Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-15

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 is an ongoing debate regarding parents that encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time while others say that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I support that children should engage themselves in tasks based on their own free will.

On the one hand, proponents who believe that children must be provided with structured group tasks basically want their young ones to learn team work. These combine activities also provide an easy way to involve them without the hassle to plan different tasks alone. Due to digitalization, children are more prone to screen time nowadays and leaving them on their own usually attracts usage of digital devices. Group activities like icebreakers or outdoor excursions also encourage to learn leadership, develop patience and instill problem solving skills which is a balanced approach to build social communication.

On the other hand, if children are provided with structured tasks which are designed by elders to engage children will make them lazy. Children must be inspired to have their own pastimes which help them evolve emotionally and mentally. Although playing in a group helps you learn team work, working alone helps children to challenge their cognitive skills. It is a focused learning type which builds strong concentration, problem-solving skills and self-reliance.

To conclude, although there are valid arguments on both sides, I believe that independent activities which are developed by individuals for themselves are more healthy to encorage a healthy brain which shapes their cognitive architecture.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of teamwork versus the development of self-reliance. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about children becoming 'lazy' if provided with structured tasks is a strong claim that could have been supported with a more concrete example or deeper explanation. The essay covers all requirements of the prompt, but the depth of analysis is more consistent with a Band 6.5 or 7.0 level, as some arguments remain slightly superficial.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two 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 'To conclude' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the phrase 'These combine activities' in the second paragraph, which is unclear. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated language like 'cognitive architecture' and 'digitalization'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'These combine activities' is non-standard, and 'encorage a healthy brain' contains a spelling error. The phrase 'tasks based on their own free will' is slightly awkward. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'parents that encourage' (should be 'parents who encourage'), 'without the hassle to plan' (should be 'without the hassle of planning'), and 'encourage to learn leadership' (missing an object, e.g., 'encourage children to learn'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The control of punctuation is generally good, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate greater flexibility.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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