Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18

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)

There is a debate whether children making their own decisions for the things that affects them on daily matters is crucial or it makes them selfish individuals in the society. Although they might think about themselves only, it is important for the overall development of children, who makes their own decisions from an early age.

On the one hand, when children are more focused on themselves, they do not care about others opinion in the society. They will neglect the surrounding they are living in. Even though making own choices for food, clothes and entertainment seems normal, these habits from early age makes them arrogant and stubborn. Youngsters can develop a sense of being accurate, even when they are doing something wrong. Thus, in their adulthood, they might be an individual caring about their own wishes and neglecting the society's it's norms and values.

On the other hand, children should not depend on their elders in each and every situation. They might lack behind in their own creativity and capability. If they continue to depend on someone else, then they can not develop their own ability to think. For instance, a child, who is given a chance to make their own decisions from an early age, has better problem solving skill and creativity compared to the child who could not make such choices. It is not just about getting to select their choice for food, clothes or entertainment purpose but also about how well they can do in it.

In conclusion, it might seem selfish for children to make their own decisions, however, it is crucial for them to develop their mind from a small age, which will benefit them in a long run.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that letting children make everyday choices creates selfish individuals and that it is crucial for their development—while also providing a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed; for instance, the assertion that children will become arrogant and stubborn is not fully supported with deep reasoning or specific real-world examples. The counter-argument about problem-solving skills is clearer, as seen in the statement, 'a child, who is given a chance to make their own decisions from an early age, has better problem solving skill and creativity.' Overall, the task is handled adequately, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 level, where all parts are addressed with relevant, if somewhat generalised, ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph-by-paragraph structure, including an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts in argument, such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion.' However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical. For example, the sentence 'who makes their own decisions' in the introduction lacks precise grammatical agreement with its antecedent, and the transition within sentences can feel slightly disjointed, as seen in 'neglecting the society's it's norms and values' which contains a double pronoun error. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, ensuring the reader can follow the overall progression of the argument, comfortably placing this in the Band 6 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terms such as 'development,' 'arrogant,' 'stubborn,' 'creativity,' and 'problem solving skill.' There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally marred by imprecise word choice or collocation errors, such as 'lack behind' instead of 'lag behind,' and the awkward phrase 'doing something wrong' when referring to perceived correctness. Spelling is generally accurate, though the minor grammatical and stylistic slips in word combinations prevent the lexical score from reaching a higher band. Communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'when children are more focused on themselves, they do not care about others opinion in the society.' There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the things that affects them'), missing apostrophes for possessives ('others opinion'), and clumsy phrasing like 'from a small age' instead of 'at a young age.' Punctuation is generally functional, but double pronoun errors like 'society's it's norms' disrupt fluency. While these errors occur frequently, they rarely impede overall communication, placing the grammar performance firmly at Band 6.

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