Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-02

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)

Physical education (PE) classes and academic studies both play vital roles in a child's development, and the best approach is to balance both rather than choose just one.

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.

• Future preparation: Core subjects like math, science, and languages give students the knowledge they need for college and jobs.

• Maximized time: Spending more hours on traditional subjects helps students improve test scores and problem-solving skills.

• Clear goals: Academic training builds critical thinking and prepares young people for a competitive world.

The Case for Physical Education

• Health and wellness: PE prevents childhood obesity and builds strong bones and muscles.

• Mental relief: Sports and exercise release chemicals in the brain that lower stress and refresh the mind after hard lessons.

• Social skills: Group games teach teamwork, communication, and leadership.

Personal View

Physical education is just as important as academics for a growing child. Schools should not treat gym class as a waste of time. When students play sports, they learn discipline and focus that they can use back in the classroom. A healthy body supports a sharp mind.

For example, students who take daily active breaks often show better concentration and higher energy for their studies. Balancing books and sports leads to true success.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the importance of physical education and the focus on academics, while also providing a clear personal opinion. However, the length requirement of at least 250 words is not met, as the response contains only 235 words. Furthermore, the inclusion of bullet points and fragmented headings for the academic section reflects an over-reliance on note-form structure rather than fully realised prose. While the ideas are relevant, some points, such as the arguments surrounding future preparation and health benefits, are somewhat under-developed and would benefit from deeper elaboration and more detailed examples to satisfy higher band requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The overall arrangement shows a coherent approach to structuring the discussion, but the presence of bullet points disrupts the natural progression and paragraph flow expected in standard essay writing. Referencing and cohesive devices are at times mechanical or absent, particularly between the disjointed bulleted points in the middle sections. Paragraphing is attempted, but the formatting choices hinder a seamless logical progression. To move to a higher band, the writer must abandon bullet points entirely and instead rely on standard cohesive devices and clear paragraph transitions to guide the reader smoothly through the arguments.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating ideas related to education and health with phrases such as 'childhood obesity', 'critical thinking', and 'higher energy'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items like 'maximised time' and 'mental relief' with reasonable accuracy, and spelling is generally sound throughout. Some word choices are a bit basic, such as 'hard lessons' or 'waste of time'. To reach a higher level, the student needs to incorporate a wider range of sophisticated, less common lexical items with greater precision and demonstrate a stronger awareness of natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as 'When students play sports, they learn discipline...' effectively. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, but they rarely impede communication. The control over verb tenses and basic agreement is generally good, though punctuation around the bulleted lists is non-standard. To achieve a higher band, the writer must demonstrate a greater variety of complex structures with frequent error-free sentences, ensuring that complex clauses are handled with consistent accuracy and varied grammatical patterns.

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

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