Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-18

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)

Some individuals believe that schools should give more importance to physical training classes while others believe that it is essential to give focus to other academic subjects like science and mathematics. In my opinion, both areas should be given equal importance in a school curriculum. This is because learning both will help children to develop their interpersonal skills and knowledge in different fields.

On one hand, physical education plays an important role developing a student's cognitive and intellectual abilities through games and sports. This gives them confidence and physical strength. For example, involving in a group to play any sort of sports improve one's communication skill and team spirit. Additionally, school is a place where a child first find out their skill and interest. Thus it is easy to start training their body from childhood rather than starting as a adult which make them physically fit.

On the other hand, academics should also be given the same importance. Academic subjects such as science, mathematics and language courses give children a foundation for many practical skills which are required for day to day to lives. For instance, these subjects are needed for their higher education and will help them in the future to get a good career.

Overall, schools should focus on both academics and physical education since both are equally essential for a child's development. Physical training classes helps a child to engage in physical activities thus makes them physically fit and confident whereas academics help them gain knowledge in various fields and in the future to land in a good job.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, though some points could be more deeply explored. For instance, the argument regarding physical education could be strengthened by discussing the long-term health benefits or the impact on academic focus. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully developed with more specific examples or logical reasoning. Overall, the task is fulfilled adequately, providing a balanced perspective that directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. However, the transition between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more varied. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. The progression of ideas is clear, though the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more naturally rather than relying on standard transition markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task and allows for clear communication. There is an adequate range of vocabulary, such as 'interpersonal skills', 'cognitive', and 'curriculum'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'involving in a group' instead of 'participating in a group' and 'as a adult' instead of 'as an adult'. The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but to achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate more precise, less common lexical items and ensure collocations are natural and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'Physical training classes helps' (subject-verb agreement) and 'day to day to lives' (preposition/article error). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and refining complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.