Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-08

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)

There are conflicting views regarding parenting style. While some people believe that children should engage in group activities during their spare time, other people believe that it is essential for them to learn how to enjoy their own company.

On the one hand, people who support notion of group activities argue that it is beneficial to develop certain fundamental skills including communication, team work, personality development and many more. Spending time with their peers can also contribute to children's social and emotional development. As they share similar interests and difficulties they can easily get along with one and other. For instance, children who spend time with their peers, during their play time or school projects are able to express themselves more confidently.

On the other hand, Other people argue that learning how to occupy themselves on their own can help them to be independent. If children are capable to engage themselves in various activities without needing other person they will learn how to tackle such emotions such as loneliness. As an example parents who have busy work schedules might not get chance to take their children to parks or to visit other children's home, in that situation if child know how to enjoy solo activities can be a big relief for their parents.

I believe, parents should keep balance approach without completely relying on one. As both ways are crucial for well being and development of the children.

In conclusion, although group activities are beneficial for social and emotional growth of off-springs. However to make children independent it is also important that they learn to keep themselves engaged on their own. I believe parents should find middle ground to optimise their children's spare time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of social skills versus the development of independence. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding parents' busy schedules is a practical point, but it could have been expanded further to fully explore the long-term benefits of self-reliance. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully elaborated with more depth and specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, there are some minor issues with cohesion; for example, the sentence 'However to make children independent...' in the conclusion is grammatically fragmented and disrupts the flow. Additionally, some transitions between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother to improve the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use some less common vocabulary, such as 'fundamental skills' and 'optimize'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'keep balance approach' (should be 'keep a balanced approach') and 'off-springs' (which is usually used in a biological context rather than referring to children in a general sense). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would enhance the quality of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' missing before 'notion', 'a' missing before 'middle ground') and prepositions. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'if child know how to enjoy solo activities can be a big relief'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and pluralization. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.

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