Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-28

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)

Many parents agree that children should be enrolled into preschool as soon as they clock three while other parents disapprove stating that children at this age should be nurtured at home until they are mature enough to resume primary school.

There are many advantages that are evident when children are allowed to start school early. One reason is that children tend to adapt to school routines quickly at this age. For the first few weeks, it might be tough for the child, but when there is a consistent routine, they get used to it. Also, by the time these children resume primary school, most of them will have developed physical and mental skills that wil allow them excel in a school environment.

Another reason for parents choosing to enroll their children at that age is because they can figure out the strengths and weaknesses of their children quickly and formulate processes to tackle deficiencies. With daily feedbacks from teachers and observations in the home, activities can be tailored around grooming a child in order to improve their perceived weaknesses in various areas of development.

Although these many reasons are valid, there are also cons to starting a child early in school. Firstly, children are very emotional and rely on their parents for guidance. However, if they are taught to be independent at an early age, they may not fully develop and learn how to regulate their emotions. This could lead to anger issues if not corrected immediately. Also, the bond between children and parents can be broken too early and relationship can appear and be distant.

In conclusion, parents have the responsibility to nurture their children as they deem fit. Children who attend school earlier may or may not be mentally advanced than a child that spent time at home, but the same can be said of a child who has gained relevant skills at home before resuming school in later years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of sending children to preschool at a young age. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. The advantages, such as quick adaptation to routines and the early identification of strengths and weaknesses, are well-supported with logical explanations. Similarly, the disadvantages focusing on emotional regulation and parent-child bonding are clearly articulated and extended. Although some ideas could be explored in greater depth, the overall coverage of the task meets the criteria for Band 7.0 well, as all prompt requirements are properly tackled with relevant supporting points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with an introduction, followed by two advantage paragraphs, a disadvantage paragraph, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'One reason', 'Also', 'Another reason', and 'Although these many reasons are valid' are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing throughout the text remains clear. While a few transitions could be smoother to reach higher band levels, the overall structure and flow firmly secure a solid Band 7.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'clock three', 'formulate processes', 'tackle deficiencies', and 'regulate their emotions'. However, there are some minor awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'clock three' instead of 'turn three' or 'reach the age of three', and 'mentally advanced than' instead of 'more mentally advanced than'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is varied enough to allow the communication of ideas clearly, fitting comfortably within the Band 6.5 or Band 7.0 range. We award a 6.5 here due to the slight unnaturalness in phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a good attempt at varied syntactic structures (e.g., 'For the first few weeks, it might be tough for the child, but when there is a consistent routine, they get used to it'). There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'wil allow them excel' (missing 'to') and 'relationship can appear and be distant' (missing an article or plural form). Punctuation is generally sound, and errors are infrequent enough that they do not impede communication, making this a strong representative of Band 6.5.

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

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