Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-13

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 7.0)

Nowadays, some individuals argue that physical training classes is vital part of academic curriculum, while others believe that school should focus on textbook subjects. Although academic learning is crucial for a child's future, I believe that physical education should also have significant place in school syllabus.

On the one hand, prioritizing academic subjects can provide students with the knowledge and skills required for higher education and future employment. Moreover, subjects such as science, mathematics and language develop critical thinking, communication and problem-solving abilities. Since school hours are limited, some people argue that too much time spending on sports could reduce the time available for these important subjects. For instance, pupils preparing for competitive exams may get benefited from having additional lessons in subjects directly related to their future studies.

On the other hand, physical education offers advantages that cannot be gained from classroom study alone. Regular exercises may improve their physical and mental health and can reduce problems such as teamwork, discipline, confidence and perseverance. Furthermore, these skills are useful not only at school but also in adult life. To exemplify, participating in team sports can teach children how to cooperate with others and deal with success and failure.

In my opinion, schools should maintain a balance between academic and physical education rather than prioritizing one completely. Academic subjects prepare children intellectually, whereas PE support their physical and social development.

To conclude, providing students with sufficient time for both curriculum would help schools develop healthier, disciplined and more capable individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly in the body paragraphs where you explain the benefits of both academic and physical education. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are slightly more detailed; for instance, when mentioning 'competitive exams,' you could briefly explain how specific sports might interfere with that preparation. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand,' 'Moreover,' and 'To exemplify,' which help guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The transition between the two viewpoints and your own opinion is smooth. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, in the second body paragraph, you mention 'reduce problems such as teamwork,' which is slightly confusing as teamwork is a positive attribute, not a problem to be reduced.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'academic curriculum,' 'critical thinking,' and 'physical and social development' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'get benefited' (should be 'benefit') and 'reduce problems such as teamwork' (where the context implies 'develop' or 'foster'). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and idiomatic expressions, and ensure that your word choices are consistently accurate in their context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. However, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'physical training classes is' (should be 'are'), 'significant place' (needs an article: 'a significant place'), and 'PE support' (should be 'supports'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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