Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-21

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)

Many individuals believe that physical education is a crucial subject in children's education, while others argue that school time should be devoted towards academic subjects. I think both physical education and theory subjects should be taught during school time with a balance between them.

On the one hand, physical education is an integral subject because it contributes to children's physical and mental well-being. For example, physical education educates children in key skills such as leadership, resilience, decision-making, and teamwork. Also, focusing solely on theory subjects may increase stress and depression among students, which can result in poor performance in exams. Moreover, it improves physical health, as many parents have reported that their children have reduced obesity levels after joining physical education classes due to the physical activity involved in sports. As a result, this subject not only teaches key skills but also improves overall well-being.

On the other hand, in this modernized world, the job market has become significantly competitive and academic scores are being checked before getting a job. Thus, students need to focus more on academic subjects for better prospects and achieve success. Additionally, people think that students' focus should be devoted to academic subjects because physical education classes may distract them from important subjects, which can result in lower academic grades.

In conclusion, although academic subjects are significantly important for success and future goals, eliminating physical education may hinder mental and physical growth. Therefore, there should be a balance between both academic and sports classes, and schools should introduce new practices that can help students achieve good marks and good health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt adequately by discussing both views—the importance of physical education and the priority of academics—and clearly stating a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as mentioning leadership and teamwork skills for physical education and job market competition for academics. However, some arguments remain slightly under-developed, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. For instance, the discussion on how academic focus impacts stress could be extended further. Overall, the task is successfully fulfilled with a clear position throughout, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptor criteria for fully addressing all parts of the task with extended ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction outlines the topic and writer's stance, body paragraph one explores physical education, body paragraph two examines academic priorities, and the conclusion brings the threads together. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, with transition signals such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' guiding the reader smoothly through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the response. While referencing and linking are generally clear, slightly more flexible or sophisticated cohesive phrasing could elevate the cohesion further. Nevertheless, the organisational structure firmly supports the flow of ideas, satisfying the Band 7 requirements for logical organisation and progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, using appropriate topic-specific terms such as 'physical education', 'well-being', 'resilience', and 'job market'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of collocation and style, as seen in phrases like 'contributes to children's physical and mental well-being' and 'significantly competitive'. There are occasional slight inaccuracies or repetitions in word choice, such as using 'theory subjects' instead of academic subjects interchangeably, but these errors do not impede communication. The vocabulary range is adequate to convey precise meanings and supports the development of the arguments, fitting the Band 6.5 to 7.0 profile closely, rounded here to a solid Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively, incorporating structures such as conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'although academic subjects are significantly important...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and the overall control of grammar and punctuation is good. While minor slips occur—such as 'devoted towards' instead of 'devoted to', or the slightly awkward phrasing 'academic scores are being checked before getting a job'—these errors do not impede communication or obscure the meaning. The punctuation is sound, and sentence boundaries are handled correctly throughout the essay. This demonstrates a strong command of grammar with only minor lapses, comfortably placing the response in the Band 7 category.

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

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