Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-26

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 5.0)

In some societies, parents tell their children that they can achieve anything if they work hard. Some people think this is good but it has also some drawbacks.

There are some advantages. First, this advice motivates children to study hard compared to playing games. Second, they learn that hard work helps them achieve success. For example, students who study every day sometimes get better grades.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages. Sometimes children feel too much pressure because their parents expect too much. This can cause stress and anxiety. If they fail, they may feel disappointed because they think they are not good enough.

In conclusion, telling children that they can achieve anything has both advantages and dis advantages. In my opinion, parents should encourage their children but also tell them failure is normal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response addresses both the advantages and disadvantages of telling children they can achieve anything through hard work, and the writer provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the ideas are under-developed and lack extended explanation or rich supporting examples. Furthermore, the length requirement has not been met, as the response contains only 136 words compared to the minimum requirement of 250 words. This severe under-length significantly limits the depth of task fulfilment. Consequently, the score reflects a partial address of the prompt due to the restricted development and word count penalty.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text demonstrates a clear overall structure with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages separately, and a concluding statement. Basic cohesive devices are used, such as 'First', 'Second', and 'On the other hand', which helps to signal the progression of ideas. However, paragraphing is very basic, and the transitions between sentences are somewhat mechanical. Referencing and logical progression are simple but adequate to make the overall flow reasonably easy to follow, aligning closely with the band 5 descriptors for organisation and basic cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate and appropriate for the topic, featuring words and phrases such as 'motivates', 'pressure', 'stress and anxiety', and 'disappointed'. However, the lexical range is narrow and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'hard work', 'children', and 'achieve'. There are also minor lexical lapses, such as 'dis advantages' (written with a space), and a lack of less common or idiomatic vocabulary items. Communication is never impeded, but the limited resource caps the score at band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates control over simple sentence structures and attempts some complex forms, such as conditional clauses in 'If they fail, they may feel disappointed because they think they are not good enough.' There is a mix of accurate simple sentences alongside occasional minor errors, and punctuation is generally correct. However, the range of grammatical structures remains limited due to the short length of the text, and the structural variety is restricted. The majority of the simple sentences are error-free, supporting a band 5.5 score.

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

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