Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-28

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)

Young minds are like young plants, one can bend them in any direction one wants. Encouraging childrens to achieve anything in life and teaching them that they can do anything and everything, is a part of their childhood nourishment and responsibility of their parents and family.

There seems both advantages and disadvantages of this teaching to young minds. Begins with advantages, this add a positive side in the life of the childrens. First, giving childrens this message that they can achieve anything in life if they try hard enough gives them a purpose in their life so they can dream big and try hard to achieve it. Second, to achieve their dream in their life they need motivation which they will get in the journey of their struggle with their habit of consistency and disciplined. Third, childrens become optimistic in their life by this value and try even hard to achieve their goals. In a way to achieve their goals they may come across failures, but ultimately this feeling of trying hard one more time leads them toward success. Also, in the journey of success they many things in them get changed, like internally they become more hard and intelligent and makes their decision rationally. This gives them a feeling of self satisfaction also.

However, there are couple of disadvantages of this guidance to the childrens. Teaching them that they can do anything by trying hard, initially they will achieve it and get success which gives them a feeling of joy and happiness but once they get addicted to it than this value plays a negative role in their life. Sometimes, success comes late and if they can not digest failure meanwhile then they may get into the trap of emotional draining. Further, anxiety becomes part of their life and they may come under depression.

Hence, encouraging childrens is good but with proper guidance, in each and every stage of their life is a way of balancing, as life runs in balancing not in any one side. It is important to make the children learn that failures are also the part of life rather a stepping stone through which one gets success in life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both advantages and disadvantages and gives a clear overall view: encouragement is beneficial when paired with guidance and an understanding of failure. The advantages are relevant, including purpose, motivation, optimism and persistence, while the disadvantages include emotional strain and anxiety when children struggle to accept failure. This covers the task well, but some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that children become “more hard and intelligent” is unclear, and the possible link between success and becoming “addicted to it” needs a more precise explanation. To strengthen the response, develop fewer points with specific examples and explain more directly how unrealistic expectations or setbacks may affect children.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on advantages, a paragraph on disadvantages and a concluding recommendation. The progression from benefits to risks and then to balanced guidance is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “First,” “Second,” “However” and “Hence” help signal this organisation, and the conclusion returns to the central issue. At times, though, the sequencing feels mechanical, and some connections between ideas are not fully clear. The long advantages paragraph moves from motivation to failure, personal change and satisfaction without always showing how each point follows. Use clearer topic sentences and more precise referencing, and group related ideas so the reader can follow the development without relying so heavily on numbered transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “motivation,” “consistency,” “disciplined,” “optimistic,” “anxiety” and “depression.” It also attempts more expressive language, such as “dream big” and “stepping stone.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or awkward, which limits precision: “childhood nourishment,” “emotional draining,” and “digest failure” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Repeated use of “achieve,” “life” and “success” also makes the vocabulary feel limited. Aim for accurate, natural combinations and vary repeated terms—for example, describe children as developing resilience or experiencing emotional distress. Proofreading spelling and word forms would also improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is an attempt to use both simple and complex structures, including conditional and subordinate clauses, as in “if they try hard enough” and “once they get addicted to it.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement recur. For instance, “There seems both advantages and disadvantages” lacks the appropriate verb structure, while “this feeling … leads them” is followed by “toward success” in a sentence whose surrounding clauses are difficult to control. Plural and agreement problems also appear in “children … makes their decision.” Some sentences are long and joined in ways that obscure the relationships between ideas. Build accuracy by checking subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms, and by dividing complex sentences when their structure becomes difficult to manage.

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