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Opinion (Agree / Disagree) Food and diet Task 2

Some people think that cooking food at home is a waste of time. They think that fast food restaurant have made our life easier and less stressful. To what extent do you agree.

A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.

The question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people think that cooking food at home is a waste of time. They think that fast food restaurant have made our life easier and less stressful. To what extent do you agree.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

How to read this question

You are given one statement and asked how far you agree. The examiner is checking that you take a clear position in the introduction and hold it consistently to the conclusion — a partial agreement is fine, an unclear one is not.

Paragraph plan

Introduction — Clear position with preview

Body 1 — Acknowledging the opposing view

Body 2 — Main argument against the statement

Conclusion — Restatement with final thought

Model essay

Band 8.5–9.0 model essay

320 words

Some believe that preparing meals at home constitutes an unnecessary use of time, given that fast food establishments now offer a more convenient and considerably less stressful alternative to daily cooking. In my view, although fast food undoubtedly saves time for those with demanding schedules, home cooking offers substantial health and financial benefits that far outweigh this convenience for most people.

To begin, cooking at home affords individuals considerably greater control over their nutritional intake than fast food can provide. To clarify, home-prepared meals typically involve fresh ingredients and moderate quantities of salt, sugar and oil, whereas fast food is often heavily processed and calorie-dense, contributing to long-term health complications such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, cooking at home is considerably more economical, since even modestly priced fast food, when consumed regularly, accumulates into a substantial monthly expense compared with the relatively low cost of home-prepared ingredients purchased in bulk. Beyond health and finances, the act of cooking together also fosters meaningful family interaction, allowing household members to bond over a shared task rather than merely purchasing a meal separately.

Nevertheless, for individuals with exceptionally demanding schedules, fast food can indeed offer legitimate practical benefits. This is attributable to the fact that professionals juggling long working hours, particularly those without any domestic support, may genuinely lack the time necessary for meal preparation and cleanup. In such circumstances, occasional reliance on fast food is a pragmatic, rather than wasteful, decision, allowing individuals to redirect limited free time towards rest or family obligations. Even so, such reliance should remain the occasional exception rather than a daily routine, given its considerable cumulative cost to both long-term health and personal finances over time.

To conclude, while fast food offers genuine convenience for those with severe time constraints, I maintain that home cooking, given its considerable health and financial advantages, should not be dismissed as a waste of time for the majority of people.

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Ideas & vocabulary for this topic

Ideas you can use

  • Introduction: Mostly disagree that home cooking wastes time, arguing that despite fast food's convenience, cooking at home offers major health and financial advantages.
  • Body 1: Argue that home cooking allows better control of nutrition, saves money compared to regular fast food spending, and strengthens family bonds through shared preparation.
  • Body 2: Concede that fast food is a genuinely practical option for people with extremely demanding schedules and no time for meal preparation.
  • Conclusion: Reaffirm that although fast food suits time-pressed individuals occasionally, home cooking should not be dismissed as wasteful given its clear benefits for most people.
Word or phraseMeaningUsed in a sentence
constitutesis regarded as; amounts topreparing meals at home constitutes an unnecessary use of time
calorie-densecontaining a large number of calories relative to volumefast food is often heavily processed and calorie-dense
cardiovascular diseaseillness affecting the heart or blood vesselscontributing to long-term health complications such as obesity and cardiovascular disease
economicalgiving good value for money; not wastefulcooking at home is considerably more economical
accumulatesgradually builds up over timeaccumulates into a substantial monthly expense
in bulkin large quantitieshome-prepared ingredients purchased in bulk
pragmaticdealing with things sensibly and realisticallyoccasional reliance on fast food is a pragmatic, rather than wasteful, decision
cumulative costthe total cost that builds up over repeated instancesits considerable cumulative cost to both long-term health and personal finances

Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.

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