Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-07

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)

Many parents prefer sending their kids to preschool at an early age of three or four years, others wait until they are old enough so they can directly admit them into primary school. This essay will discuss advantages and disadvantages of both these choices and explain them in detail with reasoning and relevant examples.

A number for parents take a decision to make their toddlers join preschool because it has certain advantages. These advantages include teaching them descipline at an early age so they can develop school-going habits. Additionally, many preschools follow interactive and entertaining teaching procedures. This means children can learn through music, visuals and sounds which enhances their learning abilities at a young age. For example, my sister has two kids. One of them went to preschool while the other went straight to the primary school. The one who joined preschool developed a great deal of discipline and did not have any issues waking up and getting ready for school early in the morning. On the contrary, other child had discipline issues when he joined primary school.

On the other hand, sending children to preschool at an early age has also some disadvantages. One of the most highlighted drawback is that the child feels stress and anxiety due to separation from parents which can be disturbing for their mental well-being. Furthermore, children cannot express this stress because they are unaware of what's happening which can cause long-lasting trauma. For example, I have seen some toddlers cry while going to school and their parents do not understand that this is separation anxiety. They treat it as normal behaviour because it is common. This can leave adverse side effects on the child's mental welfare.

In conclusion, sending children to preschool at an early age is a personal choice and it has several advantages and disadvantages. Key point is that parents should pay special attention to their children's behaviour when they make them join preschool because every kid is unique and it can affect each of them differently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the topic and give a clear overall view that preschool can have different effects on different children. The advantages paragraph explains discipline and interactive learning, supported by the example of your sister’s children; the disadvantages paragraph identifies separation anxiety and possible effects on well-being. However, the discussion is uneven: the benefits are explained through school habits and learning, while the drawbacks rely mainly on anxiety and are not balanced with other possible disadvantages, such as cost or limited time with family. Some claims, particularly that stress may cause “long-lasting trauma,” need more careful qualification or support. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation of how it affects children, and make the comparison between preschool and starting primary school more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Additionally,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers recognise the stages of the discussion. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some control of paragraphing. To make the flow more flexible and precise, reduce formulaic transitions and strengthen links between claims and examples. For instance, the example about your sister’s children is relevant, but a sentence explicitly connecting their different experiences to the value of preschool would make the reasoning more cohesive. Also clarify references such as “other child,” so the reader can immediately identify which child you mean.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “interactive,” “discipline,” “separation anxiety,” and “mental well-being.” These choices allow you to discuss both educational and emotional effects, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “adverse side effects,” although this expression is not quite natural in context. Some word-choice and spelling errors reduce precision: “A number for parents” is unclear, “descipline” is misspelled, and “mental welfare” is less idiomatic than “emotional well-being.” Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms for the effects of early schooling would help you express ideas without relying on broad phrases such as “great deal” or “certain advantages.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because,” “which,” and “when.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the example paragraphs are generally easy to understand. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent comprehension. For example, the opening sentence joins two independent clauses with only a comma; use a full stop or a conjunction. There are also issues with articles and sentence construction in “other child had discipline issues” and “has also some disadvantages.” The phrase “A number for parents take a decision” also has an incorrect grammatical pattern. Review articles, clause boundaries, and common verb patterns, while continuing to use complex sentences. Greater consistency in these areas would make the writing more controlled.

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