Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people like to try new things, for example, places to visit and types of food. Other people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with.

Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.5)

We all have encountered many changes in our lives. Some were very easy to adapt, while the others were very frictional. For example, the necessity to change the school due to relocation to a new city, my elder sibling was very excited when our parents shared the news with us, whereas, I got frightened. I was very adamant in accepting at first, as the current school was my comfort zone and I was not ready to leave it. Similarly, when a better opportunity knocked at my door which involved a move to a new country, I had several sleepless nights and hundreds of arguments to convince myself that the move was not worth the risk. However, on the other hand, my wife was already prepared to move and the justifications were countless.

All such instances made me wandered why the idea of change seems so difficult to people like me. The answer was very simple and straightforward, "the comfort zone". Some people like to stay close to the familiar surroundings and like to stick to the already tried options, whether it be a lunch to decide, or the clothing brand they have been shopping from since childhood, or visit to the same park over and over again on weekends. The sense of belonging and familiarity make them comfortable.

I also started reflecting on the decisions I made when I opted for any change in life. Not necessarily all the changes were beneficial, but the experience I gained have been instrumental in shaping my personality. If I had not moved to UAE for the new job, I would not be able to experience the fast paced technological shift. Similary, the different clothing brand gave me the perspective of "quality" and "value for money".

Therefore, in my opinion, no matter how difficult the change might seem, after weighing all the pros and cons, one should opt for it. As it is rightly said "if you are not changing, you are not moving".

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both attitudes and make your own preference clear: you explain why familiar routines feel comfortable, then argue that people should consider change after weighing its advantages and risks. The personal examples about relocating for school and moving to the UAE make the discussion relevant. However, the preference for familiarity is explained more fully than the benefits of trying new things, and the final recommendation is asserted rather than explored. For example, the UAE move and trying a different clothing brand are mentioned as beneficial experiences, but the specific lessons or outcomes could be developed further. To strengthen the response, compare the advantages and limitations of both attitudes and support your conclusion with a more explicit reason.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall structure: personal experiences introduce the topic, the next paragraph explains why people value familiarity, and the final paragraphs turn to the benefits of change and your opinion. Linking expressions such as “Similarly,” “However,” and “Therefore” help guide the reader, and the examples generally follow the point being made. Some connections are less smooth or precise, though. The opening moves between your sibling’s reaction, your own reluctance, and your wife’s readiness without clearly signalling how these examples relate to the two attitudes in the question. The phrase “All such instances” also has an unclear reference. Use clearer topic sentences and make the contrast between the two perspectives more explicit to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary to discuss change and personal experience, including “comfort zone,” “familiar surroundings,” “instrumental in shaping my personality,” and “weighing all the pros and cons.” These choices help communicate your ideas, and the meaning remains clear. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural choices that limit precision: “very frictional” does not naturally describe difficult changes, “a lunch to decide” is unclear, and “the different clothing brand” is awkward. Spelling slips such as “Similary” also affect accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and check word forms and spelling; for instance, describe a change as “difficult to adjust to” and refer to “trying a different clothing brand.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “If I had not moved to UAE … I would not be able to experience” and clauses introduced by “while” and “when.” Most ideas are understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. In the opening, “Some were very easy to adapt” needs a structure such as “Some were easy to adapt to,” and “the necessity to change the school …, my elder sibling was…” joins two clauses incorrectly. There are also agreement and verb-form problems in “The sense of belonging and familiarity make them comfortable” and “the experience I gained have been instrumental.” Review clause boundaries, subject–verb agreement, and articles, as in “moved to the UAE.”

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