Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-31

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)

Over the past few years, the topic of free education from government gained considerable attention. While some individuals believe that government should fully fund universities and make education accessible for everyone. I believe that government should provide financial support for needy students. I do not believe that university education should be entirely free for all individuals.

On the one hand, making university education free would create equal opportunity for students from different financial background. Students from low-income families may have the same academic ability but high fee can prevent them from continue their education. Government support can give them a fairer opportunity. For example For instance, students from disadvantaged backgrounds could become doctors, lawyers or engineers without worrying about the financial difficulties associated with higher education. Affordable education can reduce inequality. Firstly, education can contribute to economic development and also society get benefit from educated professional such as doctors, teachers, engineers, and scientist.

On the other hand, completely funding universities through public money would increase financial burden on government. Government need significant amount of money for funding free education. Because of this reason government should increase the taxes and reduce spending on other important services such as healthcare, public transportation and many more.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that the government should pay for university education because it promotes equal opportunities, reduces financial barriers etc. I disagree that the government should cover the entire cost for every student. Instead, financial support should be targeted at those who need it most.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you support government assistance for students who need it, but oppose making university free for everyone. You address both sides by explaining that free tuition could widen access and that full public funding could place pressure on government budgets. The examples of disadvantaged students entering professions help make the access argument relevant. However, the discussion is uneven: the benefits are developed more fully than the costs, and the point about economic development and society benefiting from professionals is introduced but not explained. The conclusion also briefly says government should pay for university education before qualifying this as targeted support. Develop the counterargument and keep your position consistently precise to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion. Phrases such as “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” make the main shift in argument easy to follow. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear. “Firstly” appears within the first body paragraph without a clear sequence of points, and the repeated example marker “For example For instance” interrupts the flow. The economic-development point also arrives abruptly after the discussion of equal opportunity. Organise each paragraph around one main idea, connect supporting explanations more explicitly, and remove duplicated or unnecessary transitions. This would make the progression smoother while preserving the clear overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “financial support,” “low-income families,” “financial barriers,” and “public transportation.” These expressions help communicate the central arguments, and some choices, such as “disadvantaged backgrounds,” are appropriate to the subject. At times, however, word choice and collocation are imprecise: “high fee” is not a natural general expression, and “society get benefit” does not express the intended idea idiomatically. There is also repetition of “government,” “education,” and “financial,” while “etc.” is too vague for a formal essay. Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated terms, while retaining the clear, relevant vocabulary already present.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex forms, including a concession in “While some individuals believe…” and a conditional idea about fees preventing further study. Meaning is generally understandable, but some errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles and punctuation remain. The opening “While some individuals believe…” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence, and “government need” lacks subject–verb agreement. In “Students … may have the same academic ability but high fee can prevent them from continue,” the article and verb pattern need correction (“a high fee … from continuing”). The conclusion also contains a sentence fragment beginning “Instead” only if read as attached to the preceding punctuation? More clearly, check punctuation and sentence boundaries throughout. Build accuracy by proofreading clause structure and agreement, and practise varied complex sentences.

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