Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-17

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 people believe that in a child's education, physical education classes play a vital role while other's believe that school time should be dedicated towards formal education only. In my opinion, participating in physical indoor and outdoor activities is highly important for everyone and even more so for school-aged children.

Some people think, physical education is an important part in a child's schooling and I agree. Physical education instills crucial skills such as, confidence and team playing in a child. These skills play a vital role later on when the child is in adulthood. Through games and competitions, the child learns that winning and losing is a part of life and every loss pushes them to try harder and be better. For example, when I was in school and we had our CIE's coming up, my institution arranged for regular yoga classes for my year. These classes were held thrice a week in the gymnasium and really helped me and my peers in dealing with the exam stress and we were actually able to outperform our seniors.

Other people think, formal education should be the sole priority of a child's educational journey. Textbooks and examinations have their own significance. Reading books can sometimes teach a child skills that he otherwise could not have acquired. School is only for 7 hours a day and physical education can be compensated in the time remaining outside of schooling hours as well.

In my opinion, gymnastics, athletics and other various kinds of physical activities should be an invariable part of a child's learning journey throughout his schooling. Being physically active and taking part in games along with their peers releases study pressure and stress as well.

While some people agree that school time should be completely dedicated towards formal education, I believe physical education plays a crucial role in this and should be a consistent and regular part of a child's schooling journey.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and make your position clear: you support including physical education as a regular part of schooling. The first main paragraph gives relevant reasons, including confidence, teamwork, resilience and managing exam stress, and the personal example about yoga makes the argument more concrete. The opposing view is also acknowledged through the value of textbooks and the possibility of exercising after school. However, that side is less fully developed: the claim that reading can teach otherwise unavailable skills is not explained or illustrated, and the limited school day point is asserted rather than explored. To strengthen the response, develop this counterargument with a specific example, then explain more directly why your position outweighs it. Your ideas are relevant, but their support is uneven in depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding restatement of your opinion. The progression is generally easy to follow, and examples are placed alongside the points they support. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. The conclusion repeats the position already stated in the introduction and the preceding paragraph, while phrases such as “Some people think” and “Other people think” create a formulaic transition. The relationship between the final paragraph beginning “In my opinion” and the conclusion could also be clearer, as both perform similar functions. Improve progression by giving each paragraph a distinct purpose and using more varied links that show contrast, cause, or consequence rather than repeatedly announcing viewpoints.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range for the topic, including relevant terms such as “team playing,” “competitions,” “exam stress,” “formal education,” and “physically active.” Some choices show an attempt to be precise, particularly when describing the benefits of sport and exercise. There are, however, several awkward or imprecise collocations, including “dedicated towards formal education,” “invariable part,” and “releases study pressure.” “Team playing” is also less natural than the usual expression for this skill. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they limit the naturalness and precision of the vocabulary. Aim to learn common word partnerships and choose straightforward phrasing when a more elaborate expression does not fit the intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “when I was in school” and “while some people agree.” Most ideas remain clear, and the personal example is expressed in a sustained sentence. Some grammatical and punctuation errors persist, however. In “Some people think, physical education…” and “Other people think, formal education…,” the comma incorrectly separates the reporting clause from its content. The phrase “skills such as, confidence” also has an unnecessary comma, and “a child’s schooling” shifts to “their schooling journey” without a consistent reference. There are also long sentences joined with “and” that would benefit from clearer punctuation or restructuring. Review comma use and maintain consistent pronoun reference while continuing to practise varied sentence patterns.

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