Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-16

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many parts of the world girls and boys are educated together in co-educational or mixed schools. Some people think that girls and boys benefit from being educated separately in single-sex schools. To what extent do you agree with this view?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

It is true that many individuals are in a dilemma about whether boys and girls should be educated in co-educational schools or in single-sex schools. Co-education appears to be beneficial for social development, while single-sex schooling may improve academic focus. However, from my standpoint, co-educational schooling is evidently a better option for most of them, and the prime reasons that lie in my stance are cited in the following ways.

On the one hand, there are several definite beneficial aspects of having a preference for mixed or co-educational schools, and thus it ought to be given the maximum priority. Chief of them includes the development of social and communication skills, which can be regarded as the most compelling reason for endorsing it. With the prevalence of such a facility, not only do students learn to collaborate effectively with the opposite gender, but mutual respect and understanding are fostered as well. Moreover, consider real-world preparation for opting for co-education is in no way negligible, which is why it seems to be the most effective way to prepare students for life after school. With that in mind, people are becoming increasingly interested in promoting co-education and sticking to the statement.

On the other hand, opponents who are in favor of single-sex schooling are benefited in some ways too. Out of them, the merit that occurs to me is definitely the ability to concentrate better without distractions. A girls-only or boys-only classroom is probably the best example to make it more clear. Is it feasible to reap the same facility in its counterpart? The answer is obviously no, due to social pressures and distractions that might arise in a mixed setting. It has never been possible indeed. There is, however, no doubt that people who advocate for single-sex education are likely to see improved academic performance, resulting in higher exam scores in some cases.

In conclusion, I pen down saying that there are several advantages of both approaches, and the decision is up to the subjective, so I disagree that one is absolutely better than the other. However, in my personal view, co-education provides a more balanced and realistic learning environment for the modern world.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both sides of the argument and presenting a clear position throughout. In the introduction, the writer outlines both the social benefits of co-education and the academic focus of single-sex schooling, while clearly stating their preference for mixed schools. The main body paragraphs explore these viewpoints with relevant ideas, such as communication skills and real-world preparation for co-education, versus reduced distractions and improved academic performance for single-sex schools. However, the conclusion presents a slight contradiction by first stating that the decision is subjective and that they disagree one is better, before immediately reaffirming their personal view that co-education is better. Despite this minor wobble in consistency, the ideas are sufficiently extended and supported, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently structured, starting with a clear introduction, followed by balanced body paragraphs, and finishing with a summary conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as transitional markers like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, some referencing is slightly awkward or mechanical, such as the phrase 'cited in the following ways' or the phrasing in the conclusion 'I pen down saying that'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the competing arguments, and the overall progression is easy to follow, justifying a solid Band 7 for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. There are attempts to use less common lexical items, such as 'compelling reason', 'prevalence', and 'distractions'. However, some word choices and collocations feel slightly unnatural or awkward, such as 'consider real-world preparation for opting for co-education is in no way negligible' and 'pen down saying'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. The use of functional academic phrases shows a reasonable command of language, placing the lexical resource securely at a Band 6.5, which rounds to a Band 6 based on the constraints.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures. There are frequent error-free sentences, such as 'Co-education appears to be beneficial for social development, while single-sex schooling may improve academic focus.' However, a few awkward grammatical structures and overly convoluted phrases persist, such as 'consider real-world preparation for opting for co-education is in no way negligible' and the rhetorical questions used in the third body paragraph. Punctuation is generally sound, and the grammatical errors present are minor and rarely impede overall communication, fully satisfying the requirements for Band 6.5, awarded as a 6.5.

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