Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people feel that the government should pay the costs of running universities so that a university education will be free for anyone who wants it.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Some people believe the government should pay the cost of running universities education so that a university education will be free for who wants it. I understand the appeal of this idea and i agree with it only to a large extend .Free tuition brings economic benefits ,but it must be manage carefully to avoid problem of cost.

On the one hand ,free education for all brings about equal opportunities for people to study their choose career base on their interest. For example a poor famer's child can study medicine , nursing and engineer since his tuition will be paid for, otherwise he would have study a course that pay less school fees.

In addition, countries that engage in free education enjoyed economic benefit . A more workforce boosts innovation and productivity, Higher education tend to have greater research and high pay jobs for their graduants.

On the other hand ,free tuition will attract cost and sustainability ,to run a university is expensive , research work, lab and staff salaries required huge budgets and that mean other amenities get less funding like health sector, road and water. Example Nigeria Universities are heavily subsidize but inconsistent fund has led it to strike and decay unlike our private University that pay 100%.

Further more personal Responsibility, when something is completely free people take it less seriously .They tend to misuse it and lack focus . Families can start bringing in the likes and unlike into the education sector .

In conclusion, making University education free for everyone will gives equal opportunity for all and Economic benefit ,While it fails in cost and personal responsibility of people . However Subsidizing it can be an encouragement .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position that acknowledges both the benefits and drawbacks of free university education. The ideas are relevant, such as equal opportunity and economic growth versus funding constraints and personal responsibility. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the points are clear, some arguments, particularly the one regarding 'personal responsibility' and 'families bringing in the likes and unlike', are underdeveloped and slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that every point is fully explained with clear logical links and more precise examples, rather than relying on brief, somewhat vague assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central theme. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion', to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as the transition 'Further more personal Responsibility'. Additionally, some sentences within paragraphs lack smooth transitions, making the flow feel a bit disjointed at times. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'it', 'they') is always clear would significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'subsidize', 'productivity', and 'innovation'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'study their choose career', 'graduants' (instead of graduates), and 'attract cost'. These errors occasionally hinder the precision of your argument. To improve, focus on learning the correct word forms and collocations. For example, instead of 'attract cost', consider 'incur significant costs'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic collocations will help you move into a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain grammatical errors, such as 'Higher education tend to have' (subject-verb agreement) and 'making University education free... will gives' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and incorrect capitalization of 'i'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable, although they do not generally impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent verb tenses, and proofreading for basic punctuation and capitalization errors.

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

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