Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-30

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)

In today century where everyone has right to do what they want so children do. The things like food, clothes and fun are not a big issue to let the kids stop it should me their own decision. Some people believe that it should be an individuals right whereas some people believe there should be interference of parents. I will discuss both points in my upcoming paragraphs.

To start with, some people think that if children are allowed to choose things like: what to eat, what to wear and what to do for entertainment then they may become self-centred and only think about their own needs or wants. For instance, in a family if a kid has given he right to select what he wants then he/she will n

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 129 words. Because the essay is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, it fails to address all parts of the task. The introduction sets up the discussion, but the body paragraph is truncated, meaning the second viewpoint and the required personal opinion are entirely missing. This results in a failure to develop ideas or provide a clear position. To improve, you must ensure you complete the full essay structure, including a balanced discussion of both views and a clear conclusion, while meeting the minimum length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, using an introduction and starting a body paragraph. However, the abrupt ending prevents the development of a coherent structure. Cohesive devices are minimal, and the flow is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. To achieve a higher score, you need to use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') to connect your ideas and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting arguments and examples.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying on simple phrasing such as 'things like food, clothes and fun'. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'In today century' instead of 'In this century' and 'there should be interference of parents' which is slightly unnatural. The range of vocabulary is limited, which restricts your ability to express complex ideas. You should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to child development and parenting styles to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('so children do') and sentence structure ('The things like food... should me their own decision'). The sentence structure is simplistic, and the incomplete nature of the final sentence makes it impossible to assess your ability to use complex structures effectively. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and work on using more complex sentence forms like relative clauses or conditional sentences.

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