Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-03

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 7.0)

The question of whether people should choose friends who share the same opinions is widely debated. Some people believe that accompanying people with different thoughts is inevitable for growth, while other argue that friendship cannot flourish if the people are not like-minded. In my opinion, people should choose friends with diverse opinions for personal and professional growth.

Proponents of the view that people should be friends with someone with opposite views contend that individuals who differ from one's opinion brings the different perspective to the table. Their varied approach can sometimes produce fruitful results. This can help in breaking a montonous approach, and opens new thinking horizons. Getting such diverse advices from friends can significantly help people grow in both personal and professional lives. A loyal friend with critical way of looking at things can identify the drawbacks of your decisions, and can advice a better alternative. For example, while choosing a career path, a person who disagree with your career choice can bring up its potential shortcomings, which you might not have considered with your approach.

The other group advocate that people should be friends with individuals with similar mindset. They argue that the key to long-lasting friendship is sharing a common thought process. It is extremely difficult to get along with people with opposite opinions. For instance, people who support rival team in sports or opposite political views cannot make best friends. They need to have common traits, particularly in mindset, to create a strong bond. It has been observed that the like-minded people have started multiple businesses and ran them successfully, as they shared the common ideology.

In conclusion, although people who share the similar mindset can make up a good friendship, the impact of diverse views on one's life cannot be overlooked. Therefore, I strongly believe that if people were to focus on their personal and professional growth, they would need to face regular realilty-checks frequently, which a friend with opposite point of view can provide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on friendship and clearly stating a position from the introduction through to the conclusion. Main ideas are extended and supported, such as when discussing how a critical friend can point out shortcomings in career choices. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise in parts of the body paragraphs, which is characteristic of this level. To reach higher bands, the arguments could be supported with even more depth and nuanced examples rather than broad assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction to the opposing views and finally the writer's stance. Cohesive devices are used flexibly, such as 'Proponents of the view', 'The other group advocate', and 'In conclusion', though referencing and transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to achieve a truly seamless flow. Paragraphing is managed sufficiently and appropriately to separate the different strands of argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task and attempts some less common items such as 'like-minded', 'montonous' (spelling error: monotonous), and 'ideology'. There are occasional errors in word choice and word form, for example, writing 'accompanying people' instead of 'associating with people', 'brings the different perspective' missing an article or plural form, and 'advice a better alternative' where the verb 'advise' is needed instead of the noun 'advice'. These minor slips do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with frequent error-free sentences showing good control over grammar. Complex structures are attempted with varying degrees of success, such as conditional and relative clauses. However, a few persistent errors remain, including subject-verb agreement issues ('individuals who differ from one's opinion brings'), article omissions ('a person who disagree'), and minor prepositional or pluralisation mistakes. Punctuation is generally controlled, ensuring that communication is rarely impeded.

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