Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-26

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time. Others say that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own.

Discuss both these views 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)

Nowadays, it is believed by some individuals that guardians should always encourage their children to participate in group activities in leisure time, while others argue that children should get the freedom on what they want to learn. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I believe that children should be given the freedom to choose.

On the one hand, the main advantage from group activities is that it can help a child to develop sense of team work and how to cooperate with people in real life. Moreover, by participating in group activities they will have a chance to improve their logical ability, which plays a crucial role while pursuing higher education. To illustrate, a child involved with activities such as Abacus are highly likely to perform well in engineering subjects such as Maths, Chemistry and Physics. Furthermore, according to research, children always shows interest in activities, which involve electronic items such as mobiles and laptops. Hence, they should not given the freedom.

On the other hand, there are various reasons why some people support the opposite view. Firstly, when parents are forcing them to join a number of activities, which they don’t like then they are less likely to focus on it. As a result, it is just a waste of time. Hence, if a child is choosing an activity by themselves, then they will work hard to carry out their best performance.

To sum up, although children get a chance to participate in interested activities by giving freedom, I believe that they should given a list of suitable activities instead forcing in particular activity because it will help them in long term not only in education but also in real life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding electronic devices is confusingly linked to the conclusion that children should not have freedom, which contradicts the prompt's premise. The supporting examples, such as the mention of 'Abacus', are relevant but could be explained in more detail to fully support the points made. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and slightly contradicts the earlier body paragraph by suggesting a 'list of suitable activities' rather than pure freedom. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is logically connected to the main argument and fully expanded with clear reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'To sum up' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the abrupt shift in the first body paragraph regarding electronic items. The use of pronouns and linking words is generally sufficient, but the flow between sentences could be improved to make the argument feel more cohesive and natural. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'cooperate' and 'pursuing higher education'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'participate in interested activities' instead of 'activities they are interested in' and 'forcing in particular activity' instead of 'forcing them into a particular activity'. The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but more precise and varied vocabulary would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and articles (e.g., 'they should not given the freedom', 'they should given a list', 'develop sense of team work'). Some sentences are slightly awkward due to missing prepositions or incorrect word order. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice would be beneficial for future improvement.

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