Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-30

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 6.0)

In current times, each individual has a different perspective towards parenting choices. Several people are of the view that letting their wards to make decisions by themselves may lead to a society of adults who only care about their own choices whereas others argue that it is necessary for children to take decisions regarding their matters. In this essay, I will discuss both the views followed by my opinion.

At the outset, there are various contributing factors due to which human beings believe that the freedom to make decisions will cause children to only prioritize their wishes and first and foremost is they would not learn to sacrifice in order to respect other's preferences. To explain it more, since childhood, children will only be taught to make choices as per their comfort which will become an underlying reason for them to not be able to adjust to the demand of a situation where they may need to respect other people's wishes. For example, it becomes difficult for them to stay and co-operate with their grandparents even for a day. Besides, they are unable to mould themselves as per certain situations which further creates a lot of problems for them in the future.

On the contrary , certain people feel it is crucial for their offsprings to learn to make decisions because of numerous reasons and the major one is to become self- dependent and to learn from mistakes . To be more precise, as per their mindset , making choices help a child to be independent of parents which will be beneficial for them in the future and also, a individual's personality is developed by their decisions throughout their life and by learning from their mistakes . For instance , a child will learn from their mistakes and make better decisions rather than learning from their parents mistakes. Furthermore, they will be to blame themselves not their parents in case they take poor decisions which will create a sense of respect towards their parents since an early age .

To recapitulate, as per my perspective, although it is essential to teach children to take decisions to be independent nevertheless, they should be taught to respect other's wishes and should be made familiar to the cases in which they need to prioritize their wishes .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the development of self-dependence versus the potential for selfishness. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument regarding 'learning from mistakes' is mentioned multiple times in the second body paragraph without adding significant new depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point introduces a distinct dimension to the argument rather than restating the same concept in different words. The position is consistent throughout the essay.

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 are present, such as 'At the outset', 'On the contrary', and 'To recapitulate', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. For example, the phrase 'To explain it more' is a bit clunky. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally slightly unclear, such as the use of 'their' in 'as per their mindset', which could be more precisely linked to the specific group being discussed. Overall, the flow is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'mould themselves' and 'prioritize their wishes'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'letting their wards to make decisions' (should be 'letting their wards make decisions') and 'offsprings' (the plural of offspring is 'offspring'). The repetition of the word 'decisions' throughout the text limits the lexical range. Expanding the use of synonyms and more precise collocations would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'a individual's' (should be 'an individual's'), 'they will be to blame themselves' (should be 'they will be able to blame themselves'), and 'made familiar to the cases' (should be 'made familiar with the cases'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some spacing issues before commas (e.g., 'On the contrary ,'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the response, and the errors do not significantly impede communication.

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