Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-04

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)

Children play an important role in shaping the future of society. While some people believe that allowing children to make their own decisions can make them selfish, others argue that it is essential for their personal development.

In my opinion, children should be given the freedom to make everyday choices, as this helps them to become independent and responsible individuals.

On the one hand, some people believe that giving children to much freedom can make them self-centred. This is because children may become accustomed to getting whatever they want, such as food, clothes and entertainment, they may develop unrealistic expectations. As a result, they might become less considerate towards other people in society.

On the other hand, allowing children to make decisions about matters that affect them can have several benefits. Firstly, it helps them develop confidence and independent. For instance, when parents allow their children to choose their own clothes or hobbies, children learn to express their preferences and develop their personalities. These skills can also help them make better decisions when they become adults.

In conclusion, although giving children complete freedom may encourage selfish behaviour, I believe that allowing them to make everyday decisions is more beneficial. However, parents should provide proper guidance and set reasonable boundaries to ensure that children respecting others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present a clear opinion that children should make everyday choices, while also addressing the concern that too much freedom may encourage self-centred behaviour. The examples about choosing clothes or hobbies are relevant, but the discussion is brief: the first view is mainly asserted, and the benefits are not developed with much explanation or a specific example. The conclusion adds the useful qualification that parents should set boundaries, but this idea could be explained in the body as well. The response is 196 words, so it is 54 words below the required minimum; 19 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. This limits how fully you can discuss both views and support your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” makes the progression easy to follow, and the central position remains consistent. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent arrangement and shows some of the clearer progression associated with a stronger performance. However, the links within sentences are occasionally awkward. For example, the sentence beginning “This is because children may become accustomed…” joins several ideas with commas, making the relationship between cause and result less clear. Develop each paragraph with an explanation or example, and use referencing and sentence links more precisely rather than relying mainly on standard signposts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “self-centred,” “unrealistic expectations,” “personal development,” and “reasonable boundaries.” These choices show some range beyond basic everyday words. However, the vocabulary is not consistently precise, and a few word-form or collocation errors are noticeable: “to much freedom” should be “too much freedom,” while “confidence and independent” needs the noun “independence.” Repetition of “children,” “decisions,” and “freedom” also limits flexibility. Aim to use a wider set of accurate expressions for the effects of parenting and decision-making, and check spelling and word forms carefully. More precise vocabulary would make the argument clearer without requiring unnecessarily complex wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession in “although giving children complete freedom may encourage selfish behaviour” and a conditional explanation beginning “when parents allow their children…”. Most of the message remains understandable, but some errors affect accuracy. In “children may become accustomed to getting whatever they want …, they may develop,” two independent clauses are joined with a comma; use a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction. The conclusion’s “ensure that children respecting others” also needs a finite verb: “ensure that children respect others.” There is some variety, but complex sentences are not yet controlled consistently. Practise clause boundaries and verb forms, then proofread each sentence for a complete and correctly linked structure.

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

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