the task yourself first, then compare.

Band 6 answer

Nowadays many young adults stay in their parents house until they are nearly thirty because the houses are too expensive. I agree that parents should ask their children for a fixed rent if they have a regular job. Firstly, adult children who earn a salary have a responsibility to help with the costs of the home. Their parents still pay for the electricity, the water and the food, and these bills become bigger when one more person live in the house. If the young person pay a fixed amount every month, the family budget will be less stressed. For example, my cousin earn a good salary but he gives nothing to his parents, and they often have problem to pay the bills. Secondly, paying rent teach young people to manage money. When they have to pay every month, they learn to make a budget and to save. This is a good preparation for the future, when they will have their own house. Parents can also keep the money and give it back to the child when he want to buy a flat, so the rent becomes a kind of saving. However, some people think that parents should not take money from their children because they should help them in a difficult time. This is true in some cases, for example if the salary is very low. But if the person has a regular salary, I think the rent should be fair and not too high. In conclusion, I believe that charging a fixed rent is a good idea for families, because it helps parents and it teaches the children to be responsible.

Why this is band 6

Takes a clear position (agree) and keeps it, with relevant reasons (family costs, learning to manage money) and a short counter-argument.
Ideas are developed only simply and the example about a cousin is general and under-explained.
Subject-verb agreement and word-form errors ('one more person live', 'rent teach', 'he want') show limited accuracy, though meaning is clear.
To reach Band 7, it would develop each idea with more precise support and use a wider range of linking and sentence structures with fewer errors.

Band 7 answer

In many countries, young people remain in the family home well into their late twenties because housing is so expensive. I largely agree that parents should charge a fixed rent to adult children who have a regular salary. The main reason is fairness. Adult children who earn a salary use electricity, water and food just as their parents do, so it is reasonable that they should contribute to these costs. This is especially important for families on modest incomes, where an extra adult can put real pressure on the household budget. A fixed monthly sum also avoids arguments, as everyone knows exactly what is expected. A second benefit is that rent teaches financial responsibility. A young person who has to pay the same amount on the first of every month learns to budget and to save, which is excellent preparation for independent living. Some parents even put the rent aside and return it later as a deposit for a flat, which turns the payment into a form of saving rather than a cost. Critics, however, argue that parents should support their children instead of taking money from them, particularly when wages are low. This is a fair point, and the amount should certainly be lower than a market rent. However, for a young person with a regular income, a modest and predictable payment is not unreasonable, and it treats them as an adult who is expected to take part in the running of the home. In conclusion, charging a sensible fixed rent is fair to parents and helpful to young adults, provided that the amount reflects what the young person can afford.

Why this is band 7

The position is clear from the introduction ('I largely agree') and consistent throughout the essay.
Ideas are relevant and developed (fairness, financial responsibility, the idea of returning rent as a deposit), and the counter-argument is acknowledged and answered.
Good range of vocabulary and structures ('put real pressure on the household budget') with only occasional errors.
To reach Band 8, it would support points with more specific, well-chosen examples and use more precise and flexible phrasing.

Band 8 answer

Rising property prices mean that many young adults now live with their parents until their late twenties. While this arrangement is understandable, I firmly believe that parents should charge a fixed rent to those who have a regular salary. The strongest argument is one of fairness. An adult child who earns a full wage consumes the same food, electricity and heating as everyone else in the household, and these costs can be a real burden for families on modest incomes. A fixed monthly contribution recognises that reality, and because the amount is known in advance, it also removes the tension that often arises when money is discussed informally. Equally important is the educational value of paying rent. A young person who must transfer a set sum on the first of every month quickly learns to budget, prioritise and save, skills that many only acquire once they leave home and are suddenly exposed to market rents. Some families go further and quietly save the rent, handing it back as a deposit when the child buys a flat. In that case the payment is not a cost at all but a disciplined form of saving. It could be objected that parents ought to support their children while housing is unaffordable, and that charging them is unkind. I would accept that the sum should be well below commercial rates and should be adjusted if the young person's income falls. Nevertheless, a modest, predictable charge treats them as adults and does not prevent them from saving. In summary, a sensible fixed rent benefits both generations: it relieves the household budget and prepares the young for independent life.

Why this is band 8

A clear, consistent position ('I firmly believe') with fully developed, logically ordered ideas about fairness and education.
Support is well selected and specific, such as handing the rent back as a deposit, and the counter-argument is answered with a concession.
Precise, flexible vocabulary ('prioritise', 'disciplined form of saving') and natural cohesion, with rare errors.
To reach Band 9, it would develop the ideas with even more insight and use more subtle, economical phrasing, avoiding a few formulaic signposts.

Band 9 answer

Soaring housing costs mean that a growing number of people remain in their parents' homes until their late twenties. I strongly agree that, once they are in regular employment, they should pay a fixed rent. Fairness is the most compelling reason. An adult child on a full salary eats, heats and lights the home just like everyone else, and for families on modest incomes this extra consumption can quietly erode the household budget. A fixed monthly sum acknowledges this reality, and because it is agreed in advance, it spares both sides the resentment that vague, ad hoc contributions tend to breed. The arrangement also has genuine educational value. A young person who must transfer a set amount on the first of every month soon learns to budget, to prioritise and to save, skills that are often acquired painfully only after moving into the rental market. Some families go a step further and set the money aside, presenting it as a deposit when the child eventually buys a home; the rent then becomes less a charge than a form of enforced thrift. Opponents contend that parents should shelter their children from financial pressure while property remains unaffordable. There is some force in this, and the figure should certainly be well below commercial rates and be revised if circumstances worsen. Yet a modest, predictable contribution is not a burden of that kind. It treats a young person as a capable adult, without compromising their ability to build up savings. In short, a sensibly set rent benefits everyone involved: it lightens the family's finances and equips the young for the independence that rising prices are delaying.

Why this is band 9

The essay is a fully developed, sustained argument: the position is clear from the first paragraph and is never lost.
Ideas are exceptionally well supported and extended (the ad hoc contribution problem, rent returned as a deposit), with a thoughtful concession to the opposing view.
Sophisticated, natural, precise language ('quietly erode', 'enforced thrift') with essentially no errors.
Cohesion is seamless and works through reference and logical development, not mechanical markers.

Band levels are our estimate against the public IELTS criteria; they are not official scores.

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