Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-25

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)

There is an ongoing debate of whether children should start preschool at an early age or should wait until they reach primary school age. While attending preschool at an early age can provide children to develop their social skills and have educational benefits, it may also have some drawbacks. In my opinion, the advantages of early education generally outweighs the disadvantages.

Firstly, children when they start early education, they are better in developing their Independent social skills. Children brain is like a canvas. Learning outside of home they adapt more quickly. For instance, toddlers when they see other children sharing toys, they learn taking turns, engage with different kids and master vocabulary or language when they hear from their teachers and friends.

Secondly, transition to primary school becomes much easier if started in preschool at an early age. The educators give them the experience of alphabets, numbers, shapes by play based method and outdoor play which helps their gross motor development, cognitive development which will help the children to hold the pencil appropriately when they reach primary school. Also, young learners become familiar with routines and classroom expectations which makes the transition easier. For example researched showed that some children learn best from consistent routines and they show best performance and behaviour.

On the other hand, some children may experience anxiety of being separated from their parents. Some children do not feel comfortable with outsiders. They may not adapt to the new environment. For instance, some students when starting preschool at an early age do not mix with other kids or educators. They feel scared and do not build trust which makes it difficult for them to learn and grow in preschool. Also, the family time becomes less as children gets less opportunity for unstructured free play.

Although, preschool can cause discomfort and anxiety among some children, I believe its advantages outweighs the disadvantages as building social skills and early literacy makes them build confidence for primary school.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both advantages and disadvantages of early preschool attendance. A clear position is established in the introduction and maintained throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as social skill development and the ease of transition to primary school, balanced against the potential for separation anxiety. While the points are generally well-supported, some arguments, such as the mention of 'gross motor development' and 'cognitive development', could be further extended with more specific examples to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the use of linking words like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'On the other hand' helps guide the reader. However, some cohesive devices are used in a slightly mechanical way, and there are instances where referencing could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of routines and the research mentioned is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure is clear, which ensures that the argument is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'gross motor development', 'cognitive development', and 'classroom expectations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'researched showed' (should be 'research showed') and 'master vocabulary or language when they hear from their teachers' (which is slightly awkward). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('children when they start... they are better', 'advantages... outweighs') and missing articles or incorrect pluralization ('the experience of alphabets'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the control over these structures is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that plural/singular nouns are used correctly in context.

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

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