Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that children learn better when they are placed in classes with children of similar academic abilities. Others believe that children learn better when they are in classes with children representing a diverse range of academic abilities.

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)

There is an ongoing debate about whether children should be placed in classes where children of similar academic performance are placed or in classes where different academic levels of students are present. In my view, when they are placed with equal level of students, they perform openly and comfortably whereas with different level of students, they learn in a competitive environment which motivates them to perform better than their peers. I agree with the later view.

On the one hand, when students of similar academic abilities learn in the same class, they usually learn fast and efficiently. This is mainly because in this environment, they may feel comfortable, can openly ask their doubts and perform without the fear of judgement. For instance, in a spoken english class, if all the children are of B1 intermediate level, they tend to participate in speaking activities openly without any hesitation which can further increase their confidence. As a result, their self-esteem would increase. However, they may be stuck in their comfort zone.

On the other hand, learning with children of different levels of academic abilities may help improve their academic performance through a competitive learning environment in classes. If children see other students performing better, they tend to get motivated and influenced to perform better. Moreover, when they participate in group activities, they can learn from each other. For instance, in english speaking classes, children are usually asked to perform in teams. When they discuss their ideas and interact in english, they may learn better phrases, vocabulary and grammatical structures from each other. This can ultimately make their relationship stronger and help them improve their social skills.

In conclusion, although sitting and learning same academic level of students in the same class enable children to learn fast in a comfortable environment, I believe that a competitive environment can contribute to their overall personality development by interacting with and motivating each other.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for mixed-ability classes in the introduction and conclusion. The discussion of similar-ability classes is relevant, with the example of B1 learners feeling confident enough to participate. Your case for mixed groups is also supported by competition and peer learning. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained: for example, you say students may become “stuck in their comfort zone” but do not show how this affects learning, and the claim that interaction makes relationships stronger is not developed. To strengthen the response, explain the learning consequences of each point and make the comparison between the two approaches more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-paragraph structure, with separate paragraphs for each view and a conclusion that returns to your position. Progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers navigate the argument. You also connect examples to their stated outcomes using phrases such as “As a result” and “This can ultimately.” To make the organisation more flexible and polished, avoid relying so heavily on formulaic transitions and clarify links between related claims. For instance, the move from peer learning to stronger relationships is abrupt; explain how the group interaction produces that social benefit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for discussing education and includes relevant terms such as “academic abilities,” “competitive learning environment,” “self-esteem,” and “grammatical structures.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and you attempt some topic-specific phrasing. However, several expressions are imprecise or repetitive, including “equal level of students,” “perform openly,” and repeated references to “different levels.” There are also collocation and word-form issues, such as “ask their doubts” and “the later view.” Aim for more natural academic combinations and vary repeated wording—for example, use “ask questions,” “participate confidently,” and “the latter view.” This would improve precision and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including conditional clauses (“If children see other students performing better…”) and subordinate clauses explaining reasons and results. Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and punctuation generally supports the paragraph structure. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, prepositions, and sentence construction. For example, “learn fast and efficiently” would be more naturally formed as “learn quickly and efficiently,” while “sitting and learning same academic level of students” has an unclear grammatical structure. In “they may feel comfortable, can openly ask…,” the coordinated verbs need a consistent subject structure. Review article use and parallel construction to make complex sentences more controlled.

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