Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-09

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 5.5)

It is important for chidren to make their own decisions. Some people believe that giving children freedom to make their own decisions about their food clothes and entertainment etc will make a society where everyone will be more concerned about their own wishes, while some argued that children should have freedom to make decisions regarding matters that affect them. I strongy believe that it is necessary for children to make certain decisions by themselves because it will make them a practial and more mature person in future.

On the one hand, people support that children should not make their own decisions regarding food, clothes and entertainmen in their life because they believe that it will make society more selfish and people will only consider their own wishes. On the other side peope who oppose that statement may think that to build confidence in children and prepare them for future it is essential that they should have freedom to make decisions about themselves.

I also second this statement that children should take decisions by their own in matters that affect them. Firstly clothes and food are their personal choice to choose but Parents should taught children about different clothes and food like the way they should wear different clothes on particular events, which type of food is good for their health and what should avoid eating, then they should have freedom regarding this. Secondly children should have fully freedom on decisions that affect them for example marriage and choosing particular field, because its their life to decide with whome they will marry and which field they persue for success.

In conclusion, some people argue that if children make decisions by their own it will make a society more isolated and selfish, while other believe that children should have freedom to take decisions in matters that affect them. I also believe that children should have freedom to choose decisions regarding marriage and career.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state your position clearly in the opening and conclusion: you support children making decisions about matters that affect them. The discussion of the opposing view is relevant, but it is mostly a restatement of the claim that children may become selfish, with little explanation of why this might happen. Your supporting ideas are more specific: you explain that parents can guide children on suitable food and clothing, and you mention career and marriage choices. However, these examples are not fully developed, and the marriage example is presented as an unrestricted choice without considering children’s age or readiness. Explain the consequences of each view and develop one or two examples more fully to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph presenting both views, a paragraph explaining your opinion, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the one hand,” “Firstly,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the second paragraph moves from the opposing view to the other side without developing either, while the third combines parental guidance on everyday choices with major decisions about marriage and career. Some connections are repetitive, particularly the repeated contrast between freedom and selfishness. Organise each body paragraph around one main idea, use pronouns and references clearly, and explain how each example supports that idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “personal choice,” “build confidence,” “selfish,” and “matters that affect them.” These expressions make your main meaning understandable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, especially “make decisions,” “freedom,” and “their own wishes.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as “strongy,” “practial,” “entertainmen,” and “persue,” as well as unnatural combinations like “fully freedom” and “take decisions by their own.” These reduce precision and sometimes make the reader pause. Build a wider set of accurate expressions for autonomy, guidance, responsibility, and future choices, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “while,” and “which,” and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur across the response. For example, “Parents should taught children” needs a correctly formed verb, while “what should avoid eating” is missing a clear subject. In “it will make them a practial and more mature person,” the pronoun and singular noun do not agree in number. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and punctuation, such as the long opening sentence and missing commas in lists. Practise building shorter, accurate sentences first, then combine ideas using subordinate clauses and check verb forms and agreement.

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