Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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 often argued that people swiftly shift their opinions and habits as they grow old. In my view, it is largely true, as life experience, change of responsibilities, and greater exposure of different perspective all add up to this process.

One reason people change their habits as their priorities change over time. Younger individuals will spend more time socializing, engaging in late night parties, and eating in restaurants. On the other hand, people who are older will spend most of their time with kids, eating healthy diet and will sleep early. For example, people in their twenties will give more importance to short-term enjoyment, staying out late, and consuming unhealthy snacks, where else older adults will be more discipline in terms of healthy diet, working out and adapt to early bedtime.

Opinion also shifts as people gain more life experiences. One may totally dismiss a career path in their childhood. But, witnessing a friend taking the same path and succeeding can make them change their opinion. For instance, parents used to play video games just for fun and thrill in their childhood, however nowadays younger generation made it a profession. Opinion changes as life experiences adds up and gives a different perspective.

However, some degree of change is inevitable, since ageing naturally brings new responsibilities, relationships, and experiences that shape the way people think and behave.

In my opinion, changing habits and opinion with age is a common and natural part of life, driven mainly by life experiences and shifting responsibilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt directly, taking a clear position in the introduction ('In my view, it is largely true') and maintaining it throughout. The writer explores reasons related to life experience and shifting responsibilities. However, some ideas are a bit repetitive and under-developed. For instance, the conclusion largely restates points made earlier without adding much new extension. There is also a slight contradiction or redundancy near the end where the writer includes a standalone sentence ('However, some degree of change is inevitable...') that largely mirrors the introduction. Despite these minor issues of development and over-generalisation, all parts of the task are addressed, earning a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement with logical progression. Each body paragraph focuses on a distinct theme, such as changing habits versus changing opinions. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, including transitional phrases like 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'For instance'. Paragraphing is sufficient, separating the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion clearly. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the transitional linkage between the final body sentence and the conclusion could be smoother. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 7, displaying clear logical sequencing and adequate cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'responsibilities', 'perspectives', 'short-term enjoyment', and 'profession'. There are some attempts at less common items, though occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation occur, such as 'greater exposure of different perspective' (instead of 'perspectives') and 'eating healthy diet' (missing an article). Additionally, the phrase 'where else' is misused in place of 'whereas'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.

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. Examples such as 'Younger individuals will spend more time socializing...' and 'Witnessing a friend taking the same path and succeeding can make them change their opinion' show good structural variety. However, there are several grammatical errors present, including missing articles ('eating healthy diet', 'more discipline'), incorrect prepositions or conjunctions ('exposure of', 'where else'), and subject-verb agreement slips ('Opinion changes as life experiences adds up'). These errors occasionally cause mild disruption, but communication remains clear throughout, placing this writing solidly at Band 6.

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