Back to Writing Hub

User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 2 Band 4.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

336 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Explain how engaging content, autoplay and mobile games can make children lose track of time.
  • Discuss how family device habits and the convenience of phones may normalise frequent use.
  • Weigh potential benefits such as learning and communication against effects on sleep, physical activity and concentration.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the issue and give a clear view on whether the trend is positive or negative.
  2. Use the first body paragraph to explain key causes, supported by specific examples.
  3. Use the second body paragraph to evaluate consequences and acknowledge any genuine benefits.
  4. Conclude by restating the judgement and giving a practical response, such as setting reasonable limits.
Useful vocabulary & examples
immediate entertainment
Enjoyment that is available quickly and with little effort.

Games and short videos provide immediate entertainment for children.

stay connected with friends
Maintain communication and contact with other people.

Messaging apps help children stay connected with friends outside school.

face-to-face interaction
Communication between people who are physically together.

Heavy phone use may leave less time for face-to-face interaction.

set clear screen-time boundaries
Establish understandable limits on how long devices can be used.

Parents can set clear screen-time boundaries, especially before bedtime.

Task Prompt

Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. Why is this the case? Is it a positive or negative trend?

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 4.0

Smartphones have become an internal part of human beings. Especially there are some young ones who spend hours together on technology on a daily basis. In this competitive world, in regard to the educational system, children are forced to learn lessons and submit assessments on the school’s own applications. As per the current growth, it is easy for school use to become mixed with entertainment. I think long periods on smartphones are mainly negative if they replace other activities.

Phones have many things which children enjoy. They can watch videos, play games and talk to friends on one device. There is always another video or message to look at, so it is easy to spend a long time using it. Some parents are busy and give children a phone to keep them occupied. Children also see adults using phones and may copy this habit.

There are some good uses of smartphones. A child can call family members and search for information for school. Some lessons and exercises can be done on a phone, which makes it useful for learning. But these uses do not mean that children should spend most of the day on the screen. They need time to sleep, exercise and speak with people around them too.

I think this is mainly a negative trend when children use their phones for too many hours. They may stay up late watching videos and feel tired at school the next day. They can also miss time playing outside or talking with their family. Parents should help them choose suitable activities and set times when phones are put away. Adults should follow these rules as well, because children notice what they do.

In conclusion, children use smartphones for long periods because entertainment is easy to reach and because phones are common at home and school. Smartphones can help with some tasks, but spending too much time on them can replace other important parts of childhood. A balanced routine is better than using the device without any limits.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Check that the introduction and conclusion give the same clear response to every part of the question.
2
Explain the mechanism behind each main claim using one relevant example, without inventing statistics.
3
Revise the exact introductory phrases listed above and check that synonyms preserve the task’s meaning.

Related examples for this topic

Compare different bands on the same IELTS prompt.

Browse all