Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-15

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)

Some parents choose to send their kids to preschool at age three or four, while others keep them at home until they are old enough to attend primary school. Although early preschool education offers several benefits, it also has some disadvantages.

One major advantage of sending children to preschool at a young age is that it helps to develop social skills. By interacting with other children, they learn how to share, cooperate and communicate effectively. Through these skillls they can build friendships and different environments. In addition to this, they can develop basic knowlegde regarding counting numbers, letters, how to sit and listening to teachers. As a result they can feel more confident while sitting in the school.

Another benefit is that preschool supports children's independence. For instance, they may know how to eat by themselves, organise their belongings and keep following the daily routine without relying on their parents. Not only make children independent but it also helps working parents as it provides supervision and education for their kids.

However, it has disadvantages also.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify relevant advantages of early preschool, including social development, basic learning, independence, and support for working parents. However, the task asks you to discuss both advantages and disadvantages, and the response stops after the brief transition “However, it has disadvantages also,” without explaining any disadvantage or giving a conclusion. The ideas that are included are also only briefly supported; for example, you list skills children may learn but provide no specific example or explanation of their effects. The response is 166 words, so it is 84 words below the required minimum; the nine words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop at least one disadvantage, explain both sides more fully, and finish with a clear summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two paragraphs presenting advantages, and a transition towards disadvantages. Sequencing within the advantages is generally clear, and phrases such as “One major advantage,” “In addition to this,” and “Another benefit” help signal the progression. However, the final standalone sentence, “However, it has disadvantages also,” does not lead into any supporting discussion, so the essay’s progression is incomplete. Some connections between ideas are also unclear, as in “Through these skillls they can build friendships and different environments.” Use paragraphing to give the disadvantages their own developed section, and ensure each linking phrase introduces an idea that is explained. A concluding paragraph would make the overall organisation more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “social skills,” “cooperate,” “communicate effectively,” “independence,” and “daily routine.” These choices make the main points understandable, and there are attempts to express ideas beyond very basic vocabulary. However, some word choices and combinations are imprecise, such as “build friendships and different environments” and “basic knowlegde regarding counting numbers.” Spelling errors in “skillls” and “knowlegde” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and precise phrasing—for example, children can “form friendships” and “become familiar with numbers and letters.” Proofread spelling and choose vocabulary that clearly expresses the intended relationship between ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and several sentences are controlled, such as “By interacting with other children, they learn how to share, cooperate and communicate effectively.” The opening sentence also uses a clear contrast between parents’ choices. Some grammatical errors remain, but they generally do not prevent the reader from understanding your points. For example, “Not only make children independent but it also helps working parents” lacks a correctly formed clause and has an unclear subject structure. “As a result they can feel more confident while sitting in the school” also needs more natural article use and punctuation after the introductory phrase. Practise complete parallel constructions and check articles, subjects, and punctuation while editing.

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

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