Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-22

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 6.0)

Allowing children to take decisions regarding their daily matters is crutial for their growth. However, disagreements exist surrounding this matter where some people consider that permitting children to make their own choices result in selfishness, others believe this sort of practice is essential since the decisions they make have consequences on them.

Both views will be discussed below and an opinion will be given at the end.

A human child when born becomes totally dependent on his/her parents to take care of them. But as they grow up, they aspire to do things on their own such as expressing their preferences about food, chothes, and activities they are interested to undertake. A large portion of people think that, if children are allowed to do things according to their own discretion, they are likely to become self-certered. As a result of which they may become less empathetic and may not consider the problem of other person while working in a group. As per them, this will also result in an indivisualistic society where people will prioritise their wishes. Consequently, the harmony and bond of the society will be at risk.

On the other hand, another group consider this to a healthy practice since it fosters the mental growth of a child. When todllers are allowed to do simple chores their sensory skills, motor skills and critical thinking ability etc. increases. Moreover, when they are given choice regarding food, clothes and so on, they feel valued and confident. This type of practice can enhance their decision making ability from the very beginning. Apart from that they become more self-independent. All of these have a positive influence in their life.

Since childhood is the period when people learn important things and most habits are likely to form at this stage, they should be allowed to make these simple decisions of their lives. Although, chances are there that they will make mistakes, they will also get

the opportunity to learn from it and be self-sufficient individuals. Therefore, they should be allowed to make decisions on their own.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly discuss both perspectives—the concern regarding selfishness and the benefits for child development—and provide a consistent personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting arguments are slightly more nuanced; for example, when discussing the 'selfishness' argument, you could provide a concrete example of how a child might learn to balance personal desires with group needs. Overall, the position is clear throughout, and the response effectively meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'Moreover,' and 'Consequently' to link sentences and ideas effectively. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the relationship between sentences is always smooth. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints, which helps the reader navigate your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'discretion,' 'empathetic,' and 'self-sufficient.' However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'crutial' (crucial), 'chothes' (clothes), 'self-certered' (self-centered), 'indivisualistic' (individualistic), and 'todllers' (toddlers). These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for more precise word choices and ensure accuracy in spelling. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions would also strengthen this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'When toddlers are allowed to do simple chores their sensory skills... increase.' There are some grammatical slips, such as 'disagreements exist surrounding this matter where some people consider that permitting children to make their own choices result in selfishness' (should be 'results') and 'consider the problem of other person' (should be 'other people'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and pluralization. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you reach a higher band.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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