Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-07
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 6.0)
Nowadays, there has been an ongoing debate whether physical education should be prioritized over main subjects. Some people believe that school should primarily focus on teaching main subjects. While others hold a formal view. This essay will discuss both views and present reasons why, I believe that a balanced approach will be the right way.
On one hand, physical education offers both physical and mental development of children. It helps in developing skill set such as, leadership, communication and teamwork. For example, the studies done in oxford universities revealed that many students performed better in their academic subjects who were physically more active. In addition, physical activity reduces the stress level and anxiety, helping students to cope up better with exam stress. Therefore, physical education should be given equal importances in school.
On the other hand, academic achievement helps student to secure better job opportunities. Many subjects such as mathematics and physics require more time to understand the difficult topics and time to practice. Moreover, many students who want to pursue their dream of becoming a doctor or engineer needs to score more marks in their academic subjects to get admission in top universities. Therefore, schools should prioritize to dedicate more time in teaching main subjects.
I strongly believe that physical education should be a part of school in terms of overall development. However, it should not be compulsory for students to participate. The students who want to study different subjects they should be given a choice to utilize that time in studying those subjects.
In conclusion, although physical education helps in developing soft skills. It is important to understand that excelling in academic subjects is equally important for students to secure their future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both sides of the argument and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of soft skills and academic pressure. However, the development is slightly uneven; the argument for academic focus is stronger than the justification for the 'balanced approach' mentioned in the introduction. The conclusion is a bit brief and does not fully synthesize the points made. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opinion is consistently integrated throughout the body paragraphs rather than just stated in the introduction and conclusion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In addition' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are some minor issues with sentence-level cohesion; for instance, the sentence 'While others hold a formal view' is a fragment and lacks a clear connection to the previous thought. Additionally, the transition between the body paragraphs and the conclusion could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. You use some good topic-specific collocations like 'academic achievement', 'job opportunities', and 'overall development'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing, such as 'equal importances' (should be 'importance') and 'main subjects' used repeatedly. To improve, try to incorporate a wider range of synonyms and more sophisticated academic vocabulary to demonstrate greater flexibility. The current range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. Examples include 'there has been an ongoing debate whether' (missing 'as to'), 'studies done in oxford universities' (capitalization and article usage), and 'needs to score' (subject-verb agreement with 'students'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are fragmented or incorrectly punctuated, such as the sentence starting with 'The students who want to study...'. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help improve this score.
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.