Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-29
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 5.5)
In the modern era, development of children's cognitive skills depends on their education and other activities they do in their leisure time. undoubtedly academic related activities are required for proper development but activities done in children's free has created two sides of bridge. On the one side people argue that activities related to group works has more benefits, on the other side people say that children need to learn how to occupy themselves.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is significantly under-length at only 73 words, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While the introduction attempts to set up the two sides of the argument, the essay stops abruptly before any discussion, supporting evidence, or personal opinion can be provided. Because the response is incomplete, it is impossible to evaluate the development of ideas or the clarity of the position. To improve, you must expand on each viewpoint with specific examples and ensure you provide a clear, personal stance as requested by the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text is too brief to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical progression of ideas. While there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On the one side' and 'on the other side', the lack of a full essay structure makes it difficult to assess your ability to organize information. The flow is interrupted by the premature ending. To achieve a higher score, you need to structure your response into clear paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs discussing the opposing views, and a conclusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the topic, such as 'cognitive skills' and 'leisure time'. However, the range is limited due to the brevity of the text. There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'activities done in children's free has created two sides of bridge', which is not a standard idiomatic expression. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to express your ideas more fluently.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. There are grammatical errors, such as the missing noun after 'free' ('in children's free [time]') and the subject-verb agreement issue in 'activities... has created'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the limited length restricts the opportunity to demonstrate a wider range of complex grammatical structures. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring all sentences are complete.
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