Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-30

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 5.5)

In one school of thought opines that children should engage themselves in team activities whenever they have extra time according to their parents. Others believe that children should be in busy themselves on their own. This essay will discuss about both views in upcoming parafraphs.

To begin with, kids should involve themselves in group activities. It helps not only improve their mental and physical health, but also hollistic growth. It helps the teenagers to learn team work. How to work in group or cooperate with their team members? For example, In last year survey shows children who were working in group were more cooperative than those who were busy themselves on their own.

However, It is essential to involve themselves on their own because they have more time and energy to think themselves without wasting a time. They are a good decision maker. They can take a decision without any influence. Secondly, they know more their liking and disliking as compare to those who are always in group. For instance, teacher observed kids who are busy themselves are more quicker respond to solution than those who are always in group.

According tho me, be a part of group activities in their free time is very important. It helps sharpen your skills and improve their team spirit. It helps their overall growth and their interpersonal skills.

Conclusion, although parents motivate their kids to be a part of team activities for their self growth, but being busy in themselves is also helps them to develop their decision making skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a preference for organised group activities in “According tho me,” so the response is relevant to the question. The benefits of group participation—cooperation, health and interpersonal skills—are identified, while independent time is linked to decision-making and recognising personal preferences. However, these points are mostly asserted rather than explained, and the examples (“last year survey” and a teacher’s observation) are vague and unsupported. Your position also becomes less consistent: you favour group activities in the opinion paragraph, but the conclusion gives both views similar weight without clearly reaffirming your choice. Develop each main reason with a clearer explanation or specific example, and make your final position consistent throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, an opinion paragraph and a conclusion. This makes the overall arrangement coherent, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “However” and “Secondly” help readers follow the discussion. Some connections are nevertheless mechanical or unclear. The opening says the essay will discuss the views in “upcoming parafraphs,” while the conclusion begins with the incomplete-sounding “Conclusion,” and the final sentence does not clearly connect back to your stated preference. The question-like fragment “How to work in group or cooperate with their team members?” also interrupts the flow. Use complete sentences and clearer links between each reason, its explanation and its example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “team work,” “cooperate,” “decision making skills” and “interpersonal skills,” and you attempt more formal expressions such as “holistic growth.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning awkward: “be in busy themselves,” “think themselves,” and “more quicker respond to solution.” There are also spelling and form errors, including “parafraphs,” “hollistic” and “tho.” Repetition of “helps” and “busy themselves” further limits flexibility. Aim for natural phrases such as “keep themselves occupied,” “think independently” and “respond to problems more quickly,” and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including “It helps not only improve … but also …” and “although … but …,” but control is inconsistent. Several sentences contain faulty structures that make the reader pause, such as “children should be in busy themselves on their own” and “being busy in themselves is also helps them.” Other problems include missing or incorrect articles and prepositions (“in group,” “wasting a time”), agreement or form errors (“They are a good decision maker”), and the fragment “How to work in group or cooperate with their team members?” The conclusion also combines “although” and “but” unnecessarily. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries.

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

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