Cambridge IELTS -- 6 , Test-- 1 Writing task _ 1

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 Test 1 Writing task 1

Cambridge IELTS 6 Test 1 Writing task 1

 

You should spend 20 minutes on this task. (10 Sep 2015)
The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.
The graph shows how the amount of water used worldwide changed between 1900 and 2000.
Throughout the century, the largest quantity of water was used for agricultural purposes, and this increased dramatically from about 500 km3 to around 3000 km3 in the year 2000. Water used in the industrial and domestic sectors also increased, but consumption was minimal until mid-century. From 1950 onwards, industrial use grew steadily to just over 1000 km3, while domestic use rose more slowly to only 300 km3, both far below the levels of consumption by agriculture.
The table illustrates the differences in agricultural consumption in some areas of the world by contrasting the amount of irrigated land in Brazil (26,500 km2) with that in the D.R.C. (100 km2). This means that a huge amount of water is used in agriculture in Brazil, and this is reflected in the figures for water consumption per person: 359 m3 compared with only 8 m3 in the Congo. With a population of 176 million, the figures for Brazil indicate how high agricultural water consumption can be in some countries.

182 Words


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Cambridge book-6, Speaking Test-- 4

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Part 1:

1. Do you prefer to have one particular friend or a group of friends? [Why?]
2. What do you like doing most with your friend/s?
3. Do you think it’s important to keep in contact with friends you knew as a child? [Why/Why not?]
4. What makes a friend into a good friend?

Part 2 :

Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.
You should say:
when you had to make this choice
what you had to choose between
whether you made a good choice
And explain how you felt you were making this choice.

Part 3:

Important choices
What are the typical choices people make at different stages of their lives?
Should important choices be made by parents rather than by young adults?
Why do some people like to discuss choices with other people?
Choices in everyday life
What kind of choices do people have to make in their everyday life?
Why do some people choose to do the same things every day? Are there any disadvantages in this?
Do you think that people have more choices to make today than in the past?




Part 1 answer :


Do you prefer to have one particular friend or a group of friends? [Why?]

►  Personally, I prefer to have one particular friend. Firstly, it is quite hard for us to find people who have the same hobbies, thinking and attitudes to us and will be next to us rain or shine. Secondly, if I have a particular chum, it will be easier for me to share my sorrow and happiness than having a group of friends. Lastly, I suppose friendship between one – to – one outlasts more than that in a group of friends.


What do you like doing most with your friends?

►  I have activities galore to enjoy with my friends. Firstly, I like chatting with them to share everything such as sorrow, happiness, the news of famous people and so on. Secondly, I prefer to spend my time going to the cinema to enjoy our favorite movies. Lastly, I love having vacations with them, especially on beaches. At that time, it is nothing but fun and games.


Do you think it’s important to keep in contact with friends you knew as a child? [Why/Why not?]

►  In my opinion, it is essential for us to keep in touch with friends we knew as children. Firstly, friendships from childhood are worth being preserved because they are very pure and contain many beautiful memories. Secondly, it is not harmful to have more friends because friendship is the gift which God gives human. Therefore, I prefer to have as many friends as possible.


What makes a friend into a good friend?

►  In my opinion, what makes a friend into a good friend depends on individuals’ attitudes. In my opinion, one of the factors which make a good friend is great understanding. You cannot be a good friend if you do not understand your chums well. Secondly, it is generosity. There is always dispute between friends. Therefore, if you are not generous enough to forgive your friends, your friendships will be fragile. Lastly, it is care that makes you a good friend.


Part 2 answer :


Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.

You should say:
when you had to make this choice
what you had to choose between
whether you made a good choice
And explain how you felt you were making this choice.


In my opinion, during our daily days, we have to give many important alternatives. I had made a vital choice in my life about 2 years ago. At that time, an entrance examination to the university was approaching and I had to give my decision of universities between Banking University and University of Social Sciences and Humanities. One side was my dream of being a journalist but I found myself not suitable for it. The other was a vocation with high salaries, positions and suitable for my ability. After careful consideration, I decided to choose Banking University, which is famous for its training of Banking and Finance. You have to fulfill certain criteria to become a student of Banking University. Notwithstanding having a little hesitance when making this choice, year in year out I realize that I had made a judicious choice. The studying environment here is very good and professional. The teachers always teach us with cordiality and dedication. In my opinion, we should think carefully before making important choices so that we will not regret after that.


Part 3 answer :


What are the typical choices people make at different stages of their lives?

►  I divide our lives into three major periods. The first is when we are little children. During this period, our choices are quite simple so choices are made by adults for us. The second is when we are teenagers. The alternatives in this period are much more complicated and important than those in the first period such as what school to go, what to wear beautifully, what is delicious to eat. These choices require us to be astute and careful to make. The last is when we are adults and we have to make decisions comprising choices about husbands, wives, children and so on.


Should important choices be made by parents rather than by young adults?

►  As I see it, important choices should be made by both parents and young adults. Each generation has their own advantages and shortcomings. Therefore, before we make important choices, it is indispensable for us to consider both opinions of parents and young adults to make the best choices.


Why do some people like to discuss choices with other people?

►  In my opinion, firstly, it is quite hard for us to know whether the decisions we make are right or wrong. When discussing with others, we can have their objective comments to help us make the best choices. Secondly, we can have their advice to decide what the best is; even we can discover other better choices.


What kind of choices do people have to make in their everyday life?

►  In my opinion, there are various choices we have to make in our daily lives. They are what to wear, what to eat, where to go, what to play, etc. They are quite familiar to us that some people are bored of making these choices. However, life is a chain of choices and making choices is for a living and surviving. Therefore, we should adapt ourselves to choices.


Why do some people choose to do the same things every day? Are there any disadvantages in this?

►  In my opinion, some people choose to do the same things every day because their current lives are so smooth that they do not want any changes and want to remain what they are possessing. Secondly, they are scared of changes. They think they cannot be strong enough to bear new things and new challenges.

►  There are some disadvantages in this. The first is their lives are not absorbing and just chains of boring days. Secondly, they will be fragile and coward when facing with new challenges while life means waves.


Do you think that people have more choices to make today than in the past?

►  I concur with that statement. Firstly, the society now is more developing than that in the past. Therefore, people are given more alternatives to make. Clear evidence of this statement is food, beverages, schools, clothes, etc. Secondly, people have more abundant physical and spiritual lives. It is the reason why choices now are more complicated and plentiful.






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Cambridge book-6, Speaking Test-3

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How do most people travel to work where you live?
Most people in my place travel to work using public transport system.  We have both government and private bus services that are very efficient and frequent. The bus fares are also quiet moderate, and that makes it the favourite mode of travel for ordinary people to go to work.  People, who go to longer distances to work, usually make use of trains.  We have a number of short distance trains, which are very inexpensive.  A lot of people also have their own private vehicles to go to work.  Most young people have their own motor bikes.  The more affluent go to work by car. 

What traffic problems are there in your area?
Traffic problems are quite frequent in my area, especially during the peak hours of morning and evening, when people travel to work or study and back.  Many roads are very narrow and cannot hold the increasing traffic volume at a time.  So traffic moves at a snail’s pace, especially during the rush hours.  There are also a lot of puddles on the roads especially during the rainy season and manoeuvring them would further slow the traffic down.   There are constant repairs on the roads which are both slow and ineffective and traffic is often diverted through narrower roads making the situation still worse.

How do traffic problems affect you?
Traffic problems affect me very badly.  I need to reach work on time and very often the unexpected traffic snarls and jams do not let me do it.  I have made it a point that I start a bit earlier from home, so that these unexpected delays do not affect me much.  Another problem is that driving in high gear in the traffic jam, exhausts your fuel tank very fast.

How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area?
The first thing that the government should do is to widen the roads with immediate effect and that can definitely reduce the problem tremendously.  Another area that the authorities can look into is to engage a big company to construct roads that can last for a longer period of time.   It would definitely reduce the constant repairs on roads.  People also should be made to obey traffic rules very strictly.

Part 2

Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.

You should day:
What kind of game or sport it is
Who you play it with
Where you play it
And explain why you enjoy playing it. 
                                               

In fact I don’t play any games at the moment, because I don’t have the time or opportunity for it.  It is very difficult for you to play a game once you get out of your school or college.  There are very few playgrounds for the public in our area.

May be, I will talk about the game I played when I was in college.  I was very interested in soccer, and I played in the forward line.  It was usually played in the evening when the sun was not very warm and that preserved a lot of your energy.  I hope you know that football requires a great deal of running and if it is very hot your steam will run out fast. 

I usually played with my college mates.  We would break into two teams and sometimes the numbers would vary from seven to twelve, depending on the number of people who were interested in playing the game.  It always used to be great fun to play with your mates in a very friendly atmosphere.  Since everybody knew each other there were hardly any hard tackling or rough play.  Everybody enjoyed the spirit of the game.

We played in the football ground, just in front of our college.  It was quite a big ground and so we had to run around a lot, but that gave us a lot of physical fitness.

I enjoyed playing soccer because there was a thrill in scoring goals and winning.  You kept improving with every game and that gave you a great deal of motivation and competitive spirit.  Even during the day, when you were not playing you kept thinking about the game.  So it was great fun and I always waited for the evenings to play soccer.


Discussion topics:

Children’s games

How have games changed from the time when you were a child?
Games have changed tremendously over the years.  When we were children the standard of the game or the players was not as good as it is today.  Moreover, newer rules have been introduced to make it more appealing to television audiences.  I think the speed of the game has considerably increased.  There is much more money in sports and games today, so more and more young people are interested in making it a full time career.  That was not the case when I was a child.

Do you think this has been a positive change? Why?
Yes, it has definitely been a positive change in all ways.  Games have become more popular and players get much better rewards.  Televised games have made it possible for people to watch games in the comfort of their homes rather than going to a stadium.  Watching games has become a very easy affair.  Overall, the standard of the game has improved.

Why do you think children like playing games?
Children are physically very active and you can’t keep them idle for a long time.  They always like to be with their friends, playing some games.  Psychologically, at their age they can’t think of engaging in a serious activity for a long time.  Playing games would occupy them time in a very effective way; otherwise they are going to create some mischief at home.





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Cambridge book-6, Speaking Test-2 ( flute )

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Which instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?)
My favourite musical instrument is the flute.  (I love listening to the flute, the most).  I have always wondered why I like flute.  May be, it is because of its simplicity or because of it sweet sound.  Flute has a very soothing music and it goes directly into your heart.  I think it is very easy to learn flute, but I am not sure.  Anyway, I like it.

Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
Not really, I don’t think I have the talent for it.  So I have not seriously tried.  When I was small, I just used to play with the harmonium, but actually, I could never play any proper notes.  Even now, I love to press the keys of the electric keyboard and I like to hear the sound.  But I have never learned to play any musical instrument.

Yes I play the keyboard.  I started leaning it at a very early age.  My mother bought me a toy piano when I was a small kid.  I started playing it on my own.  Later, I went to a music school, where I leaned to play the electric organ.  Now I play it quiet well.

Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument?

It is good in one way.  As children, you have the time and interest in learning a musical instrument.  In think learning a musical instrument can give a lot of confidence to children.  They will learn to perform before other people.  They can be proud of the fact that they know how to play a musical instrument.  It is the best way to know whether a child had the taste for it.  However, we should not force a child into it, especially if he doesn’t have the talent for it.

No I don’t think children should learn a musical instrument.  It is the time for them to play and enjoy games.  Playing a music instrument is a very serious job.  It requires a lot of patience and discipline.  So I think it is better not to force children into it at an early age.  If they have the taste and talent they will learn it later.

How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher?

I think, it is not easy to learn a musical instrument without the help of a teacher, because you have no one to clear your doubts.  Not only that, you can never learn it, systematically.  There are people who learn musical instruments like guitar with the help of a book or through the internet.  But, I don’t think you go can very far, in this way.

Why not!  There are a lot of people who learn musical instruments without the help of a teacher.  You can get books and lessons from the internet.  The advantage is that you can learn at your own pace and convenience.  Then why go for a teacher.

Part 2


Describe something healthy you enjoy doing

You should say:
What you do
Where you do it
Who you do it with
And explain why you think doing this is healthy.

Playing sports, cycling, exercising

I have been playing badminton for the last few years.  This is something that I really enjoy.  When I started I wasn’t a good player.  Over the years I have improved tremendously.  Every day I wait for the evening to play badminton. 

I play it in our college campus.  We have an indoor court and so the wind doesn’t disturb our game. 

I play with my colleagues at work.  There are about 6 to 8 people who play regularly and if you don’t reach the court in time, you don’t get to play the first game.  After a game is over, usually the losers have to give chance to the other players, who wait outside. 

I think this has definitely kept me fit.  I have lost about 6 kilos in the last 2 years, just because I play this game.  I have no other exercise and I don’t need any.  I can eat anything I like and I can burn my extra calories in the game.  Now my body has become very flexible and I have improved my stamina.  My movements have become easy and my body is much more flexible now.  I can even run up steps without panting.  My cholesterol and blood sugar levels are much lower than before.  So this is something healthy that I enjoy doing.

Part 3

Keeping fit and healthy

What do most people do to keep fit your country?
Most people, in my country do some kind of manual labour and that keeps them fit.  They don’t need any other exercise.  The farmers work in the field and there are a lot of people who work in constructions and similar manual jobs.  The middleclass white collar workers and the rich people are also very health conscious and do regular exercises like jogging, walking in the morning or playing some games. There are some people who work out in gyms to keep themselves fit.

The most common exercise, that people in my country do, to keep themselves fit, is to go for a walk.  If you get up early in the morning and look at the streets, especially in cities, you can see a lot of people walking by the side of the road.  There are also a lot of evening walkers as well.  Some jog or cycle or do some exercise or play some games.  There are a lot of people who visit gyms to be fit.  Yoga is another popular exercise that people are interested in.

How important is it for people to do some regular physical exercise?
It is extremely important for people to engage in some kind of regular exercise, especially after 30 or 35.  Otherwise we will be prone to common lifestyle diseases like, high blood sugar or blood pressure.  Heart ailments are very common among people who have no physical exercise.  Regular exercise can give your body a lot of immunity against such diseases.  It can burn your extra fat that causes all these ailments.  So, regular exercise is essential for people to keep themselves fit.


Health and modern lifestyles

Why do some people think that modern lifestyles are not healthy?
See, people have a valid reason for thinking so.  People today love comfort and luxury and they want to satisfy their appetites at any cost.  Rather than cooking at home, they love to eat out, at restaurants and fast food joints.  Fast food may be tasty but contains a lot of fat that is not good for health.  Previously people used to walk or engage in some kind of manual work.  That is not the case today.  Personal vehicles and modern devices have made their life easy and people have great aversion towards sweating their body.  This lifestyle naturally invites diseases.

Why do some people choose to lead unhealthy lives?
The simple answer is laziness.  Today many people do not have the discipline to lead a healthy life.  They love comfort and convenience in everything that they do.  In fact, they don’t realise that their comfort and luxury are going to end soon.  They need to face the reality sooner than later. 

Should individuals or governments be responsible for making people lifestyles healthy?
It is the individuals themselves who are responsible for making their lifestyles healthy.  It is one’s personal freedom to lead a healthy lifestyle.  Government has nothing to do with it.  No government can interfere into such personal affairs.  Government can’t ask people to eat this or that.  The only thing that government can do is to spread awareness about this issue.  Nothing more than that.

What could be done to encourage people to live in a healthy way?
The best way to encourage people to live in a healthy way is to spread awareness about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.  This can be done through the media like television and newspapers.  At an early age, children should be given education about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  It should also be included in the curriculum.  Moreover, sports should be made compulsory in schools.  Another effective way is to give gym and sports facilities in factories and offices. 














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Cambridge book-6, Speaking Test-1

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Do you enjoy dancing? (Why/Why not)

(You need to react to the question, first.)
Yes I do, I really love (like) dancing. No, I don’t love….
Definitely, I am very fond of dancing. Not really, I am not very fond of…
Certainly, I am very interested in dancing. No, I don’t think I am interested in…
Of course, I am very passionate about dancing.
Yes, I enjoy dancing.
I am very excited about dancing.

(Then elaborate on the answer)

It is a time that you can forget about yourself and relax your mind and body. It also gives you a great deal of inner satisfaction. I think it is a great way to release your stress.

I think it’s the best way to enjoy your time with your friends. You can get close to them and strengthen your friendship.

I believe, dancing is a wonderful way to exercise your body. It involves vigorous physical activity and burns a lot of calories. The only way I exercise is by dancing, and that keeps my body fit.

This is a very good way to show your talent before others. I am quiet a good dancer and I get a lot of appreciation from people. That gives me great confidence and enhances my personality.

I don’t think I have the talent to dance. I look very awkward when I dance and it gives me very little satisfaction.

I don’t have an opportunity to dance. In fact, I live in a very orthodox culture and dancing is not very popular here. The only people who dance are the professional dancers and it is not very common among ordinary people. However, I love watching other people dance.

Has anyone every taught you how to dance? (Why/Why not)
Not in the recent past. But when I was a small girl, I went to a dance school in my village, where I learned some classical dance. I also learned folk dance from a teacher in my regular school during that time.

No, no one has ever taught me how to dance. I learned dancing by watching videos and dancing with my friends. It is not very difficult to learn simple dancing and I learned it in a very informal way.

Tell me about any traditional dancing in your country?
We have a number of traditional dances in my country, both classical and folk. A very popular classical dance form in my country is Bharathanatyam. You need many years of training to master this dance. It is usually staged during festivals and cultural programmes. It has a very ancient origin and was patronised  by kings in the olden times. Dancers perform with graceful and rhythmic movements and in rich and colourful costumes.

A very popular dancing in my country is a folk dance called ‘Thiruvathira’. This is very a special dance from my state of Kerala. It is usually performed during the festival season of Onam. Women in groups of eight or ten, dance in a circle, around a lighted traditional lamp. The movements are simple and graceful and the costumes are also very simple.

Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future? (Why/Why not)
I think so. Traditional dancing will be very popular in the future. A lot of parents now send their children to learn traditional dancing and children automatically develop a liking for this type of dancing. Apart from that, there are a lot of competitions in schools and colleges in traditional dancing. Again, foreign tourists show a lot of interest in traditional dancing. So there is great possibility that traditional dancing will be popular in the future.

No I don’t think so. In the future more and more people will be interested in modern dancing, both western and Indian. So traditional dancing will lose its charm for people. Moreover, traditional dancing requires many years of training and dedication and many people don’t have time for that. It is also an expensive affair. Again, traditional dancing has a very small audience. So I think traditional dancing will become less popular in the future.

Part 2

Describe someone in your family who you like.

You should say:
How this person is related to you
What this person looks like
What kind of person he/she is
And explain why you like this person

The person whom I like the most in family is my brother who is just younger to me. We are eight children, I am the second and he is the third.

He doesn’t look like me at all. He rather looks like my mother and is the most handsome person in the family. He is closer to me than any other member of the family, more than even my parents.

He is not very good at his studies or in any arts and music, but is very good at heart. He is very good humoured, and you know, makes everybody laugh with his witty conversation. He has a special way of attracting people towards him.

He is a very just person, and if there is a misunderstanding in the family, he is the first person to find a solution to it. When he does something important, he comes to me and talks about it, and he usually he accepts my advice. He is also quite daring and enterprising. Although he is not very educated he runs a very successful business and lives a happy life.

I like him very much, mainly because he understands me more than any other member of my family. He has also supported me and stood with me whenever I had a serious problem or trouble.

So I would say that he is someone I like in my family.

Part 3


Discussion Topics

Family similarities

In what ways can people in a family be similar to each other?

People in a family can be similar to each other in many ways. They usually resemble each other in their physical appearance. For example, children look like their parents, in their facial feature, colour, type of hair and so on. They can also be alike, in their character and behaviour.

Do you think daughters are always more similar to mothers than to male relatives?
Not always! There are many daughters who look more like their fathers or other male members of the family than mothers. That includes their colour, face, hair and so on. But I do think that most daughters look like their mothers in physical features.

What about sons and fathers?
I think it is the same with them as well. There are many sons who resemble their mothers more than their fathers or other male members of the family.

In terms of personality, are people more influenced by their family or friends? In what ways?
People are usually more influenced by their family than friends, because as children, most people live with their families. And that is when an individual’s personality is developed. Even after that, people spend more time with their family members and interact with them more closely than their friends. This intimacy with the family members has a great influence in their character formation. On the other hand, friends also have a significant influence in one’s personality, but not as much as family members.

Genetic Research

Where can people in your country get information about genetic research?
There are many sources in my country, where people can get information about genetic research. I think the most common source is books. You can find books on genetic research in public libraries or in bookshops. Apart from that, there are a number of universities and institutes that does research in genetic studies. There are a lot a lot scientist and professors, who can give information about this subject. I think, the internet is a wonderful source to get information about genetic research. If you search Google, you will come across many websites that will give you, at least, the primary information about genetic research.


How do people in your country feel about genetic research?
In general, I think people in my country have a positive attitude towards genetic research. They know it has a lot of benefits in terms of better agricultural production and prevention of many genetic diseases. However, some people are worried about genetically modified foods. They fear that it can be dangerous to human health.

Should this research be funded by governments or private companies?
I think both government and private companies should jointly or separately fund genetic research. It should not be the monopoly of either of the parties. If private companies alone fund genetic research the benefits of the research may not reach the common man, because of their profit motive. So government also has the responsibility to fund it, so that every body enjoys the benefits.



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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Nuclear Family

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The individual nuclear family is a universal social phenomenon. Duncan Mitchell in his ‘Dictionary of sociology has defined nuclear family as ‘A small group composed of husband and wife and immature children which constitutes a unit apart from the rest of the community.”
In simple words a nuclear family is one which consists of the husband wife and their unmarried children. Soon after marriage, the children leave their parental home and establish their separate household. Hence a nuclear family is an autonomous unit free from the control of the elders. Since there is physical distance between parents and their married children, there is minimum interdependence between them. Thus a nuclear family is mostly independent. Modern family is a typical example of nuclear family.

Advantage of Nuclear Family:

(1) Development of Personality:
Nuclear family plays an important role in the development of personality of individuals. Children are more close to the parents and can have more free and frank discussion about their problems with parents which helps for the better development of their personality.
(2) Better Condition of Women:
In nuclear families the condition of woman is better than joint families. She gets enough time to look after her children. She also gets time to plan and manage her house according to her own idea. There is no interference of elders. Her husband can also devote more attention to the wife in nuclear family.
(3) Less number of children:
Family planning programme becomes successful in nuclear families. The members of nuclear family have to plan and limit their family as they have to bear all the responsibilities and expenses themselves to rear their children. The children also are benefited in the long run as they inherit directly property from their parents.
(4) Peace and Harmony:
Peace and harmony are very much essential for a pleasant family life. In nuclear families there is no misunderstanding and they enjoy a harmonious atmosphere by living together.
(5) Individual Responsibilities:
In nuclear family there is no shifting of responsibility like in joint family. The parents are bound to take responsibility of their children by themselves. The head of family has to work hard to take care of his family.
(6) Problem Free Unit:
There is no chance of in-laws conflict. Financial problem does not arise in nuclear family. Money can be saved for future achievement and to face uncertain crisis of family. All enjoy independent life and can be engaged in any economic activities to supplement family income. The will and desires of children are considered and are given proper weight. All members of nuclear family are emotional secured. No superiority complex is felt by anybody. All are given equal weightage.

Disadvantages:

(1) Economic disadvantage:
The property of the family is divided among the brothers and each live separately. The land being subdivided does not yield much production resulting the land as an uneconomic holding. On the other hand one has to employ other labours to achieve the desired goal due to limited size of family. In this way the economic loss is more in nuclear family by paying remuneration to the labourers.
(2) Insecurity of Children:
In nuclear family both husband and wife adopt profession outside the family, then children are neglected and looked after by the servants. They feel lonely and emotional insecure. They develop more anxiety. If the bread winner dies or becomes incapable to en, there is no one to support the family. Even in time of emergency like sickness, accident or during pregnancy family members are very much neglected and there is no one to take care of them.
(3) Agency to Develop Bad Qualities of Inmates:
As it is an autonomous unit, it is free from the social control of elders. So the children develop all sorts of bad qualities like theft, her and lead their lifestyle in indiscipline way. They become unsocial as they do not get opportunity to mix with other members of the family.
(4) Loneliness:
Feeling of loneliness is one of important drawbacks in nuclear family. After completion of household task, the housewife becomes alone at home. At the time of emergency one can get any help and support from any other.
(5) Insecure For Old, Widow and Divorce:
In nuclear family widowed, old and divorce fare very much neglected. No one in the family bothers to take care of them. Physically and psychologically they feel insecure. Above all in nuclear family children are socially, emotionally and educational maladjusted. There is a chance of family breakage in case of conflict between the compel. Still then everybody wants to go for a nuclear family in the modern society because of its advantages which certainly outnumber the disadvantages.
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Ain't

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Ain't is a contraction for am not, is not, are not, has not, and have not in the common English language vernacular. In some dialects ain't is also used as a contraction of do not,does not, and did not. The development of ain't for the various forms of to be not, to have not, and to do not occurred independently, at different times. The usage of ain't for the forms of to be not was established by the mid-18th century, and for the forms of to have not by the early 19th century.
The usage of ain't is a perennial subject of controversy in English. Ain't is commonly used by many speakers in oral or informal settings, especially in certain regions and dialects. Its usage is often highly stigmatized, and it may be used as a marker of socio-economic or regional status or education level. Its use is generally considered non-standard by dictionaries and style guides except when used for rhetorical effect, and it is rarely found in formal written works.


Etymology[edit]

Ain't has several antecedents in English, corresponding to the various forms of to be not and to have not that ain't contracts. The development of ain't for to be not and to have not is a diachronic coincidence;[1] in other words, they were independent developments at different times.


Contractions of to be not[edit]

Amn't as a contraction of am not is known from 1618.[2] As the "mn" combination of two nasal consonants is disfavoured by many English speakers, the "m" of amn't began to be elided, reflected in writing with the new form an't.[3] Aren't as a contraction for are not first appeared in 1675.[4] In non-rhotic dialects, aren't lost its "r" sound, and began to be pronounced as an't.[5]
An't (sometimes a'n't) arose from am not and are not almost simultaneously. An't first appears in print in the work of English Restoration playwrights.[6] In 1695 an't was used as a contraction of "am not", in William Congreve's play Love for Love: "I can hear you farther off, I an't deaf".[7] But as early as 1696 Sir John Vanbrugh uses an't to mean "are not" in The Relapse: "Hark thee shoemaker! these shoes an't ugly, but they don't fit me".[8]
An't for is not may have developed independently from its use for am not and are not. Isn't was sometimes written as in't or en't, which could have changed into an't. An't for is not may also have filled a gap as an extension of the already-used conjugations for to be not.[6] Jonathan Swift used an't to mean is not in Letter 19 of his Journal to Stella(1710–13): It an't my fault, 'tis Patrick's fault; pray now don't blame Presto.[9]
An't with a long "a" sound began to be written as ain't, which first appears in writing in 1749.[10] By the time ain't appeared, an't was already being used for am not, are not, andis not.[6] An't and ain't coexisted as written forms well into the nineteenth century—Charles Dickens used the terms interchangeably, as in Chapter 13, Book the Second of Little Dorrit (1857): "'I guessed it was you, Mr Pancks," said she, 'for it's quite your regular night; ain't it? ... An't it gratifying, Mr Pancks, though; really?'". In the English lawyer William Hickey's memoirs (1808–1810), ain't appears as a contraction of aren't; "thank God we're all alive, ain't we..."[11]


Contractions of to have not[edit]

Han't or ha'n't, an early contraction for has not and have not, developed from the elision of the "s" of has not and the "v" of have not.[6] Han't appeared in the work of English Restoration playwrights,[6] as in The Country Wife (1675) by William Wycherley: Gentlemen and Ladies, han't you all heard the late sad report / of poor Mr. Horner.[12] Much likean't, han't was sometimes pronounced with a long "a", yielding hain't. With H-dropping, the "h" of han't or hain't gradually disappeared in most dialects, and became ain't.[6]
Ain't as a contraction for has not/have not first appeared in dictionaries in the 1830s, and appeared in 1819 in Niles' Weekly Register: Strike! Why I ain't got nobody here to strike....[13] Charles Dickens likewise used ain't to mean haven't in Chapter 28 of Martin Chuzzlewit (1844): "You ain't got nothing to cry for, bless you! He's righter than a trivet!"[14]
Like with an't, han't and ain't were found together late into the nineteenth century, as in Chapter 12 of Dickens' Our Mutual Friend: "'Well, have you finished?' asked the strange man. 'No,' said Riderhood, 'I ain't'....'You sir! You han't said what you want of me.'"[15]


Contractions of to do not[edit]

Ain't meaning didn't is widely considered a feature unique to African American Vernacular English,[16] although it can be found in some dialects of Caribbean English as well.[17] It may function not as a true variant of didn't, but as a creole-like tense-neutral negator (sometimes termed generic ain't).[16] Its origin may have been due to approximation when early African-Americans acquired English as a second language; it is also possible that early African-Americans inherited this variation from colonial European-Americans, and later kept the variation when it largely passed out of wider usage. Ain't is rarely attested for the present-tense constructions do not or does not.


Linguistic characteristics[edit]

Linguistically, ain't is formed by the same rule that English speakers use to form aren't and other contractions of auxiliary verbs.[3] Most linguists consider usage of ain't to be grammatical, as long as its users convey their intended meaning to their audience.[18] In other words, a sentence such as "She ain't got no sense" is grammatical because it generally follows a native speaker's word order, and because a native speaker would recognize the meaning of that sentence.[19] Linguists draw a distinction, however, between grammaticality and acceptability: what may be considered grammatical across all dialects may nevertheless be considered not acceptable in certain dialects or contexts.[20] The usage of ain't is socially unacceptable in some situations.[21]
Functionally, ain't has operated in part to plug what is known as the "amn't gap" – the anomalous situation in standard English whereby there are standard contractions for other forms of to be not (aren't for are not, and isn't for is not), but no standard contraction for am not. Historically, ain't has filled the gap where one might expect amn't, even in contexts where other uses of ain't were disfavored.[22] Standard dialects that regard ain't as non-standard often substitute aren't for am not in tag questions (e.g., "I'm doing okay, aren't I?"), while leaving the "amn't gap" open in declarative statements.[23]

Prescription and stigma[edit]

Ain't has been called "the most stigmatized word in the language,"[24] as well as "the most powerful social marker" in English.[25] It is a prominent example in English of ashibboleth – a word used to determine inclusion in, or exclusion from, a group.[24]
Historically, this was not the case. For most of its history, ain't was acceptable across many social and regional contexts. Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, ain't and its predecessors were part of normal usage for both educated and uneducated English speakers, and was found in the correspondence and fiction of, among others, Jonathan Swift, Lord Byron, Henry Fielding, and George Eliot.[26] For Victorian English novelists William Makepeace Thackeray and Anthony Trollope, the educated and upper classes in 19th century England could use ain't freely, but in familiar speech only.[27] Ain't continued to be used without restraint by many upper middle class speakers in southern England into the beginning of the 20th century.[28][29]
Ain't was a prominent target of early prescriptivist writers. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, some writers began to propound the need to establish a "pure" or "correct" form of English.[30] Contractions in general were disapproved of, but ain't and its variants were seen as particularly "vulgar."[24] This push for "correctness" was driven mainly by the middle class, which led to an incongruous situation in which non-standard constructions continued to be used by both lower and upper classes, but not by the middle class.[27][31]The reason for the strength of the prescription against ain't is not entirely clear.
The strong prescription against ain't in standard English has led to many misconceptions, often expressed jocularly (or ironically), as "ain't ain't a word" or "ain't ain't in the dictionary."[32] Ain't is listed in most dictionaries, including the Oxford Dictionary of English[33] and Merriam-Webster.[34] However, Oxford states "it does not form part of standard English and should never be used in formal or written contexts,"[33] and Merriam-Webster states it is "widely disapproved as non-standard and more common in the habitual speech of the less educated".[34]
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, published in 1961, went against then-standard practice when it included the following usage note in its entry on ain't: "though disapproved by many and more common in less educated speech, used orally in most parts of the U.S. by many cultivated speakers esp. in the phrase ain't I."[35] Many commentators disapproved of the dictionary's relatively permissive attitude toward the word, which was inspired, in part, by the belief of its editor, Philip Gove, that "distinctions of usage were elitist and artificial."[36]

Regional usage and dialects[edit]

From Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883
Ain't is found throughout the English-speaking world across regions and classes,[37] and is among the most pervasive nonstandard terms in English.[38] It is one of two negation features (the other being the double negative) that are known to appear in all nonstandard English dialects.[39] Ain't is used throughout the United Kingdom, with its geographical distribution increasing over time.[40] It is also found throughout the United States, including in Appalachia, the South, New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Upper Midwest.[25] In its geographical ubiquity, ain't is to be contrasted with other folk usages such as y'all, which is confined to the South region of the United States.[41]
In England, ain't is generally considered a non-standard or illiterate usage, as it is used by speakers of a lower socio-economic class, or by educated people in an informal manner.[42] In the nineteenth century, ain't was often used by writers to denote regional dialects such as Cockney English.[43] Ain't is a non-standard feature commonly found in mainstream Australian English,[44] and in New Zealand, ain't is a feature of Maori-influenced English.[45] In American English, usage of ain't corresponds to a middle level of education,[42] although it is widely believed that its use establishes of lack of education or social standing in the speaker.[46]
The usage of ain't in the southern United States is distinctive, however, in the continued usage of the word by well-educated, cultivated speakers.[47] Ain't is in common usage of educated Southerners.[48] In the South, the use of ain't can be used as a marker to separate cultured speakers from those who lack confidence in their social standing and thus avoid its use entirely.[49]
An American propaganda poster from World War II, using ain't for rhetorical effect

Rhetorical and popular usage[edit]

Ain't can be used in both speech and writing to catch attention and to give emphasis, as in "Ain't that a crying shame," or "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives an example from film critic Richard Schickel: "the wackiness of movies, once so deliciously amusing, ain't funny anymore."[50] It can also be used deliberately for what The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style describes as "tongue-in-cheek" or "reverse snobbery".[51] Star baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fameand later a popular announcer, once said, "A lot of people who don't say ain't, ain't eatin'."[52]
Although ain't is seldom found in formal writing, it is frequently used in more informal written settings, such as popular song lyrics. In genres such as traditional country music, blues, rock n' roll, and hip-hop, lyrics often include nonstandard features such as ain't.[53] This is principally due to the use of such features as markers of "covert identity and prestige."[53]
Ain't is standard in some fixed phrases, such as "You ain't seen nothing yet".

Notable[edit]

"You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet", 1919






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