Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-13

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 6.0)

While certain individuals prefer to send their children to playgroup or nursery at the age of 3 or 4, others choose to wait until their children become old enough for primary school. Early brain development and being able to socialize with others at an early age are positive impacts of this trend. Whereas educational burden on children at an early age is a negative side of this trend.

On the positive side, sending minors to preschool is beneficial for them, as it can be very helpful for their early brain development. To explain it further, in preschool, there are lots of activities children perform, such as puzzle solving and connecting the missing parts of animals and all, which help to train their brain.

For instance, in China, the government is providing free preschool programs for students under the age of 4. Eventually, it helps to develop a smart brain. Secondly, in preschool children also learn to connect with others, which also builds socializing skill into them at an early age. Thus, these are the merits of sending children to preschool.

On the other hand, few children also feel the excessive burden of preschool study. To elaborate on it, at an early age brains are not developed much. As a result, some children find it hard to perform some educational activities. For example, a son of my uncle did not like to attend preschool, as educational activities were boring for him, and he had difficulties in remembering things, as he was just 3 years old.

In conclusion, although certain children do not like to attend preschool because of educational burdens, attending preschool is very beneficial for them because it helps them to develop their minds and also teaches them how to socialize with others at a very young age.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both the advantages and disadvantages of preschool education. The position is clear, and the main ideas—cognitive development and social skills versus academic pressure—are relevant. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the example regarding 'connecting the missing parts of animals' is quite simplistic, and the personal anecdote about the uncle's son is anecdotal rather than analytical. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on the implications of these points, such as the long-term societal benefits of early socialization or the specific psychological impact of early academic stress, rather than relying on basic descriptions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the positive side,' 'Secondly,' and 'On the other hand,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages from the disadvantages.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. You use some relevant terms like 'socializing skill' and 'educational burden,' but there is a reliance on basic phrasing such as 'lots of activities,' 'smart brain,' and 'boring.' There are also some slightly unnatural collocations, such as 'builds socializing skill into them.' To improve, you should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. For example, instead of 'smart brain,' consider 'cognitive development' or 'intellectual stimulation.' The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors. For example, 'educational burden on children at an early age is a negative side of this trend' is slightly awkward; 'a negative aspect' would be better. There are also minor issues with articles and pluralization, such as 'socializing skill' (should be 'social skills') and 'a son of my uncle' (more naturally 'my cousin'). Complex structures are attempted, but they are not always error-free. The punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence variety could be enhanced to improve the overall flow.

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