Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-04
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 5.0)
A few individuals profess that children will learn more effectively when they are placed with the similar interest group. However, other professional opine that with diverse abilities will be more beneficial for the overall growth. I personally subscribe that children learn better when they are placed with the different ability pupils. This essay will elucidate both the view points and write plausible conclusion at the end.
To commence with, people who support the former notion stating pupils with same interest might benefit from better learning approach since everyone will be in the same level in terms of understanding. Therefore, no one feels they left behind from the knowledge. Moreover, this gives greater advantage to the teacher to adopt same technique to deliver information for everyone to understand the subject. Otherwise, it is extremely stressful for the teacher to explain every student in different methods with the diverse group of students.
On the other hand, other school of thought feels that children with the different learning abilities need to be placed together to understand and help each other in better. This would make clear environment and tie their bonding stronger and bring coordination between students. For example, children who is good with academics and weak in dancing, sports and painting can learn these skills from the other child. In this way mixed abilities classroom help each other to learn and overall development instead of being expertise in one particular field.
To sum up, In the final analysis, mixed ability classes are beneficial for students’ versatile development, but in my opinion, segregating students based on different academic ability is better for both teachers and students.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion. However, there is a significant contradiction between the introduction and the conclusion. In the introduction, you state, 'I personally subscribe that children learn better when they are placed with the different ability pupils,' but in the conclusion, you state, 'in my opinion, segregating students based on different academic ability is better.' This inconsistency makes your position unclear and confusing for the reader. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat under-developed, and the lack of a consistent stance prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To commence with,' 'Moreover,' and 'On the other hand.' However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing and some mechanical use of transitions. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the logical progression is undermined by the contradictory conclusion mentioned earlier. To improve, ensure that your linking words connect ideas smoothly and that your argument remains consistent from the introduction through to the final sentence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'profess' instead of 'propose' or 'claim,' and 'different ability pupils' instead of 'students of mixed abilities.' You also use repetitive phrasing like 'different ability' and 'same interest.' While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is a lack of flexibility in using less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would demonstrate a higher level of proficiency.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'other professional opine' (should be 'professionals'), 'no one feels they left behind' (should be 'are left behind'), and 'children who is good' (should be 'are'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement throughout the text. While the errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from achieving a higher score in this category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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