Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-03

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 5.5)

Nowadays, some parents have opinions to send their children to preschool when they are three or four years old. While some parents wait until their children are old enough for primary school before they send them to school. In this essay we will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of sending children to preschool at young age.

One of the main advantage of sending children to preschool at early age is making the child responsible and independent on their own at very early age, it also helps in developing the learning capabilities while staying away from parents. Some parents think this is positive way to make their child independent.

However, starting preschool very early can also have some disadvantages as some children are not emotionally ready to spend long hours away from their parents, moreover preschools can be expensive for some families and can create financial burdens to families. In conclusion, sending children for preschool can have both advantages and disadvantages, as some families could affords but some cannot, Also sometimes children are not ready for spending long hours at school at very young age. But in some extent it boost child's confidence and create a safe space in a classroom with teachers and can also bond and connect with other children in the school. Therefore, parents should choose the best option for their children according to their capabilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages; however, it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 229 words. This under-length significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay touches on independence and emotional readiness, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack specific, illustrative examples. The position is generally clear, but the brevity prevents a thorough exploration of the topic. To improve, you must expand your supporting points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to ensure the response is sufficiently developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the conclusion where points mentioned earlier are restated without adding new depth. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'Moreover,' but they are sometimes used mechanically or with minor grammatical errors (e.g., 'Also sometimes children...'). The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is present but the final paragraph is quite dense and combines summary with new points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'sending children to preschool' and 'advantages and disadvantages' are used repeatedly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'making the child responsible and independent on their own' (should be 'independent of their parents') and 'to some extent it boost' (should be 'boosts'). To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to child development and education, and avoid repeating the same phrases throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'Nowadays, some parents have opinions to send' is awkward; 'some families could affords' contains a subject-verb agreement error; and 'at very young age' is missing an article. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences and comma splices. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and sentence boundary punctuation will significantly improve your accuracy.

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