Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-03

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 6.5)

Some people think that giving freedom to kids on daily matters makes them selfish, while others believe that it is essential for children to decide matters that affect them. In this essay, I will discuss both views and give my opinion on which side I support.

Firstly, individuals become self-centered if they are allowed to choose everything by themselves, as they only choose what they like. If a child never learns to compromise and think of their family's budget, then they become an adult who only thinks about their own wishes and ignores anyone else. For instance, if an individual always insists on buying expensive clothes, he never considers whether his parents can afford it or not. Secondly, children lack maturity, they do not understand the consequences of a decision. If we always empower them to make choices, like choosing junk food, branded clothes, or screen time, they develop a habit of instant gratification.

On the other hand, it is important to let children make choices on their own because it creates decision-making ability and independence in them. They become ready to take responsibility and be accountable for their decisions. Small preferences, like what to wear and what to eat, build confidence in them, as a result, they feel satisfied. Furthermore, if guardians show respect toward their children's opinions, then they become happy. Children feel valued, as a result, it leads to a better parent-child relationship and less rebellion.

In my opinion, parents and society should maintain a balance between uncontrolled and controlled freedom. Parents should not give unlimited freedom, but guided freedom. For instance, giving certain options instead of full control helps children become independent and responsible.

In conclusion, both views have different consequences. I support view 2 with parental guidance and supervision.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both views and gives a clear position: you support children making choices, provided parents offer guidance. The discussion of the risks is relevant, especially the example of expensive clothes and the point about children not understanding consequences. You also explain benefits such as independence, confidence and a better parent-child relationship. However, some ideas are asserted more than developed. For example, the claim that choosing everything leads to selfish adults would be stronger if you explained how everyday choices shape later behaviour or acknowledged that this depends on parental guidance. The benefits paragraph is also somewhat general. To strengthen the response, develop one or two points on each side with a more specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction, a paragraph for each view, your own position, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is appropriate, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “On the other hand,” and “In my opinion” make the structure easy to follow. Ideas within paragraphs generally progress logically, for example from children’s choices to compromise and family budgets. Some linking is a little mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “as a result” in the benefits paragraph. The conclusion also repeats the position without adding much synthesis. For a more flexible and polished flow, vary the ways you connect cause and effect, and use the conclusion to briefly reconcile the two views through the idea of guided choice.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “self-centered,” “compromise,” “instant gratification,” “accountable,” and “parent-child relationship.” These choices help express the main ideas clearly, and the meaning remains easy to understand. There are, however, some imprecise or less natural expressions. “Decide matters” is less idiomatic than “make decisions about matters,” while “build confidence in them” and “view 2” are rather general or informal for this essay. “Uncontrolled and controlled freedom” also communicates the contrast but is awkwardly phrased. Aim for more precise collocations and a consistent formal register, especially when describing parental limits and children’s autonomy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including conditional clauses (“If a child never learns to compromise…”) and subordinate clauses explaining reasons. Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the overall control is adequate. Some grammatical errors remain. In “Secondly, children lack maturity, they do not understand…,” two independent clauses are joined with a comma; use a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction. “Small preferences … build confidence in them, as a result, they feel satisfied” also needs clearer punctuation, such as a semicolon before “as a result.” The sentence beginning “If we always empower them to make choices” shifts from “we” to “they,” which makes the reference less consistent. Review clause boundaries and punctuation while retaining your range of sentence forms.

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