Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-02

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)

In many families the children start their schooling as early as from age 3, while others prefer to send them when they reach the age of primary school. Though the both types of parent are doing in the best interest of their kids however, there are a few merits and demerits of both sides. The essay will discuss them and elaborate on its benefits and repurcussions.

On a brighter side, one of the benefit of sending children at a young age is that they get to spend more time with children of their age rather than staying at home. In today's world mostly both parents are working and they might not be able to have a satisfactory arrangement for their children at home. Hence, enrolling them in school not only keeps the child safe but also learns to socialise at an early stage. Furthermore, it is also sugguested that children now a days are more intelligent and observant. Thus, the various productive activities carried out at the pre-school are beneficial for their mind simulation. Schools conduct different excercises or activities which help in the development of a child's motor skills, enhance body coordination and polish communication skills.

On the other hand, critics are of a view that yearly years are crucial for child's personality and emotional development. So, separating them from their parents even for a few hours and placing in a foreign envrionment put children under undue pressure. They are too young to regulate their emotions which can lead to stress or anxiety development. Additionally, by the age a child is 6-7 years old, ideal for a primary school, they have become independent in carrying out a few tasks on their own. For example, going to the bathroom and able to properly conduct themselves in public. This creates confidence in them for being able to manage themselves without assistance of an elder.

In conclusion, while there are pro and corns of both aspects, I believe the people in authority shall implment a policy of minimum school starting age. This will promote a uniform structure across the country and would not put parents under peer pressure to put their children in school at a very young age.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both advantages and disadvantages and give a relevant position in the conclusion: you favour a minimum starting age to reduce peer pressure on parents. The benefits of socialising and developing motor and communication skills are explained, and the concerns about separation and emotional readiness are also relevant. However, the discussion is uneven: the advantages receive more specific explanation, while the point about children becoming independent at six or seven is asserted rather than clearly connected to the disadvantages of preschool. The conclusion introduces a policy recommendation that is not fully developed in the body. To strengthen the response, explain each main idea with a clearer consequence or example and make your overall position consistent and explicit throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On a brighter side,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. Within paragraphs, ideas generally progress from a claim to supporting explanation, as in the discussion of socialisation and school activities. However, some linking is mechanical, and the opening sentence of the conclusion (“while there are pro and corns of both aspects”) does not clearly summarise the main points. The relationship between the final policy recommendation and the preceding discussion could also be made more explicit. Use more precise referencing and connect each paragraph’s evidence directly to its central point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonably varied range for the topic, including “socialise,” “motor skills,” “body coordination,” “emotional development,” and “peer pressure.” These choices help communicate relevant ideas, and some topic-specific vocabulary is effective. However, several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “repurcussions,” “sugguested,” “envrionment,” and “corns.” Some expressions are also unnatural or imprecise: “mind simulation” does not convey the intended idea clearly, and “yearly years” appears to mean early years. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully. Replacing vague phrases with more exact language—for example, describing preschool as supporting cognitive development—would make the argument clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including contrast clauses (“Though… however…”) and cause-and-effect sentences beginning with “Hence” and “Thus.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “one of the benefit” needs a plural noun, and “the both types of parent” has incorrect determiner and number. In “enrolling them in school not only keeps the child safe but also learns to socialise,” the subject of the second verb is unclear; the child, rather than the enrolment, learns. There are also errors in sentence construction, such as “put children under undue pressure” after a singular subject, and the final sentence has an awkward modal construction. Review agreement, articles, and parallel structures, while keeping your complex sentences controlled.

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