Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that physical education classes are an important part of a child's education. Others believe that it is more important to focus on academics during school time.

Discuss both these views, and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Parents often debate on importance of academics over sports education or vice versa in the schools. I firmly believe that a balanced approach is required for holistic development of children rather emphasizing only one during the school time.

To begin with, all the activities in the school contribute towards learning of the students. Extra curricular activities like physical education focuses on essential skill development like decision making, team building, sportsmanship, and strength training. These skills are important for moral development among children. For example, students who regularly play sports are often active, healthy, develop long lasting friendships with peers, and optimistic. It is also observed that pupils refraining from play struggle with social anxiety, loneliness, weak body structure, and mental health issues. Hence, physical education courses are equally important.

On the other hand, academics is an integral part of school curriculum. Students are expected to master basic reading, writing, math, and science skills to excel in life. Every grade has a set requirement that a child needs to meet by the end of the year. These competencies are set to ensure that children can succeed in the future. For illustration, a 9 year old kid should be able to read short paragraphs and perform basic arithmetic calculations. It helps the children to pursue courses in high school and university to earn a living. Conversely, students who lack these skills often find it hard to earn minimum wage and end up in misery. Therefore, academics is also important.

To sum up, physical education and academics are equally important in schools. Both of contribute equally in development of a child.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the benefits of sports for social skills and the necessity of academic mastery for future employment. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. While the arguments are logical, they could be extended further to reach a higher band. For instance, the discussion on academic importance could explore the long-term societal benefits rather than just individual employment. Overall, the response is well-focused and maintains a consistent position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'Conversely' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion, but the current structure is clear and effective.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. You have used some topic-specific terms like 'holistic development', 'extra curricular activities', 'moral development', and 'competencies'. There are a few minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'debate on importance' (should be 'debate the importance') and 'Both of contribute' (grammatical error affecting lexical flow). While you demonstrate an adequate range, incorporating more precise academic collocations or less common vocabulary would elevate the score. The current range is functional and appropriate for the level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'rather emphasizing' (missing 'than'), 'Both of contribute' (unnecessary 'of'), and 'academics is' (subject-verb agreement with 'academics' as a plural concept). Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and communication remains clear. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for a greater variety of complex structures and ensure higher accuracy in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. The current control is sufficient to avoid impeding the reader's understanding.

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