Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-30

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 8.0)

It is a controversial issue about how parents can encourage their children to spend their free time performing in organized group activities. Others argue that it is highly beneficial for their development to learn independently. I will discuss both opinions in the following paragraphs and I believe that a combination of both approaches provides more benefits.

On one hand, participating in organized group activities helps children to develop social and interpersonal skills. By taking part in team activities, one can learn effective communication, collaboration and how to resolve conflict. For example, a child who joins a sports club can learn to cooperate with team members, develop leadership skills, follow instructions and respect rules. These experiences can boost confidence and help to deal with failure and success in a healthy way.

On the other hand, learning independently enables children to be more self-reliant and creative. Children who spend their free time alone reading books, painting or solving puzzles are more confident in problem-solving skills. Also, it improves their imagination and creativity, which can be helpful for their future goals. For example, J.K.Rowling spent a great deal of time reading books which provoked her thoughts and nurture his creativity. Now she is a well-known writer all around the world.

Although each approach has its own benefit, I think that there should be a balance between both. While group activities develop social skills, solitary encourages independence and creativity. Parents should give equal importance to both ways as per their children's preferences and give chance to experience all the aspects.

Overall, both leisure activities that are participated in groups or alone have their own advantages. However, combining them most effectively promotes overall well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the benefits of sports clubs for social skills and the example of J.K. Rowling for independent creativity. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development of the ideas could be slightly more nuanced, perhaps by exploring the potential downsides of each approach in more depth, but the current level of development is sufficient for a strong score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Although each approach has its own benefit', which guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. The progression of ideas is smooth, and referencing is generally clear. The structure is coherent and supports the overall argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and generally precise. You use a good range of topic-specific terms like 'interpersonal skills', 'self-reliant', and 'nurture his creativity'. There is a minor error in pronoun agreement ('nurture his creativity' referring to J.K. Rowling), but this does not impede communication. You demonstrate an ability to use less common vocabulary, which helps convey your ideas clearly. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions to enhance the natural flow of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally strong. There are a few minor slips, such as 'solitary encourages' (should be 'solitary activities' or 'solitude') and the aforementioned pronoun error. However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause any difficulty for the reader. The punctuation is accurate, and the sentence variety is sufficient to maintain interest and clarity throughout the response.

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