Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-30

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 6.5)

In recent years, leisure time plays a fundamental roles in shaping children. It has been reckoned by that parents should encourange their children to participant in organised group activities during their free time, while others argue that youth should learn how to entertain themselves independently. This essay wil elucidate both views and explain why I believe a balance between the two is the most beneficial approch.

To commence with, taking part in organised group activities can provides children with several benefits. Firstly, activites such as team sports, music groups and community clubs help youngsters develop essential interpersonal skills. To expand, by working with others, children learn how to communicate effectively, cooperate with their peers and resolve disagreements. Moreover, participating in group activities can improve children's physical and mental well-being. To cite an illustrat, playing football or basketball not only keeps children physically active but also teaches them discipline and responsibility. These experience can be particularly valuable as they preapre children for social and professional situations later in life. Hence, abovementioned reasons, youngster should part in group activities.

In the flip side, learning occupy oneself independently is equally important. Children who spend some of their free time alone can become more self-reliant and creative. When there is no organised activity to follow, they have to decide how to use their time, which can improve their decision-making and problem-solving abilities. For instance, a child who choose to read a book, draw, build something or learn a musical instrument independently may develop a strong sense of curiosity and imagination. Thus, children the more time spend alone, the create more independently.

To recapitulate, organised group activities can teach children cooperation, discipline and communication, whereas independent activities can foster creativity, confidence and self-reliance. I believe that providing children with opportunities for both is the best way to support their overall development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the discussion on interpersonal skills for group activities and self-reliance for independent play. However, some arguments could be further extended with more specific examples to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points. The response is well-structured and fulfills the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Moreover', and 'To recapitulate' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are minor issues with referencing and phrasing, such as 'Hence, abovementioned reasons', which is slightly awkward. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the argument, contributing to the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The range of vocabulary is sufficient for the task, allowing for some flexibility and precision. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'interpersonal skills', 'self-reliant', and 'cooperation'. However, there are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'encourange' (encourage), 'participant' (participate), 'approch' (approach), and 'illustrat' (illustration). These errors do not impede communication but indicate a need for more careful proofreading. The use of less common items is present but occasionally inaccurate, which prevents the score from reaching the 8.0 band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'leisure time plays a fundamental roles' (role), 'can provides' (provide), and 'the more time spend alone, the create more independently' (the more independently they create). These errors are noticeable but rarely impede the reader's understanding. Punctuation is generally handled well, but the frequency of grammatical slips suggests that the student needs to focus on subject-verb agreement and sentence construction to improve accuracy.

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