IELTS Writing Task 2 – Some people say that it is the responsibility of individual to save money
Some people say that it is the responsibility of individual to save money for their
own care after they retire.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
You should write at least 250 words.
IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay Sample
Sample Answer 1:
I certainly support the view. One should most definitely put aside some money for
the future, and not fritter away everything to enjoy the present. One should
always remember that the present would one day transform into the future, and
when it eventually does, it should be safe and secure. Of what purpose is
enjoyment today, if it becomes the cause of misery and worry in the future? It is
so easy to spend, yet so difficult to save. Wisdom dictates that one must be
discreet and stingy to save for the future. Let us consider why it is so important to
save.
The mortality rate has come down and the span of life is generally longer, but the
period of earning is comparatively limited. Nobody knows how long he would live,
but the age of retirement is generally fixed. One cannot work indefinitely.
Therefore, during his earning span, he has to make sure that he puts aside enough
money that will hold him in good stead in his later years, when he will be able to
work no more. Further, the requirements in old age are sometimes more than a
person’s needs during the period of his youth. Deteriorating health translates into
higher medical bills and hospital charges. Being weak and infirm, one needs to
spend more on commuting. He will need to hire assistants to help in the house.
Next come the needs of the family. One has to provide for the education and
marriage expenses of the dependent members of the family, like children and
even grandchildren. One has to pay one’s insurance premiums, and even for the
day-to-day needs of the younger members of the family, till such time as they are
employed and earning.
One may incur extra expenditure on leisure activities. People generally travel
more after retirement to meet their relatives and friends who may be settled and
staying far away from them. Thus, there are so many needs that would surface in
the future. Some may be quite unexpected and traumatic like accidents in the
family, which may entail high expenditure. There would be the usual expenses on
house maintenance and repair, and the payment of personal and property taxes.
Therefore, it is imperative that a person plan wisely for his future. If he has saved
enough, he can sit back and enjoy peace and comfort in his later years and even
witness the smile of joy on the faces of his children. If he has saved not, then the
journey ahead would be dreary and dismal indeed.
Model Answer 2:
Time spins and with every spin there is a change. The mortals never remain in the same state forever. The child turns young and young turns old. With the change of stage, the circumstances vary too. An individual needs not to worry about all the stages of life but the one that is old age. To make it smooth and hassle free, I reckon people must act like an ant rather than a grasshopper and save money for the difficult days and thus this accountability should lie with the person himself.
First reason for my belief is significance of money in the contemporary times. Certainly in this materialistic world ‘money makes the mare go’ and without money person cannot fulfil his basic needs. In order to ensure a secure future, it is believed that person should save something for rainy days and old age being one of those days when person usually does not have any source of income, he must save some amount of his regular earning for these times to meet his day to day expenses without depending upon others and compromising with the self respect and dignity. Further, there is great uncertainty in job market specially the high paying private jobs. Employees never know when they are going to be handed over the pink slip. So it is essential for an individual to save for the uncertainty of present and future as well.
Secondly, in most of the countries especially oriental nations like India, it is very difficult for the countries to offer strong social security. Further, the volatile world economy makes it hard even for the occidental nations to take care of all the needs of the people after they retire. Even when these are offered by the public exchequer, these are not adequate to meet even the prerequisites. It would be imprudent to expect more from the government, thus an individual is left with no other option but to save for his own old age.
Finally, I substantiate the opinion that an individual should take reign of his post retirement period and be held responsible for saving for the cause.
Model Answer 3:
Caring about life after retirement is raising a matter of concern among people. I believe that although individuals need to save some whenever possible, the government should assist its citizens when they get old.
To begin with, it is reasonable to say that people deserve to have some forms of welfare, regardless of pension or other financial assistance. As workers pay taxes while they work, they should receive some certain amount of money when they retire. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to say that only individuals are responsible for their lives after retirement; the government should be in charge of paying pension for the old to guarantee their lives.
Secondly, the role of government is to take care of its citizens, regardless of who they are. Those who have no job should also be given some financial assistance to ensure that they can afford a basic living because without money, they can risk their lives to rob or commit other associated crimes, and this will be a threat to social security. Moreover, leaving the old unattended means nothing less than giving them a death sentence, raising some questions about moral aspects of the authorities.
However, individuals should also be responsible for their lives by saving money whenever it is possible. Because pension cannot be generously given, people have insufficient money to pay for every arisen demand. Therefore, saving may be a solution, especially when it comes to medical care for the old.
In conclusion, although individuals should save some for their life after leaving work, I believe that government should take care of its citizens by giving pension.
Model Answer 4:
I tend to out-rightly condemn the perception that individual is responsible for saving the money for his post retirement expenses since this may shift the focus of life and could affect the present.
The notion of saving the money for post retirement expenses, though seem rational planning but not feasible for the masses these days. The high living standard accompanied with cost of living makes it very hard for the majority of the people to remain hand to mouth. This does not happen only with the people from low economic strata but even from middle and upper middle class families. Even with both husband and wife working, it becomes tricky for parents to rear even a single child. In such state of affairs it will be unrealistic to anticipate the people to hoard for their old age.
Next, people are paying through their nose to government in form of taxes. Throughout the period when they earn, they build the society and nation not only by the payment of taxes but also with their skills and services. Hence, people should not be overburdened with an additional expense for securing the old age. Rather there should be free gift from the state to those who have contributed to the nation and society during their heydays and now it is the responsibility of the state to take care of the people during old age.
Last but not the least, the hiring and firing, short-term approach in the job market is disastrous for people planning their lives. Lack of job stability does not allow them to put aside an amount for the old age and shift the focus from the future to present.
Thus it can be reiterated that instead of making an individual responsible for saving for the old age, this responsibility should vest with the government.
Model Answer 5:
People who work in the service sector have to retire someday. And when they retire, their earning capacity declines or simply disappears. Unless you are in a career with guaranteed retirement benefits, you need to start planning for those twilight years while you are still working and earning.
Many people dread their retirement years and that is hardly surprising. When people retire they lose their steady stream of income. This could make them feel worthless. Retirement years are also plagued by health problems and other worries. People who haven’t planned for this stage by saving enough money will find it difficult to tide over this crisis.
In many countries, for example, in India parents expect their children to take care of them when they grow old. Although many young people will willingly provide for their aged parents, some are not all that generous. Needless to say, many aged people are now forced to spend their last years in old age homes because their children are either unwilling or incapable of taking care of them. If these people had secured their retirement years by saving money, they would have been able to lead a dignified life until their last breath.
What’s more, people’s perception of retirement has undergone a tremendous change in recent years. Gone are the days when retirement was all about babysitting one’s grandchildren. Now many aged people have their own dreams and aspirations. For example, they might want to learn a new skill or do a bit of traveling. None of these would be possible if they didn’t have money in their hand.
Of course, people working in the public sector will receive pension and other benefits when they retire. They may not need to plan for their retirement by saving money. Still, planning makes life easier. It makes us better equipped to handle the many surprises that life throws at us.
In conclusion, planning for one’s retirement by saving money is absolutely necessary. It makes life more enjoyable and free of worries.Even if a person is working in the public sector with guaranteed retirement benefits, it makes sense to build a retirement corpus by setting aside a small sum every month.
Sample Answer 6:
I wholeheartedly argue in favour of holding an individual responsible for saving for the falling days of life.
The most important cause to substantiate my view is the uncertainty which prevail the life. As change is the law of nature, man cannot expect to keep generating money throughout the span of life. At one stage person has to cease working out of will or age or owing to other constraints. Cessation of work does not mean the expenses will also cease to exist, rather health, higher/professional education or marriage of kids, a shelter for peaceful retirement present as great monsters. If not planned, the last days of life can turn miserable and intolerable. To ensure to have secure future an individual has to be prudent and exercise his option of saving a part of his monthly earning.
Secondly, the population explosion and economic pressure on public exchequer make it unviable for the government to take care of the needs of the people after they retire. Even if government takes initiative, it will offer the amount which will not even suffice the necessities Therefore person has no other option but to take the reign of his post retirement life by inculcating the habit of saving.
Further, since the social values are turning for worst, the person is respected till he earns. When a person stops earning he is considered a burden and is at the mercy of his earning children. So, it is essential for every individual to have his own saving to lead dignified and independent life. These savings would make him enjoy the company of his family and relatives.
Eventually, it can be concluded that it is not feasible for the government to take care of the people, thus it the liability of the individual himself to save for the post retirement period. However, cautioned must be exercised that people do not hoard the money at the cost of the present.
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