Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-17
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 this modern era, I firmly believe that children should have the right to make their own choices according to their taste which make them confident but it also have some negative impacts on society when they only think about their own wishes. So, I will discussed both the positive and negative impacts of allowing children to make their own decision.
Firstly, In my opinion, every individual has right to take decision by its own decision such as what he wants to eat, what he wants to wear and where he wants to go. It will helpful in grooming their personality and make them confident. It also help them to produce approach of critical thinking among individuals. Because when they have to face real challenges of life they can easily tackle them by their own skills and positive approach. For example when they have to choose their educational field or want to achieve their goal in life, They should have adequate confidence for selecting their desired field.
Secondly, It also has some negative impacts on children as well as upon society. When freedom is given to children for making their own decisions, sometimes they don't listen to their parents and make wrong decision which deteriorate their whole life. By this approach, they just prefer their own choices whether in food or clothes selection but it creates a sense of stubbornness among individuals.
In conclusion, There should be rights for children to make their own decisions but to a certain limit which cannot impact their personality and the parents and society also prevent from suffering.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'stubbornness' is introduced but not fully explained or linked back to the prompt's concern about a society of self-interested individuals. The essay covers all parts of the task, but the supporting points lack depth and specific examples, relying instead on general statements. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your reasoning with more concrete illustrations of how early decision-making impacts long-term societal behavior.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' are used to signal the structure. However, the use of these devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Additionally, there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall cohesion could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences within paragraphs are more tightly connected.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express basic ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'deteriorate' and 'stubbornness', which are used appropriately. However, the range is limited, and there is some repetition of basic words like 'decisions' and 'choices'. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'produce approach of critical thinking'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that word choices are consistently natural and varied throughout the essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('it also have', 'it also help') and article usage ('has right', 'the positive and negative impacts'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary capitalization ('They should have') and missing commas. These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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