Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-26
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)
Some people think that if we give free well to the children in their daily life routine, it can effect them psychologically. This will lead to them to the selfish behavior. Some consider this important and wants to give freehand to the children in matters which make a difference in their lives.
The first group of people are worried about the individualism in the society. This is frightening that if every person think of their own only. This behavior is enough to crash the centuries old tradition and civilization of responsibility to the society and its dwellers. The whole system will collapse and people will only think of themselves. No care for friends, neighbors or in worst scenarios, parents and siblings. Grown ups will lose the sense of responsibility and will do whatever they like or wish to do, either legal or illegal, as far as it gives them satisfaction .
On contrary, the other group wants them to take their own decisions. They feel this can make the children affected psychologically. They will feel confused in their later life. They will feel difficulty in owning or getting a decision. Their confidence level can be effected and might end up with low self confidence.
My opinion about this is different. Every Parent in responsible for his own child. It is their responsibility to give their children awareness about what is good and what is bad. What can really be harmful and what can be neutral. What could give them benefit and what could be hazardous. The responsibility is to give them empathy and show the ways to avoid apathy. This way, they can groom a neutral individual to the society .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You present both views and give your own position, so the response addresses the main parts of the question. The first view is explained through concerns about selfishness and weakened social responsibility, while the second is linked to children becoming confused or lacking confidence if they do not make decisions. However, the discussion is not fully clear: the second view is described as wanting children to decide, but the reasons that follow seem to argue that children need to make decisions, rather than explain the opposing concern. Your own view—that parents should teach children to distinguish good choices from harmful ones—is relevant, but it needs a clearer explanation of how this balances choice with guidance. Develop each view with a specific example and state your position more directly.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph for each view, and a concluding paragraph presenting your opinion. This helps the reader follow the broad direction of the essay. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and several ideas are presented as short, disconnected statements, such as “No care for friends, neighbors” and the sequence of questions about what is good, harmful, or beneficial. Linking phrases such as “On contrary” and “This way” are used, but the relationships they signal are not always precise. The contrast between the two views also needs clearer signposting. Group related points into developed sentences and use references such as “this concern” or “such guidance” to make connections explicit.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “individualism,” “responsibility,” “confidence,” “empathy,” and “apathy.” These choices show an attempt to discuss social consequences and child development. However, the range is limited by repeated general words such as “feel,” “think,” and “responsibility,” and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the intended meaning less clear. For example, “free well” and “give freehand” do not express the idea of allowing children to choose, while “crash the centuries old tradition” is an awkward collocation. Aim for precise phrases such as “make independent choices” and “undermine social responsibility,” and check spelling and word forms, including “affect” rather than “effect” where a verb is needed.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if every person think of their own only” and clauses beginning with “what.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors occur often enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “every person think” and “Every Parent in responsible,” as well as the faulty construction “This will lead to them to the selfish behavior.” Some sentence fragments, such as “No care for friends, neighbors,” also interrupt the flow. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, and several long sentences would be clearer if divided or carefully joined. Practise accurate agreement, articles, and complete sentence structures before adding more complex clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.