Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-06
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people think it's better to choose friends who always have the same opinions as them. Other people believe it's good to have friends who sometimes disagree with them.
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)
Having a nice friend is believed as a blessing. Therefore, choosing a friend is a crucial part of the life. Some people believe that having a friend with same opinion as us is a better option. However, others believe that choosing a friend who disagree with them results in a better friendship. This is because, it gives clarity about one's thoughts. I personally believe that our friend should sometimes disagree with us to help choosing a right path.
To begin with, some people believe that it's better when a friend has the same opinion as them. This is because it shows the similarity among friends. Also it helps to maintain a longer friendship by not involving in opinion's difference. Moreover, when one friend buys something, it automatically gets attention by other friend as well. Similarly, having same likes or dislikes maintains a healthy friendship bond and does not let disputes arise among them. Which eventually results in a delightful bonding. Also, it boosts friends to focus and achieve their goals together.
On the other hand, others argue that, friends should also disagree with them sometimes. The reason behind is the clarity of thoughts. This behavior shows the mirror to the friend so that he would understand what is good or bad for him. For instance, sometimes it has been seen that some one friend gets involved in irregular habits such as smoking, which is not good for health. Therefore, it is the moral responsibility of other friends to not agree with his friend so that he would not continue to smoke. Therefore, due to the trust, it would not allow their friend to continue any bad habit such as smoking or drinking.
In conclusion, I completely agree to the statement that friends should also express disagreement so that it could help a friend to understand what is not good for him.
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 task, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, particularly the example regarding smoking to illustrate the benefits of disagreement. However, the development of the first viewpoint—that having similar opinions is beneficial—is somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on 'likes and dislikes' and 'disputes.' To reach a higher band, the arguments could be more nuanced, perhaps exploring how shared values contribute to long-term stability rather than just avoiding conflict. Overall, the position is consistent and the response is well-structured to meet the requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there is occasional awkwardness in sentence-level cohesion, such as the phrase 'Which eventually results in a delightful bonding,' which is a sentence fragment. Despite these minor issues, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'crucial part' and 'moral responsibility.' However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'having a nice friend is believed as a blessing' (should be 'considered a blessing') and 'maintaining a longer friendship by not involving in opinion's difference' (should be 'avoiding differences of opinion'). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the range and precision of the vocabulary used.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the life,' 'the right path'), preposition usage, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'a friend who disagree'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'it automatically gets attention by other friend as well.' Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors that affect the flow. The grammar is sufficient to convey meaning, but the frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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