Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-15

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 have a view that letting the children make their own choice regarding food, clothes, and entertainment could lead to a society where children only care about themselves and their opinion while some proportion says it is crucial for the kids to make their own choices. In my opinion, there should a balance of both without any rigidness of control.

Giving a free hand to children to make their own choices can sometimes lead to them thinking they are in charge of everything. When the children feel this way, they think that nobody should be overlooking them and their preferences and they are free to choose whatever they want regardless of its impact. They do not care much about the social norms, result of their choices and the effect these could have on the people around them. For example, if a young kid is allowed to select how they to dress, what food they like and what entertainment do they like, they will make their call freely without thinking about their health, effects on their personality and how people around them are effected. As a result, this leads to a stubborn individual who only puts themself ahead of everyone.

Another interesting thought is that letting children make their own choices is critical for the matters that directly affect them. If an individual feels free to eat, the way they want to dress up and entertain themselves, they will know the outcomes of their choices are only and only because of them. It could help them in realizing wheather their approach was right or not, aand what do they need to do diiferently for more acceptance and positive outcomes. For example, allowing the children to choose whatever way they want to have entertainment and they prefer to listen to loud music. Immediately they will come to know the negative impacts of listening when they will look at the reaction of others towards them and this could lead to them not repeating the same habit again. Consequently, they will improve by doing things the wrong way first which was only possible because they were allowed to make their own choice.

In conclusion, a mix of both approaches should be implemented to make the children more confidant of themselves and having to know the impact of their choices. In this way, they will learn to respect the opinion of others as well as feel free to make their own choices.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and give a clear position: “there should [be] a balance” between children’s freedom and control. The two body paragraphs explain the risks of unrestricted choice and the value of learning from decisions, with examples involving clothing, food, and loud music. This covers the task, but some reasoning is less fully developed. For instance, the first example asserts that children may ignore health and social effects, without explaining how guidance or age-appropriate limits could prevent this. The loud-music example also focuses on others’ reactions rather than showing more broadly how decision-making builds responsibility. To strengthen the response, explain your proposed balance in practical terms and develop each example’s link to your opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction states your position, each body paragraph presents one view, and the conclusion returns to the idea of balance. Linking phrases such as “For example,” “As a result,” and “Consequently” help show relationships between claims and examples. However, some connections are mechanical, and a few references are unclear. In “they will know the outcomes of their choices are only and only because of them,” the intended relationship between choice and consequence is difficult to follow. The second example also moves quickly from loud music to others’ reactions and then to improvement. Use clearer transitions between each step of the reasoning, and make pronouns and references more precise to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “social norms,” “preferences,” “outcomes,” and “positive outcomes,” which allows you to discuss the topic and express both benefits and risks. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “a free hand” and “rigidness of control,” though some expressions are unnatural or imprecise. Repetition of “make their own choices” and “choices” limits flexibility, while phrases such as “only and only” and “make their call freely” do not sound natural in this context. Spelling errors, including “wheather,” “diiferently,” and “confidant,” also affect accuracy. Build a wider set of natural collocations for autonomy, guidance, and responsibility, and proofread spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “If an individual feels free…” and clauses explaining consequences. Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “there should a balance” (missing “be”), “how they to dress” (incorrect clause structure), and “what entertainment do they like” within an indirect question. There are also errors in agreement and sentence construction, as in “a stubborn individual who only puts themself ahead of everyone.” These issues do not generally prevent understanding, but they reduce control. Practise accurate indirect questions and subordinate clauses, and check verb forms, articles, and agreement when editing.

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