Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-16

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)

In today's evolving world, friendship is one of the main aspects of everyone lives. Some people believe that it is better to choose friends who always with same opinions as the, while others think that having friends who sometimes disagree is more beneficial for relationship. In this essay, I shall discuss both perspective before giving my view.

Out of all the arguments, one of the prominent benefits is that similar views create better understanding between friends. That is to say, when people have similar beliefs, values or interests, they can communicate more easily and are less likely to have serious conflicts. As a consequence, they can build friendship even more stronger and long-lasting. Moreover, they can support each other when making crucial decisions because they have often mutual understandings. For instance, if two friends have the same attitude towards education and career, they can encourage each other to achieve their goals. Besides that, it can create trust and emotional support, which are essential for maintaining strong friendship.

On the other hand, some people believe that friends who disagree with each other can helpful in different situations. One of the significant advantage is that disagreement can help individuals understand new ideas and correct their mistakes. Furthermore, discussing different opinions can improve critical thinking and help each other in challenging situations. For example, if a person makes a poor decision while choosing career, a friend can help him/her with right choices and also guide with different opinions.

In conclusion, while friendships with different opinions can broaden people's perspectives, I strongly believe that similar views are more necessary because they promote trust, understanding and a peaceful relationship.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of 'better understanding' for similar-opinion friendships and 'critical thinking' for those with differing views. However, some points could be further extended to reach a higher band. For instance, the explanation of how disagreement helps in 'challenging situations' is a bit brief. To improve, ensure that your supporting examples are fully developed to demonstrate a deeper exploration of the topic. Your position is consistent throughout the essay, which is a strength.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Besides that', and 'On the other hand' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two perspectives. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, 'the' is missing in 'always with same opinions as the' in the introduction, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents to enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prominent benefits', 'crucial decisions', and 'broaden people's perspectives'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'build friendship even more stronger' (should be 'stronger') and 'can helpful' (should be 'can be helpful'). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the score. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and ensure that your word forms are grammatically correct in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'While friendships with different opinions can broaden people's perspectives, I strongly believe...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing verbs ('always with same opinions'), incorrect comparative structures ('even more stronger'), and article usage errors. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of comparative adjectives. Proofreading for small omissions like 'be' or 'the' will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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