Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-12

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 6.0)

People believe that students learn better when they are in same classes with children of equal abilities, while other thinks that learners can learn better when they are in classes with unequal learning skills. Both points have their own advantages, but I think students can learn better with different learning abilities.

To begin with, students can learn fast when they are with children who have similar mindset. It is easy for them to get solutions to questions because they all share ideas at the same level. Also, it is easy for teachers to teach students, as they know they have to lecture for the students who share the same ideology and it also saves time for teachers when they set an exam. They do not have to think about that there is a child in the class who is weak in studies. For example, a research shows that children who share similar learning abilities get good grades.

On the other hand, learners who share diverse academic abilities can learn a lot from each other, bright students can help other students in class who are struggling with learning same topic. This can improve their communication skills, teamwork and confidence. Moreover, students can feel motivated when they see their classmates are making progress. Additionally, they can learn many things while working together in group projects.

Overall, children can learn fast and achieve great achievements learning with students with same learning skills, but I think mixed ability classes have more benefits because they can learn teamwork, communication skills and support each other.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion: you favour mixed-ability classes. The discussion of similar-ability classes includes reasons about shared ideas and easier teaching, while the mixed-ability paragraph explains peer support, motivation and teamwork. This covers the task, but the two sides are not developed equally: the claim that similar-ability students achieve good grades is supported only by the vague reference to “a research,” and the teaching and exam-setting points could be explained more fully. The benefits of mixed classes are more specific, though an example would strengthen them too. The response meets the task’s length requirement; the eight words copied from the prompt were not counted. Develop each main claim with a clear explanation or relevant example to make the argument more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion that restates your position. Transitions such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “Overall” help readers follow the discussion, and the ideas within the mixed-ability paragraph progress from peer help to motivation and group work. This is a coherent arrangement. To make the progression more flexible and precise, connect related points rather than presenting them as a list, and clarify links between claims. For example, the sentence about teachers and exam-setting shifts quickly from classroom instruction to assessment. The phrase “bright students can help other students” also needs clearer punctuation or a linking word to show how the two clauses relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, with relevant terms such as “academic abilities,” “communication skills,” “teamwork,” and “motivated.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice or collocation problems make the writing less natural. “Same mindset” and “same ideology” do not accurately describe students’ academic ability, while “achieve great achievements” is repetitive and unnatural. “Learn fast” is also less suitable than a more precise expression in this context. Aim to use a smaller number of accurate, topic-specific phrases rather than repeating broad terms such as “learn” and “students.” More natural collocations would make your comparisons clearer and help you express the educational benefits with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including a contrast clause with “while,” a reason introduced by “because,” and a relative clause in “students who are struggling.” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “other thinks” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “when they are in same classes” is missing an article. In “bright students can help other students in class who are struggling with learning same topic,” the clauses are joined with a comma, and “the” is needed before “same topic.” The sentence about teachers and exam-setting is also awkwardly constructed. Practise accurate articles, agreement and punctuation when joining independent clauses, while continuing to use varied sentence patterns.

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