Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-26

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 undeniable that people are more advanced in this modern era; they learn from each other, from different people, and from their parents. Here, I would like to talk about how education is important in this new generation because without it, it is not possible to gain more opportunities in every field. So, according to me, studying is important at an early age, but it has some merits and demerits as well. In this essay, I would like to put forth my views in the essay.

Firstly, I would share the advantages of studying at an early age because, in this fast-paced life, some parents think that if children go to school and learn different things from other students, it will be great for them when they start school. Secondly, some parents also think that if they can start learning at an early age or if they find interest in a particular area, then they can help their children get more interest in that, like playing instruments, dancing, or drawing, because it is also important that their children learn things.

First of all, I would like to share some drawbacks of Preschool in early age; some parents prefer not to put their children in primary school until they get old enough, But their demerit is that children are not educated enough, and they do not have confidence when they start school with other students of their age; they have fear to any activity they cannot stand between other students. There is also one demerit is that, in this modern era, there are so many thing which children can learn in their early age; because primary school is not at a particular age, they can not get competition with other people, and for that reason they do not compete with other students of their age.

The seemingly inexorable thoughts about primary school at an early age have some benefits and drawbacks, but it depends on their parents' thinking and whether they want their child to have the advantage of that or not.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of preschool. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention benefits like social skills and interests, the explanation is repetitive and lacks specific, concrete examples to support your points. The 'drawbacks' section is particularly unclear, as the argument regarding children not being 'educated enough' or lacking 'competition' is not well-articulated. To improve, you should focus on developing each point with a clear explanation and a real-world example, ensuring that your position remains consistent throughout the essay rather than just listing general observations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. For example, the transition 'First of all, I would like to share some drawbacks' is used to introduce a paragraph that is somewhat confusingly structured. There is also a lack of logical progression between sentences; ideas are often linked in a repetitive way, such as the frequent use of 'some parents think'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'learn different things' and 'get more interest'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'get competition with other people' and 'inexorable thoughts', which do not fit the context of the essay. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to child development and education, and focus on using words in their correct collocations rather than relying on generic, repetitive terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, there are run-on sentences and comma splices, such as '...in their early age; because primary school is not at a particular age, they can not get competition...'. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence boundary control and proofreading for basic grammatical slips would be beneficial.

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

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