Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-14

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 5.0)

There is a general perspective in our society ,according to which ,the parents want to make their children more independent in decision making right from an early age.However, on the contraty, some individuals believe such independence leads to self -centered grown ups in the future.I believe, the ability to make decisions independently is an impotant aspect of character building.It should be practiced by the parents to raise strong and confident kids.

Firstly, parents should encourage their children on taking small decisions .For example, while having dinner at a restaurant ,the children should be allowed to decide what they wish to eat instead of parents ordering their choice of food.Such small gestures,will ultimately ,have a huge impact on their decision making abilities later in life.

From chosing clothes to entertainment,the practice of independent decision making

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You state a clear opinion that independent decision-making helps build character, and the restaurant example is relevant to children’s everyday choices. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it does not explain the opposing view that choice may encourage self-centredness, nor does it develop your own position beyond a brief claim. The final sentence, beginning “From choosing clothes to entertainment,” is unfinished, so this point is not explained. The response is also 116 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to discuss both views and support your opinion. To improve, complete the essay with a developed paragraph on the opposing argument, a reasoned response, and a conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is an identifiable opening that introduces the two perspectives and gives your opinion, followed by a paragraph with a relevant example. “Firstly” signals the start of a supporting point, so the reader can follow the basic direction of the argument. However, the response does not develop into a complete, coherent essay: the last paragraph stops mid-sentence, and there is no conclusion or clear progression through both sides of the discussion. Some linking is also awkward, as in “However, on the contrary,” where the two contrast markers repeat the same function. Build a separate paragraph for each view, connect each idea to the next with clear references, and finish with a conclusion that restates your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “independent,” “decision making,” “self-centered,” and “character building,” which helps communicate the central issue. There is also an attempt to use more formal phrasing, such as “independently.” However, the range is limited by the short, incomplete response, and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural: “contraty,” “impotant,” and “chosing” are misspelled, while “encourage their children on taking” is an awkward phrase. “Self-centered grown ups” is understandable but informal in this context. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “encourage children to make choices” and “self-centred adults.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both a longer opening sentence with a relative clause (“according to which…”) and simpler sentences, showing some variety in structure. The main ideas are generally understandable. However, control is uneven: the opening has unclear punctuation and spacing, and “parents should encourage their children on taking small decisions” uses an incorrect grammatical pattern. The final line is a sentence fragment, ending with “the practice of independent decision making” without a main clause. These issues, together with limited evidence of varied sentence forms in this short response, prevent the writing from showing consistent control. Practise complete sentences, accurate verb patterns such as “encourage someone to do something,” and careful punctuation around introductory phrases.

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