Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-28
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 6.0)
In recent years, the question of whether to choose friends who always have the same opinions as you or make friends who sometimes disagree with your wrong thoughts has sparked an intense debate. I firmly believe that we have to make friends who stop us from doing anything bad because it helps us to be on the right path and allows us to behave as responsible citizens in the society.
On the one hand, having similar thoughts allows people to understand each other better. It is quite hard to find a loyal person these days with whom we can share our personal feelings. For instance, an individual working in a stressful environment where the co-workers are jealous of others' success or try to create issues could negatively impact their mental and physical health. Having a person with the same mindset as you will easily understand your condition and try to rectify the situation.
On the other hand, it is necessary to have a person in our life who disagrees with our wrongdoings. In many cases, the interference of somebody leads to the safety of others. A clear example of this is that one day two friends were travelling to Toronto. The person driving the car tried to perform stunt driving near a sharp U-turn; luckily, the other guy stopped him from doing that immediately because he noticed some kids were attempting to cross the road. This approach and instant disagreement halted the major incident.
Based on the aforementioned discussion, it is understandable that friends are the imperitive part of our life; however, there is a huge difference between true friend and wrong one
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on whether to have friends with similar opinions or those who disagree, and clearly states a personal position in the introduction. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the stressful work environment and the anecdote about driving to Toronto. However, some arguments lack full extension. For instance, the discussion on friends stopping bad behaviour touches upon a specific narrative rather than a broader sociological or psychological analysis, which places the response securely in the Band 6 or 7 range. The position is clear throughout, and the main ideas are appropriately selected to support the central thesis, fulfilling the criteria for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay has a clear overall structure, utilizing a traditional four-paragraph format with an introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a brief conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' are employed to signpost the progression of ideas. However, paragraphing and cohesion show some weaknesses near the end; the concluding paragraph is incomplete and trails off abruptly ('there is a huge difference between true friend and wrong one'), which affects the overall cohesion and logical flow. Referencing is generally clear, but mechanical transitions prevent the essay from reaching higher bands. The logical arrangement is coherent overall, making Band 6.0 an appropriate score.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating phrases like 'intense debate', 'responsible citizens', and 'stressful environment'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally marred by minor collocation or word choice inaccuracies, such as 'wrong thoughts' instead of 'differing opinions', and 'imperitive' (which is also misspelled). Other minor errors include missing pluralisations or articles, such as 'in society' instead of 'in the society'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures reasonably well (e.g., 'an individual working in a stressful environment where...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as 'we have to make friends who stop us' and 'halted the major incident' instead of 'prevented a major incident'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, though the essay ends abruptly without a proper full stop in the final sentence. While errors are present, they rarely impede communication, allowing the response to comfortably secure a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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