Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some parents send their children to preschool when they are three or four years old. Other parents wait until their children are old enough for primary school before they send them to school.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of sending children to preschool at a young age.
Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Nowadays, some parents send their children to preschool when they are still three or four years old because they think that it is better for children to start learning at this age. However, some parents think that it is much better to wait for their children to be old enough for primary school before sending them to school. In this essay, I will discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of sending children to preschool at a young age.

To begin with, one advantage of sending children to preschool at a young age is that they will start to learn things such as, reading and writing the alphabet at a young age. This learning is very vital for the education of the children because it will serve as the foundation in order for them to learn other things later on. They will also learn how to make friends and to socialise with their classmates at a young age which is very good for the development of the children. This will also help boost their confidence by participating in the classroom activities.

However, there is also disadvantage in sending children to preschool at a young age. Some children are not yet ready to go to school at this early age because they dont want to be away from their parents for a period of time because sometimes they are afraid not to see their parents and they think that their parents wont comeback anymore. This will lead to some frustrations for children. Some children haven't even experienced being with other kids and they are not in their comfort zone with having other kids around.

As a conclusion, sending children to preschool at a young age is good but it is really up to the children if they are ready to go to school or not because some children are not comfortable not seeing their parents for a period of time and it they may feel frustrated with having other kids around. That is why at this age parents should responsible to educate first their children at home to gain confidence when their children is out of its comfort zone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both advantages and disadvantages and give a clear general view that preschool can be beneficial, while readiness varies between children. Relevant benefits include early literacy, socialising and confidence; the concern about separation from parents is also pertinent. However, the discussion remains limited and some points are asserted rather than explained. For example, you say early learning is “the foundation” for later education but do not show how this helps, and the disadvantage paragraph repeats the idea of discomfort around other children without developing its effects. The conclusion shifts to parents educating children at home, which is not clearly supported by the discussion. Develop each main point with a specific explanation or example and make the final position more consistent.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, one paragraph for advantages, one for disadvantages and a conclusion. Signposts such as “To begin with” and “However” help readers identify the change in focus. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive, and links between ideas are not always clear. In the disadvantage paragraph, separation anxiety and discomfort around other children are placed together but their relationship is not explained. The conclusion also introduces home education without a clear link to the earlier points. Some linking phrases, including “This will also help,” rely on broad references rather than specifying which aspect of preschool is meant. Organise each body paragraph around a clear main idea, then explain and illustrate it before moving on.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, with relevant terms such as “foundation,” “socialise,” “confidence” and “classroom activities.” The wording is generally understandable, but the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, including repeated use of “at a young age” and “children.” Some collocations are awkward, such as “lead to some frustrations” and “not in their comfort zone with having other kids around.” More precise language would make the discussion sound more natural and help distinguish the effects of early schooling. Try varying repeated terms and choosing expressions that fit the context, such as describing children as “distressed by separation” or “uncomfortable in group settings.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including clauses with “because” and “which,” so the response shows an attempt at sentence variety. However, control is uneven, and errors in sentence construction, agreement and punctuation occur often enough to affect fluency. Examples include “there is also disadvantage” (missing article), “parents should responsible” (missing verb), and “it they may feel frustrated” (incorrect pronoun). The final sentence also has unclear agreement in “when their children is out of its comfort zone.” Commas are sometimes misplaced, as in “things such as, reading and writing.” Review articles, subject–verb agreement and pronoun reference, and proofread longer sentences to ensure each clause is complete and clearly connected.

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