Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-05

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 among people regarding decision making by children on their own might make them selfish in contrast , it will help them to make decision, that actually matters and affect them. From my perspective , the outcome of self decision making by children is both the points discussed above. There are several reasons depicting them which are discussed below.

Children should make self decisions like choosing clothes, toys , favorite items, etc which they are curious about. Elders should guide them how to decide , what things to choose what not to, for example , things to keep in mind regarding making new friends like they should be genuine, trustworthy, and give respect to elders are given to children , because at the tender age they might make mistakes regarding making decisions . Also if they had made decision which resulted into unexpected one then children would learn from that mistakes. At the age of 17, especially in India , students have to choose the streams in which they want to pursue their future, then their own decision would matter a lot this time.

Sometimes this can develop stubbornness and selfishness inside children . They would only think about their own choices only and would go to any limit if they want something. Sometimes parents should not provide everything that is asked to them by their children . Children started to get snobbish and would only care about themselves ,their own choices. They would also care less about other's choices.

Overall, in my perception children should allow to make decision in everyday matters but they should also taught some values and respect from elders.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that independent decision-making leads to self-centredness and that it is important for personal growth—and provides a clear position in the introduction and conclusion. However, some ideas are under-developed. For instance, the mention of choosing streams at age 17 in India is a relevant example, but it is introduced abruptly without sufficient expansion to fully illustrate how everyday choices translate to major life decisions. Similarly, the argument regarding stubbornness is raised but lacks detailed supporting examples. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to extend and fully develop all main ideas with more robust explanation and evidence rather than relying on brief generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs addressing distinct viewpoints, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the discussion of benefits from the potential negative outcomes of children making choices. However, cohesion within and between sentences is sometimes mechanical or faulty. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'depicting them which are discussed below,' and transitional markers are basic. The logical progression is somewhat disrupted by abrupt shifts between sentences, such as moving from general guidelines to the specific Indian education system without a smooth bridge. To achieve a higher standard, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure seamless logical transitions between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts with terms such as 'curious', 'trustworthy', 'stubbornness', and 'snobbish'. There are, however, noticeable word choice, word form, and collocation inaccuracies that prevent a higher score, such as 'self decisions' instead of 'independent decisions', 'give respect' instead of 'show respect', and 'started to get snobbish'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical control lacks precision. To progress further, the writer must demonstrate greater flexibility by incorporating less common lexical items accurately and improving collocation awareness to express precise shades of meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as conditional and relative clauses, as in 'if they had made decision which resulted into unexpected one then children would learn from that mistakes.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies, missing articles ('at tender age'), and incorrect prepositions ('decision on their own', 'choice inside children'). Although these errors rarely impede overall communication, they are persistent enough to cap the grammatical score. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to produce a greater proportion of error-free complex sentences and exercise tighter control over subject-verb agreement, articles, and structural patterns.

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

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