Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In some traditions, children are told that anything is possible as long as they put their mind to it. There are multiple advantages and disadvantages to telling children this information and I will discuss on both of them.

An advantage of telling kids this information is that it is a means of encouragement to them. Young children may be easily discouraged by challenges and failures that they face as they progress through life. Therefore, during such a stage in life, any form of encouragement can be extremely beneficial to children. If they believe they can achieve anything as long as they try hard enough, they will be able to push themselves to the maximum. Also, these words of encouragement are not only helpful to them as children alone. These words can remain a driving force to them throughout their entire life. As they grow older, they can always reflect to the words they were told as a kid, and keep pushing themselves to achieve the goals they desire.

However, this message can play a negative role in the lives of these children. It can give them false hope that they complete a certain task, even if that task is mortally impossible to achieve. Because of this, they will invest as much time and resources as they can, but end up feeling dejected when they eventually face inevitable failure, scaring them emotionally. Along with this, this may cause the child to waste so many valuable assets just to reap nothing at the end of it all.

To conclude, it is best to avoid telling children these words entirely. This will prevent any form of emotional harm being caused and will not foster any false hope in the hearts of young people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both the advantages and disadvantages of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide a clear argument for the benefits of encouragement, the discussion on disadvantages is slightly repetitive, focusing heavily on 'false hope' and 'failure'. The conclusion is a bit abrupt and does not fully synthesize the points made, instead offering a final recommendation that feels disconnected from the balanced discussion provided earlier. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with specific examples or deeper reasoning, and ensure your conclusion reflects the complexity of the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages from the disadvantages. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'Along with this', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated. For instance, the phrase 'these words' is used repeatedly, which can make the text feel slightly repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'encouragement', 'dejected', and 'inevitable failure'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'mortally impossible' (which is not a standard collocation; 'virtually impossible' would be better) and 'waste so many valuable assets' (which is slightly vague). The vocabulary is generally sufficient to convey your meaning, but to achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise, academic collocations and less common lexical items that demonstrate a more sophisticated control of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I will discuss on both of them' (the verb 'discuss' does not take the preposition 'on') and 'reflect to the words' (should be 'reflect on'). Additionally, 'as children alone' is slightly awkward phrasing. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on mastering verb-preposition collocations and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.