Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-16

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 7.0)

In recent times, many children are being sent to nurseries by their parents at a very early age, while other parents believe to keep children home until they are old enough to go to primary school. There are both pros and cons of starting preschool at an early age, as we shall discuss.

The significant advantage of sending children to preschool is to get childcare along with some education. This is because when both parents are working and have no time to look after their offspring during the day, preschool provides not only a secure environment to leave their kids but also an opportunity to give some basic education to young children. Another significant merit is independence and sharing which young participants learn in the preschool. While being away from their parents assists them to be emotionally strong, playing with the fellow children teaches them to share their toys and books with others. This assists them to develop communication and interpersonal skills.

On the contrary, main disadvantage associated with phenomenon is the emotional anxiety experienced by young children. Since they are too young to understand the reasons, they have to experience stressful situations until they become familiar with the new surroundings. Furthermore, such kids are more susceptible to infections when compared to those who stay at home for longer years. This is because they too young to practice good hygiene and frequently spread germs to each other. For instance, children going to preschool usually have higher rate of infectious illnesses such as common cold when compared to others.

In conclusion, although emotional anxiety and frequent illnesses are common disadvantages associated with the practice of sending kids to preschool, the advantages such as a safe environment and opportunity to learn good habits are quite imperative for working parents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of preschool. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. The advantages (childcare, education, social skills) and disadvantages (emotional anxiety, health risks) are well-supported with logical explanations. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific, concrete examples beyond general statements, such as referencing a specific type of social activity or a common developmental milestone, to further extend the development of the ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'The significant advantage', 'Another significant merit', 'On the contrary', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The progression of ideas is smooth, and referencing is generally clear. The flow is natural, and the structure supports the overall argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and generally appropriate for the task. The student uses some good collocations like 'emotional anxiety', 'interpersonal skills', and 'susceptible to infections'. However, there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'believe to keep' (should be 'prefer to keep') and 'associated with phenomenon' (missing an article: 'the phenomenon'). While the range is adequate, incorporating more sophisticated or precise vocabulary would elevate the score. The current range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly without significant errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'they too young' (missing 'are') and 'higher rate of infectious illnesses' (missing an article). Despite these, the meaning is never obscured, and the errors do not impede communication. The student shows good control over basic grammar, but more consistent accuracy in complex structures and articles would be required for a higher band. Punctuation is generally accurate throughout the text.

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