Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is very common for people to change both their habits and their opinions as they get older.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

It is undeniable that different people have different opinions and habits. While some people argue that it is normal for individuals to change their habits and opinions as they gain more experienced, other people do not. However, I completely agree with this notion as people will learn so much throughout their lives, and I will explain my reasons in the upcoming paragraphs.

To commence with, there are a plethora of reasons why people change their habits and opinions. The first and foremost reason is that their knowledge increases with time. To explain it more clearly, when a person is a child, they possess very limited knowledge. Hence, his or her opinions about things are generous or limited. Nevertheless, after some time, they get to know more knowledge about those things which results in changing their habits and opinions. For example, many children feel that their parents are strict, however with time, they understand that parents were not strict but rather they are trying to make their lives better.

Another reasons can be lessons they learn during their lives which force them to change their habits and opinions frequently. To illustrate an example, a person will get bloated if he always sits after a heavy meal. But, after some time, when he learns his mistake, he changes his habits and starts to walk after the meal. On the other side, some people stay stuck with their habits and opinions because they are not willing to change their habits even after facing some problems.

To conclude, although some people do not change their habits or opinions due to not trying to understand the lesson or their stubbornness does not allow it, I still believe that it is normal for many people to update their habits and opinions because their knowledge increases over the time and some mistakes lead them to change their habits and opinions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task directly by presenting a clear position agreeing with the prompt that people change habits and opinions as they age. The response provides relevant ideas and examples, such as how children's perceptions of strict parents change over time and how individuals learn from physical discomfort after a heavy meal. However, some arguments tend to be slightly repetitive, and the development could be more sophisticated to reach higher band levels. For instance, the explanation of knowledge increasing is somewhat generalized. Overall, the prompt is fully addressed with a consistent and clear position throughout, aligning well with the Band 6.5 or Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overall arrangement. Information and ideas are logically organized with an introduction, clear body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'To commence with', 'The first and foremost reason', and 'To conclude'. However, some cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the recurring use of 'To illustrate an example' and 'change their habits and opinions'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but referencing is occasionally a bit clunky, such as shifting pronouns between singular and plural forms when discussing a general person. Progression is evident throughout, placing the text solidly in the Band 6.5 to Band 7 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'plethora', 'undeniable', and 'stubbornness'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies that prevent a higher score. For example, the student writes 'gain more experienced' instead of 'experience', and 'get to know more knowledge' instead of 'gain more knowledge' or 'acquire more information'. Additionally, words like 'habits and opinions' are repeated excessively throughout the essay. While these errors do not impede communication, they reflect the typical limitations of Band 6 vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences using subordinating conjunctions like 'while', 'when', and 'although'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present. Examples include 'as they gain more experienced', 'when a person is a child, they possess... his or her opinions... their habits' (pronoun agreement issues), and 'Another reasons can be' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of grammatical slips keeps the accuracy level within the Band 6 descriptor, where errors occasionally occur in complex structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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