Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28
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 not uncommon that people change their habits and opinions as they age. I strongly agree with this notion as age does affect hobbies and interests of the people. However, there are some exceptions as well, which we will further discuss in this essay.
On the one hand, it is true that people change their habits and their opinions as they become older. The children like to engage in activities to have fun and entertainment such as playing video games, reading story books and others. Whereas, most adults prefer to spend their free time in learning new skills, including cooking, swimming, painting and playing musical instruments. Elderly people, instead, prefer to relax in thier free time like going for a walk and reciting a prayer. Thus, age can have an impact on the habits and interests of the people.
On the other hand, there are some individuals who are very passionate about certain activities, such as swimmers, football players. These people start practicing these actvities from a young age and after growing up they continue to work on thier skills to become more competitive. For example, a well known football player, Leonel Messi, has once said in an interview that he had started to play football when he was just four years old. Therefore, habits of such individuals remain same throughout thier lives, regardless of their age.
In conclusion, most people to change both their habits and their opinions as they get older; however, there are some individuals who are very devoted to thier free time activities that their habits do not change in thier entire life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing how both habits and opinions change with age, while also acknowledging exceptions. The position is clearly stated in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended with relevant examples, such as comparing the activities of children, adults, and elderly people, and mentioning Lionel Messi as an example of an individual whose habits remain constant. The arguments are well-developed and easy to follow, meeting the criteria for Band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The essay displays a clear overall progression with a logical layout, including a distinct introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Whereas', and 'Thus' are used to connect ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate contrasting viewpoints and examples. Referencing is mostly clear, though minor improvements in cohesive flow would elevate the score further. Overall, the organization meets the standard for a Band 6.5 or solid 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'habits', 'opinions', 'engage', 'passionate', and 'competitive'. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'thier' (repeated multiple times) and 'actvities', along with occasional awkward word choices like 'reciting a prayer' in the context of general relaxation. While less common vocabulary is attempted, these minor inaccuracies limit the score to a Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The essay features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('It is true that people change...', 'most adults prefer to spend...'). There are some grammatical errors, such as 'hobbies and interests of the people' missing articles, and occasional spelling issues, but these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear throughout. This performance aligns well with Band 6 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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