Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-12

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 6.5)

Nowadays, there is an ongoing debate on whether juveniles should be allowed to make decisions about everyday matters. Some people say that it will make them selfish, while others argue that it is important to give them freehand. In this essay, I will discuss both sides before presenting my opinion in favor of allowing children to make decisions about their daily life matters.

On one hand, proponents believe that children should not be allowed to make decisions about things like food, clothes and entertainment, as they will build a habit of choosing things according to their desires without considering other factors. For instance, some children insist their parents for buying things or products which are not affordable or unhealthy for them. Since, they are used to this behavior, they would not consider any reason. In this way, they will not only be problematic for parents but it will also affect their life in future.

On the other hand, opponents consider that children should be allowed to make their own decisions about daily life matters like choice of food, color or design of their outfit, and entertainment sources. It will enhance their decision making abilities, make them confident and self-reliance. Moreover, individuals who can take decisions according to their choices, are emotionally strong. They have ability to make quick decisions without depending on external validation. It will have a profound effect on their future, as making right decision at right time will be beneficial for their personal as well as professional life matters.

In my opinion, although there are some drawbacks of allowing juveniles to take their own decisions, it has more positive outcomes. Children who are able to decide their matters from their young age, can make better decisions in their adulthood. The downside can be addressed by giving them awareness about advantages and disadvantages of every choice they made.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, though the development could be more nuanced. For instance, the argument regarding 'selfishness' is introduced but could be expanded with more concrete examples of how this manifests in adulthood. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, ensure that the supporting arguments are fully explored rather than just stated, particularly in the body paragraphs where the link between childhood decision-making and future outcomes could be more explicitly detailed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. However, there is some minor mechanical use of transitions, and the flow between sentences could be smoother in places. For example, the transition in the second paragraph ('Since, they are used to this behavior...') is slightly awkward. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning with some flexibility. There is an attempt to use less common items such as 'proponents', 'external validation', and 'profound effect'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'insist their parents for buying' (should be 'insist that their parents buy') and 'give them freehand' (should be 'give them a free hand'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Expanding the range of academic collocations would improve the overall lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are recurring errors that affect accuracy. For example, 'insist their parents for buying' is grammatically incorrect, and there are minor punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary comma in 'Since, they are used to'. Additionally, 'self-reliance' is used as an adjective, whereas it should be the noun 'self-reliant'. While the meaning is always clear and the errors do not significantly impede communication, the frequency of these small slips keeps the score in the 6.0-6.5 range.

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