Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03

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)

Some people think that allowing children to make their own decision on their daily routine leads to society of individuals who merely think about their desires. Other believe that it is significant for children to make choices about matters.

Children making their own decisions will ultimately empowers them which is good thing. They should be able to decide for themselves. By doing this they would be able to learn from their failures .Children who are allowed by their parents to make their own decisions are found to be more confident then those who asks their parents for a minor thing. Children should be given full liberty by their parents to make any decisions. Their parents should foster them by taking such decisions for them.

However, there are some things where parents should not let their children to make decisions like ordering food. Some children usually prefers junk foods which is hazardous to health and drinking soft drinks after lunch or dinner which is dangerous for health, at such points parents should never allow their children by ordering foods through apps. They somehow should halt their children for entertainment purpose . Parents should motivate their children by watching historical documentaries rather then watching cartoons all the time.

I firmly believe that their should be a balance for making decisions. Sometimes children should make decisions on their own and sometimes they should seek suggestions from their parents for making any decision to which they are bemused.

In a nutshell, some say that children should be allowed to make decisions for them. While others think that their parents should make decision for them. I think their should be balance, children should ask their parents sometimes to make a decision for them and usually they should make decisions on their own to enjoy their freedom.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'junk food' is a specific example but lacks a broader discussion on the implications for society, which the prompt asks for. The essay tends to over-generalize, and the connection between individual decision-making and the resulting societal impact is not fully explored. While the position is consistent, the supporting arguments could be more robust and better linked to the prompt's core theme of societal development versus individual autonomy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'In a nutshell', but they are sometimes used in a mechanical or repetitive way. Referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, the phrase 'at such points' is slightly awkward in context. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the benefits of decision-making and the limitations (the food example) feels abrupt. Overall, the structure is functional, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'foster them by taking such decisions' and 'halt their children for entertainment purpose', which sound unnatural. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations. While the meaning is always clear, the lack of sophisticated or less common lexical items limits the score. Improving the variety of verbs and adjectives would significantly enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'those who asks', 'there should be balance'), article misuse, and confusion between 'their' and 'there'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips.

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

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