Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-11

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)

Free education is always a major concern in this era. Some individuals believe that authorities need to pay money to universities so that everyone will be able to enrol for free in a university education when they want. I completely disagree with this statement because rich people do not need free education; they are able to pay their fees. Secondly, there are also other important things in which the government need to invest, such as hospitals.

To commence with, the government should need to help only those students who are poor and cannot afford university fees. To elaborate more, there are several intelligent and skilled students who decide to quit their studies due to family problems. Moreover, to fill the basic needs of their family, they decide to take a job rather than continue their education. But if the government provide support to them, they can focus on their studies without spending any money on it. Apart from that, normally it can be seen that only rich people enjoy benefits from these schemes, and needy students are still helpless. Thus, it is very vital that authorities check properly who takes advantage of these schemes.

Secondly, there are also other things in which the higher authorities need to take necessary steps, such as medical facilities, proper food and so on. To explain it, in rural areas, it is hard to find any hospital, and people suffer from diseases that is a big concern. To solve this problem, it is crucial to open public hospitals in rural areas so that poor people can go to the hospital and recover from their illness. Authorities also need to distribute food to needy people to get proper nutrition in their daily diet.

In conclusion, investing money in education is a good idea, but there are also other important things in which the government need to invest and help needy people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have clearly stated your position against the idea of universal free university education and provided relevant arguments. You addressed the prompt by suggesting that government funds should be targeted at those in financial need rather than everyone. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that rich people do not need free education, this point could be expanded with more depth regarding the economic implications. Additionally, the second paragraph shifts focus to other government priorities like hospitals, which is relevant but slightly distracts from the core argument about education funding. To reach a higher band, ensure each paragraph focuses strictly on supporting your central thesis with more detailed examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' to link your thoughts. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. The transition between the idea of education and the need for hospitals in the second body paragraph is a bit abrupt. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'enrol', 'financial need', and 'schemes'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the precision or 'less common' items required for higher bands. There are also some minor issues with word choice, such as 'pay money to universities' (a more natural phrasing would be 'subsidize higher education'). To improve, focus on incorporating more academic collocations and precise synonyms to avoid repeating simple words like 'things' or 'help'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. For example, you wrote 'the government should need to help', which is redundant, and 'diseases that is a big concern', where the verb does not agree with the plural noun. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage errors. To reach a higher band, you need to produce more error-free sentences and demonstrate better control over complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while ensuring subject-verb agreement.

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

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