Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-01

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)

Few individuals argue that permit kids to live independently and make decisions on their own would result in a society where they only think about theirselves and their choices. On the contrary, some people think that it is necessary for kids to take decisions on what which matters to them. According to my perspective, allowing children to take their own decision would help them in building their personalities and would benefit in future.

Kids who make choices on their own and have their own perception on daily matters like food, clothes and entertainment. They are likely more confident and can choose the best for theirselves in every aspect. However, sometimes it alters the society norms, because those kids only think about their wishes.The society thinks negative about them because they portray selfish sometimes upon their needs and makes them materiastic.

On the other hand, another school of thought is that, it is necessary for the kids to take their decisions on the particular affairs that affect them. For example, if a kid has any toxic friend, which disstresses him, then he must deal with the situation and take decision on his own or make healthy boundary for his peace of mind. This helps a kid a lot in making healthy relationships and maintain his comfort.

To put it in a nutshell, Both believes have their own merits and demerits. I whole heartidly go with the notion that, the children should have he ability to makes decisions about any matter that affects them. That would make them more confident and resilient.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear opinion: children should make decisions about matters affecting them because this can build confidence and resilience. You also refer to both views, including the concern that children may become self-focused and the benefit of handling a harmful friendship. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The first view is described mainly through possible effects on social norms and how others may judge children, without explaining clearly why everyday choice-making would lead to selfishness. The second view has a relevant example, but its connection to the broader issue could be explained further. To strengthen the response, develop each side with a clear reason and a specific consequence, then make your position explicit throughout rather than relying mainly on the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Phrases such as “On the other hand” help signal the shift between perspectives, and the example about a toxic friend is placed in the paragraph supporting children’s decision-making. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. The opening sentence of the second paragraph is a fragment, and the link between children’s choices and society’s negative judgement is not fully explained. Some transitions, including “To put it in a nutshell,” feel formulaic, while the conclusion repeats the opinion without drawing together the discussion. Use complete topic sentences and connect each claim to its explanation or example more explicitly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “independently,” “perception,” “toxic friend,” “healthy relationships,” and “resilient.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and there is an attempt to use less common expressions. However, inaccurate word choice, collocation, and spelling are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less natural: “think about theirselves,” “take decisions,” “materiastic,” and “whole heartidly” are examples. “Healthy boundary” is also not expressed naturally in this context. Aim for accurate, conventional phrasing rather than more elaborate wording, and check spelling and word forms carefully. A wider range of precise terms for autonomy, responsibility, and self-centred behaviour would also help you express the contrast more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional example beginning “if a kid has any toxic friend” and a relative clause describing the friend. However, control is uneven, and several sentence-level errors make parts of the response difficult to follow. “Kids who make choices on their own…” is an incomplete sentence, while “what which matters to them” contains an incorrect clause structure. There are also problems with agreement and verb forms, as in “Both believes” and “the children should have he ability to makes decisions.” Punctuation is inconsistent, including missing spaces after full stops and unnecessary commas. Practise building complete sentences first, then check subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb forms in each clause.

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