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Practice Writing: Write Essay ID: #49035 Parents
Instructions

Parents should make important decisions for their older (15 to 18 year-old) teenage children. Do you agree or disagree?

* Write your essay below (between 200 and 300 words)

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Model Answer Perfect answer
Parents should make important decisions for their older (15 to 18 year-old) teenage children. Do you agree or disagree?
Highlights
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Whether parents should make major decisions for teenagers aged fifteen to eighteen is controversial. Although parental guidance remains valuable, I disagree that parents should control important choices for older adolescents. At this stage, young people require increasing autonomy to develop sound judgement, responsibility, and sustained motivation.

First, the ability to make choices is a critical developmental skill that can only be strengthened through practice. When parents dominate decisions about education, employment, or social life, teenagers are denied opportunities to evaluate risks and consequences. For example, selecting academic subjects or training pathways independently encourages learners to reflect on interests and long-term goals. Such experiences prepare them for adulthood, where independent judgement is unavoidable.

Some argue that parents possess superior experience and therefore prevent serious mistakes. While this concern is understandable, excessive control often undermines confidence and leads to passive dependence. Older teenagers are cognitively capable of reasoned choices, particularly when parents act as advisors rather than final decision makers. A collaborative approach preserves safety while still respecting emerging independence.

In conclusion, parents should guide rather than dictate important decisions for those aged fifteen to eighteen. Autonomy supported by thoughtful advice fosters competence, accountability, and resilience. By allowing teenagers to decide within clear boundaries, families equip them more effectively for responsible adult life, balancing parental responsibility with adolescent capability.

217 words
26/ 26
Perfect answerPTE Academic · Write Essay
Tap a highlighted sentence to see why it scores
PTE criteria · full marks
  • Fully addresses the prompt in depth, showing full command of the argument by reformulating the issue in the writer's own words and expanding important points with specificity.
  • The argument is supported convincingly with subsidiary points and relevant examples throughout the response.
How this answer meets itThe introduction gives a clear position and the body supports it with a subject-choice example. This shows depth and good support. I disagree that parents should control important choices for older adolescentsselecting academic subjects or training pathways independently
PTE criteria · full marks
  • Has an effective logical structure, flows smoothly, and can be followed with ease.
  • The argument is clear and cohesive and developed systematically at length; a well-developed introduction and conclusion are present, and ideas are organised cohesively into clear, logically sequenced paragraphs.
  • Uses a variety of connective devices effectively and consistently to convey relationships between ideas.
How this answer meets itThe paragraphs open with clear linkers that guide the reader. This makes the argument flow well. First,Some argue thatWhile this concern is understandableIn conclusion,therefore
PTE criteria · full marks
  • A variety of expressions and vocabulary are used appropriately to formulate ideas with ease and precision throughout the response.
  • No signs of limitations restricting what can be communicated.
  • Errors in language use, if present, are rare and minor, and meaning is completely clear.
How this answer meets itThe writer uses a concessive clause and a longer linked sentence with ease. The meaning is fully clear. While this concern is understandable, excessive control often undermines confidencethe ability to make choices is a critical developmental skill that can only be strengthened through practice
PTE criteria · full marks
  • Shows consistent grammatical control of complex language. Errors are rare and difficult to spot.
How this answer meets itThis complex sentence with a subordinate clause is accurate and well built. It is hard to fault. When parents dominate decisions about education, employment, or social life, teenagers are denied opportunities
PTE criteria · full marks
  • Good command of a broad lexical repertoire, idiomatic expressions and collocations.
How this answer meets itThe essay uses precise words and strong collocations. This shows a wide word range. increasing autonomydevelopmental skillpassive dependenceemerging independence
PTE criteria · full marks
  • Correct spelling.
How this answer meets itSpelling is correct throughout the essay, including words like adolescents and accountability. adolescentsaccountability
PTE criteria · full marks
  • Length is within the required 200 to 300 words.
How this answer meets itThe essay has 217 words, which fits the limit. It is a clear four-paragraph essay with an intro, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
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