Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-07

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 6.5)

Some individuals enroll their children in preschool during the age of three or four, while others parents prefer to keep their children at home until they are ready for primary school. This essay will discuss both the benefits and drawbacks of early preschool education.

There are several advantages of preschool at a young age. First, children can learn social skills. They play with other children, learn to share, and learn to follow rules from teachers. For example, my nephew went to preschool at age 3 and he became more confident and friendly. Second, preschool prepare children for primary school. They learn basic things like letters, numbers, and colours through games and activities. This helps them to adapt more easily to school life later. Also, for working parents, preschool is very helpful because they can go to work while their children are in a safe place.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages. One problem is that young children may feel sad or stressed when they are away from their parents. Some 3-years-old children cry a lot in the first weeks. Another disadvantage is the cost. In many countries, good preschools are very expensive, so some families cannot afford them. Moreover, children can get sick easily in preschool because they are in contact with many other children.

In conclusion, sending children to preschool early has both benefits and drawbacks. It can help children develop socially and academically, but it can also cause emotional problems and cost a lot of money. I think parents should decide based on their child's needs and their family situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of early preschool education. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the point about children getting sick is mentioned but not fully explored. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed explanations or deeper analysis. The structure is logical, and the inclusion of a personal example regarding your nephew helps to support your argument effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Second', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to link your ideas. While these are effective, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create a more natural flow between sentences and paragraphs, rather than relying on simple list-like transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'social skills', 'academically', and 'emotional problems'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple, repetitive language. To achieve a higher score, you should attempt to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and collocations. For example, instead of 'good preschools', you could use 'high-quality early childhood education programs'. The word choice is generally accurate, and there are no significant spelling errors that impede understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical errors, such as 'preschool prepare children' (should be 'prepares') and '3-years-old children' (should be '3-year-old children'). These errors are minor and do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of plural forms and adjectives. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures, such as using more conditional or relative clauses, would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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