Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that allowing children to make their own choices on everyday matters (such as food, clothes and entertainment) is likely to result in a society of individuals who only think about their own wishes. Other people believe that it is important for children to make decisions about matters that affect them.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Nowadays, there is a widespread debate about the decision-making of children's everyday matters. Some individuals argue that allowing children to make their own choices on their daily life matters is likely to result in a society of individuals who only consider their own preferences and who are selfish, while others believe that it is essential for children to make decisions about their own matters. This essay will discuss both views of this trend before concluding why I believe children should be allowed to make decisions about their preferences.

On the one hand, allowing children to make decisions on their basic matters such as food, clothes and entertainment can make them self-centred. If a child always gets to choose what to eat, where to go and what to watch, they may start to believe that their wishes are more important than others. For instance, if a child is never told no for anything, thinks that he will be allowed to do anything whether it is right or wrong. Moreover, this attitude can lead to a society of individuals who have a lack of empathy and has no emotions for others.

On the other hand, it is important for children to make decisions about the matters that affect them. This is because making decisions on their small choices makes them aware, independent and confident. For instance, when the children choose their own dress or food, then they must be ready to face the consequences of their choices. Without this early training, the children become dependent on their parents and may struggle in life.

In conclusion, although allowing children to make decisions on their own prefrences can lead to a society of individuals who are selfish and cold-hearted. However, its helps them to make aware, confident and independent in their lives. Therefore, i believe a balanced approach is the best way to raise responsible and confident individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state your own position: the introduction previews the discussion, and the conclusion supports allowing children to choose while recommending balance. The first body paragraph explains how unrestricted choice might encourage self-centredness, while the second links choice with independence and confidence. These are relevant reasons, but some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that children may have “no emotions for others” is broad, and the consequences of making choices are mentioned without a specific example. Your position would be clearer if you explained what a balanced approach means in practice, such as letting children choose among suitable options while parents set limits. The response covers the task, though the two views are not developed equally in depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the opposing views, and a conclusion. The progression from the risk of self-centredness to the benefits of independence is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help guide the reader. This meets the lower-band expectations securely and shows some features of stronger organisation. However, connections within sentences are occasionally awkward or unclear, as in “if a child is never told no for anything, thinks that he will be allowed to do anything.” The conclusion’s “although … However” construction also disrupts the relationship between ideas. Use linking expressions more selectively and make pronoun references and sentence connections explicit to achieve smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to discuss the topic and convey the main ideas, including “self-centred,” “empathy,” “independent,” and “confident.” There is also some attempt to vary expression through phrases such as “everyday matters” and “basic matters.” However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise or repetitive: “their own matters” and “make decisions on their small choices” sound unnatural, while “make aware” does not express the intended meaning clearly. “No emotions for others” is also an imprecise way to describe a lack of empathy. Spelling errors such as “prefrences” and inconsistent capitalisation of “i” reduce accuracy. Build a more precise range of natural phrases for discussing autonomy, responsibility, and parental guidance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional clauses (“If a child always gets to choose…”) and a contrast structure in the conclusion. The main ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur and occasionally make relationships between clauses unclear. For example, “if a child is never told no for anything, thinks that he will be allowed” lacks a clear subject for the second verb; “its helps them” has an incorrect subject–verb form; and “although … However” creates a faulty sentence connection. There are also agreement problems in “a society … who have a lack of empathy and has no emotions.” Improve control of clause structure, agreement, and punctuation, and check that each sentence has a complete, clearly connected main clause.

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