Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-20
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)
Group activities helps the children to enhance their knowledge and other skills. Some people believe that children should be encouraged by parents but some think that children should occupy themselves at their own. In this I would not only discuss the both views but also will provide appropriate reasons before drawing a logical conclusion.
On the one hand, some people think that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time.Parents are the very first teacher of their children and they are unaware regarding these activities so parents should encourage their children to take part in these group activities. Parents should tell their children about the importance of taking part in these organised group activities that how it helps in enhancing their knowledge. Organised group activities can help children to perform well in their academics.
On the other hand, some people think that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own. By taking decisions in group activities with their own help children to make correct decisions in their life. With their own decision children get to know about how to interact with other people in society and help them to learn how to work in team and help each other. It will also help children to learn new things apart from parent's teachings and develop their leadership skills, which will help them in future to become a good leader.
In conclusion, although children should be encouraged by their parents to take part in organised group activities yet taking decisions in group activities with their own decision can help children to enhance their leadership skills
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 addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the argument regarding group activities is vague, stating they help 'enhance knowledge' without explaining how or why. Similarly, the section on independent play is slightly confused, as the text conflates 'occupying themselves on their own' with 'taking decisions in group activities'. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments lack depth and specific examples, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', but these are somewhat mechanical. There are issues with referencing and logical flow; for instance, the second paragraph mentions that parents are 'unaware regarding these activities', which is a confusing and unsupported claim. Additionally, the conclusion does not fully synthesize the two views but rather repeats a point about leadership. The progression of ideas is present but could be more fluid and logically connected.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is some repetition of phrases like 'encourage their children' and 'take part in organised group activities'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural or imprecise, such as 'occupy themselves at their own' (should be 'on their own') and 'parents are the very first teacher' (should be 'teachers'). While the meaning is always clear, the lack of varied, sophisticated, or idiomatic language limits the score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'Group activities helps' (subject-verb agreement error), 'at their own' (preposition error), and 'that how it helps' (redundant 'that'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor errors, such as missing spaces after periods (e.g., 'free time.Parents'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and more accurate use of prepositions and conjunctions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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