Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-29

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)

A proportion of people believe that authorizing children to follow their own thoughts in routine affairs (like wearing, amusement, and eating) can result in a community of selfish citizens, and others think that it is necessary for children to know how to select things for them. I will debate over both convictions by examples and will present my view.

Giving freedom to kids can rise selfishness in them is a belief of few individuals. People think that when children have autonomy in choosing what to wear, eat and how to get entertained, they will become self-centered in upcoming times and will think only about them. For instance, when a child is given freedom to eat anything it wants, it will not feel good to eat anything else of its taste. On the other hand,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 134 words. Because the essay is incomplete and stops abruptly mid-sentence, it fails to address all parts of the task. The introduction sets up the discussion, and the first body paragraph begins to explore the first viewpoint, but the second viewpoint and the writer's own opinion are entirely absent. Consequently, the development of ideas is severely limited. To improve, you must ensure you complete the full structure of the essay, including a balanced discussion of both perspectives and a clear conclusion, while meeting the minimum length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response shows a basic attempt at logical organization, using an introduction and starting a body paragraph. However, because the text is incomplete, it is impossible to assess the overall progression or the effective use of cohesive devices throughout a full essay. The transition 'On the other hand' is used correctly to introduce a contrasting point, but the paragraph is cut off immediately after. To achieve a higher score, you need to develop full paragraphs with clear topic sentences and use a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas logically across the entire response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the topic, such as 'autonomy', 'self-centered', and 'routine affairs'. However, there are some awkward collocations, such as 'authorizing children to follow their own thoughts' and 'rise selfishness'. The range of vocabulary is limited by the short length of the response. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary related to child development and social behavior will also help you express your ideas with greater nuance and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'Giving freedom to kids can rise selfishness in them is a belief of few individuals', which is syntactically awkward. The use of 'it' to refer to a child is also slightly unnatural; 'they' is preferred. While the errors do not completely impede communication, the limited length restricts the demonstration of a wider range of complex structures. Focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining sentence construction to improve clarity and accuracy.

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