Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-29

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)

Some people believe that children should not be allowed to make too many choices because this may make them selfish. Others argue that children should have the freedom to decide about things that affect their daily lives. In my opinion, children should be allowed to make some choices, but parents should provide proper guidance.

Children may become self-centred

On the one hand, giving children complete freedom can make them think only about their own wishes. If children always choose what they want, they may become less willing to share or accept other people's opinions. For example, a child who can always choose expensive food, clothes or entertainment may start to believe that his or her wishes are more important than the needs of others. As a result, such children may have difficulty adjusting to society and cooperating with other

On the other hand, allowing children to make suitable decisions can help them become more responsible and independent. When children choose their clothes, food or hobbies, they learn to understand the results of their decisions. For instance, parents can allow a child to choose between two healthy meals or select an activity for the weekend. This gives children confidence and teaches them how to make decisions. It also helps them understand their own likes and dislikes.

In conclusion, although too much freedom can make children self-centred, making suitable choices is important for their development. I believe parents should give children some freedom while setting reasonable limits and teaching them to consider other people's needs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—the risk of children becoming selfish and the benefits of decision-making for independence—and clearly states an opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with appropriate explanations and examples, such as children choosing healthy meals or weekend activities. However, the development of ideas in some paragraphs is slightly restricted by formatting errors, such as unfinished sentences in the body text headings. Overall, the response meets the core requirements of Task Achievement and presents a clear position throughout, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is logically organised with a clear overall progression. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the two body paragraphs and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, there are noticeable cohesion and layout issues within the text, including abrupt headings that disrupt the flow (e.g., 'Children may become self-centred' and 'cooperating with other'). Despite these mechanical disruptions, the underlying logical progression remains clear, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully using terms like 'self-centred', 'independent', 'cooperating', and 'development'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and collocations, such as 'adjusting to society' and 'reasonable limits'. While word choice is generally appropriate and meaning is easily understood, the vocabulary is somewhat standard rather than wide or flexible, and the truncated sentences slightly limit the lexical variety. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as conditional sentences ('If children always choose what they want, they may become...') and concessive clauses ('although too much freedom can make children self-centred'). There are some errors in punctuation and sentence completeness, particularly the broken sentences and missing full stops around the subheadings. Nevertheless, the grammatical errors do not impede communication, and the majority of complete sentences are accurate, justifying a score of 6.0.

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