Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-04

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)

It is true that some people send their ward to preschool when they are three or four years old while other parents wait until their children are old enough for primary school before they send them to school. This essay will discuss advantages and advantages of both the scenarios in detail in the following paragraphs.

Enrolling children in school at an early age helps children in adapting the routine life, getting involved with other children of similar age, getting disciplined towards doing the tasks from an early age which ultimately helps in cognitive development of the kids. By sending toddlers to the school also gives parents some time which they can utilize as per their wish without being continuously involved with the children. For example, when they go to the school and play with other kids this helps them physical and psychological growth.

The disadvantages of getting children admission in a school is that it deprives them from the special care that only loved ones can provide which helps them in mental growth and learning things quickly. the pressure of studying and learning new skills that comes to the undeveloped brain is huge, sometimes, which can be devastating also for the overall growth.

However, a balanced approach of sending the children for only few hours along with the care and love of the parents can foster overall development among children. Even, while sending them to the school but continuously involvement with them in developing the learning habits, teaching them mixing with other children, studying basic subjects for example numbers, alphabets, can be really helpful for the young children.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages of early preschool attendance. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'cognitive development' is mentioned but not explained with sufficient depth. The introduction contains a slight error in the task interpretation, as you mention 'advantages and advantages' instead of 'advantages and disadvantages'. While the position is clear, the supporting arguments lack specific examples or detailed elaboration, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, ensure each main point is supported by a clear explanation or a concrete example to demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'For example', and 'In addition' (implied). However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between ideas could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of parental time and the physical growth of children is abrupt. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of ideas could be more sophisticated. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a strong topic sentence would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'cognitive development', 'psychological growth', and 'devastating'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'getting children admission' (should be 'enrolling children') and 'ward' (which is formal/legalistic and not typically used for one's own children). The range of vocabulary is sufficient but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing, such as the frequent use of 'getting' or 'sending'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'helps children in adapting the routine life' (should be 'adapting to routine life'), 'By sending toddlers to the school also gives' (grammatically incorrect structure), and 'the pressure... that comes to the undeveloped brain is huge, sometimes, which can be devastating also'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing capital letters at the start of sentences. To reach a higher band, focus on subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

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