Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-20

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)

A few individuals are of the opinion that its a good option to have friends whose opinions are same as of yours; however, others believe that its better to have friends who contradicts with your opinion. Both the views along with my opinion are discussed in the forthcoming paragraphs with suitable examles.

On the one hand, having friends who always agree on an individuals opinion, helps to gain confidence. This is because if all the friends supports a person view than it wil not only help him to build self confidence but also it will motivate him to present his view in front of other people. To cite an example, according to a reasearch published in the Canadian Times states that only 15% of students were good public speakers as they were always supported by their subordinates.

On the other hand, friends who disagree with a person's opinion, helps an individual to undergo self-exploration. This means that if a few friends does not agree with a person's view point, it will help him to rectify the flaws in his opinion as well as he can find the solution for the same. To exemplify, an article in TOI- The Times of India states that 95% of the toppers in class were always challenged by their classmates.

In my opinion, I firmly agree with the latter view because it helps an individual to gain mental strength. By this I mean that although a few friends disagree with an individuals opinion, if a person knows that his opinion is correct, he can present in front of the world. For example, in the year 1978, despite all the friends of Walt Disney laughed on him, he launched his own cartoon and ran it successfully for 2 decades.

All in all, it can be finally commented that although friends who agree on a person's opinion helps him to build self confidence, my reasons that subordinates who sometimes disagree with an individuals opinion can make a person mentally strong and can help him to gain mentally toughness are plausible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for friends who sometimes disagree, so the response covers the main parts of the task. The explanations are relevant: agreement is linked to confidence, while disagreement is linked to self-exploration and stronger reasoning. The examples about students and Walt Disney also attempt to support these points. However, some claims are not fully explained—for instance, the connection between being supported by friends and becoming a good public speaker is unclear, and the Disney example does not clearly show how disagreement made him mentally stronger. To move further, explain the cause-and-effect links and develop each example so it directly demonstrates the point being made; your position is clear, but the support is not consistently convincing or precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, your opinion, and a concluding summary. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In my opinion” make the structure easy to follow, and each paragraph has a recognisable central focus. This logical organisation is a strength. Some linking and reference choices, however, feel mechanical or unclear. For example, “By this I mean” repeats the preceding idea without adding much, while “the same” in the second body paragraph has an imprecise reference. The conclusion also repeats several points rather than synthesising them. Use transitions more selectively and make references explicit, while ensuring each paragraph develops its main idea in a clear sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “self-exploration,” “rectify the flaws,” “view point,” and “mentally strong.” These choices show an effort to express abstract ideas rather than relying only on basic words. However, inaccurate spelling, word forms, and collocations are noticeable and sometimes make the writing less natural: “examles,” “reasearch,” “supports a person view,” and “gain mentally toughness” are examples. Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise, such as “contradicts with your opinion” and “subordinates” for friends or classmates. Build accuracy by learning common word partnerships and checking spelling and word forms. Prefer natural expressions such as “disagree with someone’s views” and “develop resilience” over literal or mismatched combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if a few friends does not agree…” and a concession beginning “although.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors in agreement, articles, possessives, and sentence construction recur. For example, “friends … helps” should take a plural verb, “all the friends supports” has the same agreement problem, and “a person's opinion” is needed where the possessive is missing in “an individuals opinion.” The sentence beginning “according to a reasearch … states” also combines two incompatible reporting structures. Review subject–verb agreement and possessive forms, and check that each sentence has a clear grammatical structure. More accurate control of these patterns would make your complex sentences easier to follow.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.