AQA English Language Paper 2 Section B: Example A* / L9
Answer
‘Parents today are overprotective. They should let their children take part in
adventurous, even risky, activities to prepare them for later life.’
Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you argue for or against this
statement. (24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]
Are parents overprotective nowadays? It seems like a question that people have been
asking for decades... Maybe centuries. Maybe even millenia. This debate always gets
people going: from a protective parents’ perspective, it’s about fearing for their kids’
safety: they would never be able to forgive themselves if something dangerous
happened to their child; from the point of view of laid-back parents and most kids, it’s
about deserving freedom and the need to experiment and explore.
Undoubtedly, parenthood is one of the most difficult and rewarding things we ever get
to experience. It’s incredible that we can create a life, and be responsible for looking
after a tiny, adorable, precious human being who’s too young to fully fend for
themselves. They’re physically weak. They’re psychologically undeveloped and
painfully innocent. Who could blame a parent for feeling strong protective instincts?
Well, actually, I could...
Personally, I’ve always thought that though there are justifiable reasons for being a
strict parent, these reasons are almost completely about the parent themselves, and
not the child. Now, that might seem shocking, but bear with me while I explain. Think
about it this way: nine times out of ten, protectiveness is a projection of the adult’s
anxieties and worries onto their offspring.
When they’re tiny, this may manifest in sternness or even shouting and anger on the
parent’s part if they see their child doing anything ‘wrong’. We’ve all been there, where
a parent gets embarrassed and screams at their kid in public: “NO TIMMY, STOP!”. But
I’m sure we’ve also all noticed the more sinister kind of parent, who grabs their kid’s
arm, pulls them aside and hisses at them something vicious and unintelligible through
gritted teeth. Either way, it’s often a reflection of the parent’s embarrassment at the
Answer
‘Parents today are overprotective. They should let their children take part in
adventurous, even risky, activities to prepare them for later life.’
Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you argue for or against this
statement. (24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical accuracy)
[40 marks]
Are parents overprotective nowadays? It seems like a question that people have been
asking for decades... Maybe centuries. Maybe even millenia. This debate always gets
people going: from a protective parents’ perspective, it’s about fearing for their kids’
safety: they would never be able to forgive themselves if something dangerous
happened to their child; from the point of view of laid-back parents and most kids, it’s
about deserving freedom and the need to experiment and explore.
Undoubtedly, parenthood is one of the most difficult and rewarding things we ever get
to experience. It’s incredible that we can create a life, and be responsible for looking
after a tiny, adorable, precious human being who’s too young to fully fend for
themselves. They’re physically weak. They’re psychologically undeveloped and
painfully innocent. Who could blame a parent for feeling strong protective instincts?
Well, actually, I could...
Personally, I’ve always thought that though there are justifiable reasons for being a
strict parent, these reasons are almost completely about the parent themselves, and
not the child. Now, that might seem shocking, but bear with me while I explain. Think
about it this way: nine times out of ten, protectiveness is a projection of the adult’s
anxieties and worries onto their offspring.
When they’re tiny, this may manifest in sternness or even shouting and anger on the
parent’s part if they see their child doing anything ‘wrong’. We’ve all been there, where
a parent gets embarrassed and screams at their kid in public: “NO TIMMY, STOP!”. But
I’m sure we’ve also all noticed the more sinister kind of parent, who grabs their kid’s
arm, pulls them aside and hisses at them something vicious and unintelligible through
gritted teeth. Either way, it’s often a reflection of the parent’s embarrassment at the
