Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-22

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 6.5)

In certain cultures, youngsters are told that if they try hard enough they can achieve anything. By telling them this parents are boosting their confidence and are giving them the motivation to continue forward. In contrast, parents are also giving them false sense of hope which may also bring them disastrous consequences in the future.

On the one hand, children will be less likely to get discouraged in their journey. The youths are more likely to abandon their passion if they are not getting enough attention. By hearing the phrases "You can do it" or "Never give up" children are motivated to continue their activities despite facing difficulties. For instance, a artistic child who is often praised for his or her drawing is more likely to continue their passion than discontinuing it early on. While this may bring false sense of hope to children, there are many chances afterwards, to teach them properly if they prone to fail.

On the other hand, if the child became disobedient after listening to continuous praises, they are more likely to encounter a harsh reality check. Everything they ever did was always seen positively by their parents, hence becoming overconfident in their skills, and thus failing at important times. For example, an overconfident student is more likely to fail an exam than a student who understand his or her strengths and weaknesses. Despite the harsh words directed at children early on, it is imperative that they understand the consequences or benefits of their actions,

In conclusion, there are many merits and demerits on teaching the importance of hard work and how that leads to success. However, it should be advised to give compliments and criticism appropriately and timely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both advantages and disadvantages and maintain a clear overall view: encouragement can sustain motivation, but excessive praise may create overconfidence. The examples of a child continuing to draw and a student facing an exam make the discussion relevant. This meets the task well, but the two sides are not equally developed. The benefit paragraph focuses mainly on persistence, while the claim that children can later be taught to handle failure is brief and unclear. The disadvantage paragraph explains overconfidence more fully, though it could distinguish realistic encouragement from telling children that effort guarantees success. Develop that contrast and explain the consequences more precisely to make the response more complete and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. Within paragraphs, however, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “While this may bring false sense of hope” does not clearly connect the risk to the preceding example, and “there are many chances afterwards” leaves the reader unsure what opportunities are meant. The final sentence of the disadvantage paragraph also shifts abruptly from exam performance to “harsh words.” Use more precise references and make each sentence’s relationship to the main point explicit; this would create smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range to discuss motivation and risk, including “discouraged,” “overconfident,” “strengths and weaknesses,” and “harsh reality check.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the topic vocabulary is generally appropriate. Some phrasing is imprecise or does not collocate naturally, such as “continue forward,” “false sense of hope,” and “disastrous consequences” for the outcomes described. “A artistic child” also contains an article error, while “disobedient” does not accurately express the intended idea of becoming overconfident. Aim for more exact vocabulary and natural combinations, such as describing children as “persisting with an interest” or “developing unrealistic expectations.” This greater precision would strengthen the argument without requiring unnecessarily complex words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional clauses (“if they try hard enough”) and a concession beginning “While this may…”. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “a artistic child” (article use), “if they prone to fail” (missing verb), and “a student who understand” (subject–verb agreement). In “if the child became disobedient,” the tense does not fit the general hypothetical argument; “if a child becomes…” would be more consistent. The sentence beginning “Everything they ever did…” is also a fragment-like construction attached to the next idea with a comma. Review articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to practise complex clauses.

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