Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-26

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 widely acknowledged that with passing years individuals show a change in their habits and opinions. I agree to this as over time people are exposed to various situations and challenges, the first hand experience allows individuals to gain perspective and learn from the different scenarios.

From childhood to adulthood we learn new information everyday. We can learn study basic concepts but real life practical situations do not confirm to a pattern. There could be situations where we need to apply theoretical and practical knowledge. For instance, individuals working in a group project need to work together as a unit. Having so many different people working in a different assignment often brings about differences in opinion. How to manage the project whilst not offending any team member is a practical skill. People often learn this by experience and over time would develop habits that help healthy communication that allows them to be heard in the group.

Our opinions about other also vary with passage of time. As we grow old we become mature and understand behaviours better. During childhood we can not comprehend complex emotions and it could cloud our judgement. With time and experience we would be able to remove bias and judge people for their action. This is a major reason for why our opinions change as we grow older.

On the other hand, critics argue that our genetics play a major role in how we think and react. As a result we remain fixated to our patterns and do not adapt. However, I strongly believe that humans constantly learn and improve themselves over time.

In conclusion, individuals adapt and change their habits and opinions according to the external circumstances they bear.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response fully addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position agreeing that people change habits and opinions as they age. The student introduces relevant examples, such as learning through group projects in adulthood and gaining maturity to remove bias when judging others. While some ideas like the group project example could have been extended slightly further to reach a higher band, the main task requirements are met with a clear progression of ideas throughout the essay. The counter-argument regarding genetics is also introduced and addressed effectively in the fourth paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall arrangement with an introduction, body paragraphs supporting the main argument, a counter-argument paragraph, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices are generally present, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the use of 'with time and experience' and 'over time'. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional minor cohesion lapses exist, such as 'Our opinions about other also vary', where a plural noun is missing. Overall, the logical progression is maintained throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'widely acknowledged', 'first hand experience', and 'complex emotions'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'confirm to a pattern' instead of 'conform', 'working in a different assignment' instead of 'on a different assignment', and 'opinions about other' instead of 'others'. Despite these errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic structures and attempting more intricate constructions. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation omissions, such as 'We can learn study basic concepts', 'do not confirm to a pattern', and missing commas in conditional or introductory clauses. Additionally, sentences like 'During childhood we can not comprehend complex emotions and it could cloud our judgement' show minor control issues. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the overall grammatical range is adequate.

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

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