Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In recent years, giving children the liberty to make their own choices on everyday matters has become increasingly important. Some people believe that giving children freedom produces a sense of selfishness among children, while others argue that it is important for children to become independent. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I believe children should be encouraged to make everyday decisions.

On the one hand, there are quite a few abvious reasons why people discourage the idea of giving kids a free hand as it makes them selfish. By this I mean, when a child knows that he can do everything he wants as everybody would support him, he starts disrespecting other people's advice and tends to believe that he is always right. This sort of mentality can negatively influence them and for the most part, they even do not know what is beneficial or harmful for them. Resultantly, they would be badly affected by their own decisions. For instance, a child whose wishes are fulfilled, when they are prevented from making bad decisions, their egos hurt a lot and consequently they become rebellious.

On the other hand, granting children with a freedom on their everyday matters can make them independent and sociable. They can get to know about their importance while selecting clothes, buying products of their own choice. This creates a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in them. By this, not only do their confidence level boost but also broadens their horizons. By gaining experience themselves, they can better understand the situations.

In my opinion, although independence in decisions can make children rebellious and impatient, I believe giving them the liberty to choose and decide things helps them to become more confident. I believe allowing children to become independent with proper parental supervision is the best approach.

All things considered, a freedom of choice makes children independent and egoistic, I believe that the benefits of the combination of the liberty with the parental control outweigh its disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that children's autonomy leads to selfishness and the view that it fosters independence, while also presenting a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are generally well developed, such as the explanation of how decision-making builds confidence and satisfaction. However, some arguments in the first body paragraph become slightly repetitive and occasionally over-generalised regarding how children react. Despite these minor limitations in idea extension, the task is covered thoroughly and meets the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with a proper introduction, followed by balanced body paragraphs exploring both sides, a clear opinion paragraph, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In my opinion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, although some referencing within sentences, such as ambiguous pronouns like 'their egos hurt', slightly disrupts the flow. Overall, the structural progression aligns well with Band 7 standards.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, such as 'liberty', 'accomplishment', 'broadens their horizons', and 'proper parental supervision'. Less common lexical items are attempted, demonstrating an awareness of style. However, there are occasional lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as writing 'abvious' instead of 'obvious' and awkward phrasing like 'granting children with a freedom'. These minor slips prevent the response from achieving a higher band, but the vocabulary is adequate for clear communication, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'By gaining experience themselves, they can better understand the situations'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions, such as 'when a child knows that he can do everything he wants as everybody would support him' and 'not only do their confidence level boost but also broadens'. Subject-verb agreement errors ('confidence level boost') and awkward prepositions appear, but these errors rarely impede communication and do not obscure the intended meaning, placing the performance firmly in the Band 6.0 category.

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

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