Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-27
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)
People hold different views regarding whether to have friends who always have same opinion as them or to choose friends who sometimes disagree with them. Although friends with same opinion has some merit, I believe that friends who disagree with something are essential for personal development.
To begin with, having friends with same opinion creates less conflict. This is because there is fewer arguments and misunderstandings between two of them as both are on same page. Additionally, there will be more comfort as you can enjoy similar activities and interest. For example, two friends involve in presentation making would agree with each other ideas rather than contradicting them and will enjoy preparing slides.
On the other hand, friends who sometimes disagree assist in generating new perspective and can help in building personal growth. The main reason for this is if the ideas are different than we can learn to see things differently. Moreover, in this type of friendship, a friend can point out our mistake and can assist to correct those mistakes. Also, friends who disagree with something can give better advice and challenge your ideas which improves better dicission making. For instance, if one friend is trying to solve a mathematical problem which has lenghty steps can be corrected by other friend having different method to solve it easily.
To conclude, I would strongly recommend to have different opinion friends, because good friends should give honest advise, not simply agree with everything you say. An honest friend can save you from making wrong decisions.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| 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 prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the argument regarding 'personal growth' and 'better decision making' is supported by a practical example of solving a mathematical problem. However, the development of the first viewpoint is slightly less sophisticated, relying on general statements about 'less conflict.' To reach a higher band, ensure that the supporting examples are consistently detailed and that the analysis of both sides is balanced in depth. Overall, the position is clear and maintained throughout the essay.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Additionally,' 'On the other hand,' and 'To conclude' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct viewpoints. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Referencing is generally clear, though some minor improvements in the use of pronouns would enhance the overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'personal development,' 'contradicting,' and 'decision making.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'presentation making' instead of 'preparing a presentation' and 'lenghty steps' which is a spelling error. The range is sufficient for the task, but to achieve a higher score, the student should aim to incorporate more precise, less common lexical items and ensure collocations are natural.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' is often missing, e.g., 'on same page') and pluralization ('different opinion friends'). There are also minor issues with subject-verb agreement and word order, such as 'if the ideas are different than we can learn.' These errors do not impede communication, but they are persistent. To improve, the student should focus on article usage and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy to ensure a higher frequency of error-free sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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