Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-19
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)
Few people believe that giving freedom to children to make their own preferences on daily life matter is likely to result in a community of selfish individuals who only care about their choices, while other think parents should take decision for their children in few serious matter. This essay will examine both the view and argue why guardians should make decisions for their children.
Allowing children to take their own choice, make children brave enough to face with the challenges which can occur during various work in life. In addition, this freedom also prepare them for future to take crucial decisions in life. Moreover, they can learn more creative skills which can be useful for them to achieve more goals and make their life peaceful and joyful. In numerous research it has been proved that children who get freedom to make their own choice make more progress in comparison to those children who does not take their decision.
On the other hand, many people believe that parents should prohibit children to do whatever they want because they are not mature enough to make their own decision. Furthermore, they might do some illegal activities which can affect their life. Although, it prepare them for upcoming difficulties but it does not mean that parents should let them whatever they do. For instance, in Philippines many teenagers get involved in criminal activities which result to ruin their life.
In conclusion, I firmly believe that parents should not allow teenager to make their own decision because they might get influenced from evil or bad work which is dangerous for them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| 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 children making their own choices is supported by general claims rather than specific, well-explained examples. The counter-argument regarding illegal activities is a bit extreme and lacks a balanced perspective on the benefits of guided decision-making. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more nuanced reasoning and ensure that your examples directly support the specific claims made in each paragraph.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to link your points. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'Although, it prepare them for upcoming difficulties but it does not mean that parents should let them whatever they do'. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that your sentences flow more naturally into one another would improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat repetitive phrasing, such as 'make their own decision' and 'make their own choice'. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'take decision' instead of 'make decisions' and 'result to ruin' instead of 'result in ruining'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to child development and parental guidance, and focus on using words in their correct collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('children who does not take their decision') and incorrect verb forms ('it prepare them'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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