Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-25

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)

there is ongoing debate about whether children should be given the freedom to make their own choices in everyday matter or whether parents should make these decisions for them. While allowing children to chose for themselves can encourage independences, I firmly believe that parental guidance is still essential, particularly when decisions may have long-term consequences.

on the other hand, giving children greater freedom can help them develop important life skills. When yeoung people are allowed to decide what they eat, wear or do in their free time, they learn to take responsibility for their choices . This can gradually make them more confident and independent. For example, a child who is allowed to choose between several healthy meals may become better at understanding personal preferences and making decisions without relying on parents. Furthermore, having some control over their daily lives can help children develop a sense of individuality and self-confidences.

On the other hand unrestricted freedom may cause children to become overly focused on their own desires. Young people generally lack the experience and maturity required to understand the consequences of every decisions they make. For instance, if children were allowed to choose their entertainment without any parents supervision, they might spend excessive amounts of time playing video games or watching unusual online video content. Parents therefore have an important role in setting boundaries and teaching their children to consider the needs and interests of others.

In my opinion, children should be allowed to make decisions about matters that directly affect them, but this freedom should be appropriate to their age and accompanied by parental guidance. Parents should not control every aspects, instead they should explain the consequences of different choices.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that allowing children freedom leads to self-absorbed adults versus the view that decision-making is important—and clearly states a balanced personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the response. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as a child choosing between healthy meals or unsupervised children spending excessive time on video games. While the arguments are well-developed, there is a minor tendency to over-generalize regarding the outcomes of children's choices, placing this performance comfortably at a band 7.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, starting with an introduction, exploring the benefits of freedom, discussing the counter-view of unrestricted freedom, and concluding with a nuanced personal stance. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'For example', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' (though note the accidental repetition of 'On the other hand' at the start of paragraphs two and three). Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring a coherent overall arrangement that guides the reader smoothly from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'ongoing debate', 'long-term consequences', 'independences' (minor inflection error), and 'unrestricted freedom'. There are attempts to use less common items with general awareness of style, though minor word-choice and spelling slips occur, such as 'yeoung', 'decisions' instead of 'decision', and 'self-confidences'. These lexical errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the arguments presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over subordinate clauses and conditional structures, such as 'When yeoung people are allowed to decide...' and 'if children were allowed to choose...'. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as missing capitalisation at the beginning of sentences ('there', 'on the other hand'), pluralisation issues ('every aspects'), and occasional spelling slips. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and do not impede communication, supporting a solid band 6.5 rating.

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