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)
Some people believe that parents should encourage their children to participate in organised group activities during the free time, while others argue that children should learn independently. Although both approaches important advantages, I believe that a balance between the two is the most beneficial for a child's overall development.
On one hand, organised groups activities such as team sports, drama can provide children a valuable social and practical skills. These experience team them lot of skills like team work, communication , leadership and responsibility. Furthermore, participating in a structured activities promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent children's from wasting their free times on watching movies, playing games etc. For example, a child who plays regular football is more healthy and active but also learns how to deal with success as part of group.
On the other hand, children who learn independently become self reliance and foster creativity. Reading a book, building something like drawing an art or exploring something that help him to become self-reliant. If parents keep on pushing children's to take part in group activities , they may unintentionally make them dependent on someone and making them less capable of managing boredom or making their own decisions. In my opinion, parents should encourage children to participate in both the activities such as in sports games or drama plays, as well as tell them to use free time in reading or pursuing a hobby. This combination will allow children to develop both strong interpersonal skills and a sense of independence.
In Conclusion, orgainsed group activities can teach children team work, discipline, and communication, whereas independent activities foster creativity and self-reliance.Therefore, parents should provide opportunities for both rather than prioritising one at the expense of the other.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the benefits of team sports for social skills and independent activities for creativity. However, some arguments are slightly under-developed; for instance, the explanation of how independent activities foster self-reliance could be expanded with more specific examples. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesises the two viewpoints. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with more depth and nuance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the slightly awkward phrasing in 'both approaches important advantages' (missing 'have') and 'both the activities'. While the progression is generally clear, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'interpersonal skills', 'self-reliance', and 'structured activities'. However, there are several word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'these experience team them lot of skills' (should be 'these experiences teach them many skills') and 'playing games etc.' (avoid 'etc.' in formal writing). Some spelling errors, such as 'orgainsed', also occur. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding informal abbreviations or repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('approaches important advantages'), pluralisation ('children's' instead of 'children'), and article usage. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'a child who plays regular football is more healthy and active but also learns how to deal with success as part of group'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the accuracy of basic grammatical structures should be a priority.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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