Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-03

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 6.0)

Some people believe that it is important for children to make decisions on routine matters, while others think that by doing so, children become selfish and only care about their wishes. Although children might become dogmatic and not respect others' choices, in my opinion, children must be independent to make decisions for themselves, as it improves their decision-making ability and confidence.

Giving children freedom to make their own life choices without proper involvement of parents might harm children in the future. This can lead to a state of being opinionated for many children, as most of them make choices that are self-pleasing. They tend to become selfish and do not give respect to others' opinions and choices. For instance, in India, many children rule their homes as most of their wishes are granted. When there is any financial problem that it is difficult to make arrangements for their choices, they do not understand the situation. Hence, with proper consideration lives of many children can be improved efficiently.

On the other hand, giving views on daily matters can improve decision-making and build confidence in children. I believe that children learn by taking small steps every day. Making decisions on routine life would make it easier for them to make sound decisions in any situation in the future. It also boosts children's morale and confidence by providing straightforward views about their life choices. For example, by picking a toy from a variety of toys in a shop, children get a clear viewpoint in their mind about their needs and choices.

To sum up, Children must be independent enough to make decisions for themselves, but with proper involvement of their parents to stop them from becoming opinionated and selfish. According to me, children should make everyday life choices as it helps them to make firm decisions and to boost their confidence

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, discussing both views regarding children making everyday choices and providing a clear personal opinion throughout. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. The discussion on the drawbacks of total freedom—such as children becoming selfish or opinionated—is supported by a relevant example regarding financial situations in Indian households. The counter-argument and personal view regarding improved decision-making and confidence are also relevant, though the supporting example of picking a toy from a shop is somewhat simplistic and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to extend and support all ideas with more complex and thoroughly explored explanations rather than relying on brief illustrations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logic that moves from the negative view to the positive view and concludes with the writer's stance. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate distinct ideas, such as the introduction, the drawbacks, the benefits, and the conclusion. However, cohesion at times feels a bit mechanical or repetitive in transitions, such as 'On the other hand' and 'To sum up'. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother to avoid slight abruptness. To achieve a higher level of cohesion, the writer should employ a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally without relying on formulaic transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task and successfully attempts some less common lexical items, such as 'dogmatic', 'opinionated', 'self-pleasing', and 'morale'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'rule their homes' instead of 'dominate their households', or 'making decisions on routine life' rather than 'making routine decisions'. These minor lexical errors do not impede communication, but they reflect a Band 6 level where control over precise style and collocation is inconsistent. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding natural collocations and ensuring that less common vocabulary is used with absolute accuracy.

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. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article omissions ('lives of many children can be improved' missing 'the'), awkward preposition use ('decision on routine matters' or 'decisions for themselves'), and a run-on structure in the concluding sentence ('According to me, children should...'). Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. The presence of these recurring minor errors alongside a limited control of complex structures places this criterion firmly at the given band. To progress, the writer must improve control over article usage, prepositional patterns, and complex sentence formation.

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