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Writing Academic Task 2 Band 9.0 Example

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

313 words AcademicTask 2

Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

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Ideas to explore

Physical education can support students’ health and give them a way to manage the stress of academic demands.
Cookery teaches practical independence and helps students make informed choices about food.
Limited school time supports careful curriculum planning, but does not necessarily justify removing non-academic subjects altogether.

Suggested structure

Introduce the pressure to succeed academically and state clearly whether you agree with removing non-academic subjects.
Explain one benefit of physical education and connect it to students’ wellbeing or development.
Explain one practical benefit of cookery and why it matters beyond the classroom.
Acknowledge limited teaching time and propose balancing subjects instead of eliminating them.
Restate your position and briefly summarise why a broad curriculum is valuable.

Useful vocabulary & examples

a balanced curriculum: A programme of study that includes different kinds of subjects rather than focusing on only one area.
A balanced curriculum can give students time to develop academic knowledge and practical skills.
manage academic stress: Deal with pressure arising from schoolwork or academic expectations.
Physical activity may help young people manage academic stress.
practical skills: Useful abilities that can be applied to everyday tasks and responsibilities.
Cookery lessons help pupils develop practical skills they can use at home.
allocate teaching time: Decide how available classroom time is divided among subjects or activities.
Schools can allocate teaching time carefully without removing non-academic subjects.

Task Prompt

There is a lot of pressure on young people today to succeed academically. As a result, some people believe that non-academic subjects, such as physical education and cookery, should be removed from the school syllabus so that children can concentrate on academic work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

In today’s world, young people face increasing pressure to excel academically. Many argue that non-academic subjects, such as physical education and cooking, should be removed from the school curriculum to allow children to concentrate solely on academic subjects. However, I disagree with this notion. These courses can provide significant benefits for some students and serve as an important part of a balanced education. Physical education encourages regular exercise and teaches pupils how to cooperate, follow rules and manage both winning and losing. These skills support mental health as well as social development, and they may even improve concentration in lessons. Cooking is equally practical: students can learn to prepare simple, nutritious meals, understand ingredients and become more independent at home. Such knowledge is useful regardless of whether a child later pursues higher education.

Removing these subjects would also disadvantage students whose strengths do not lie in traditional academic disciplines. Schools should help young people discover different abilities rather than define success only through examination results. For example, a pupil who struggles with written tests may gain confidence through sport or by mastering a useful cooking skill. This does not mean academic learning is unimportant; rather, a broader curriculum can motivate pupils and make school more inclusive.

Admittedly, school time is limited, and students need sufficient time for core subjects such as mathematics, science and languages. However, this is a reason to organise the timetable carefully, not to eliminate practical lessons altogether. Schools could teach these subjects in well-planned weekly sessions and connect them to academic learning—for instance, using nutrition to introduce basic science. This approach preserves time for examination preparation while ensuring that children develop everyday and interpersonal skills.

In conclusion, I disagree with removing physical education and cooking from the syllabus. Academic achievement matters, but it should not come at the expense of health, independence and a broad range of abilities.

Targeted Improvement Tips

Expand one practical example with a clear cause-and-effect chain—for instance, explain how learning to prepare nutritious meals could support independence and understanding of nutrition.

When presenting the timetable counterargument, name one specific way schools could protect core-subject time, then explain why that solution is realistic.

Review repeated general nouns such as “subjects” and “students”; replace them selectively with precise terms such as “lessons,” “pupils” or “practical classes” where the reference remains clear.

AI Feedback

Overall Band

9.0

Excellent

Words

313

Type

Task 2

Criteria Breakdown

Task Response

8.5 Band

The position is explicit in “However, I disagree with this notion,” and the response sustains it by explaining health, practical independence and inclusion. It also acknowledges limited timetable space and proposes a way to balance priorities, so the argument addresses the opposing concern rather than ignoring it. To make the case even more compelling, develop one example in greater depth, such as how a cooking lesson could connect practical skills with science.

Coherence & Cohesion

8.5 Band

The essay moves in a clear sequence: benefits, effects on students with different strengths, a concession about time, and a concluding position. Transitions such as “Admittedly” and “However” make the shift to the counterargument easy to follow. The paragraph on inclusion could link its example more directly to the earlier discussion of practical learning; a short sentence explaining that connection would make the progression even tighter.

Lexical Resource

8.5 Band

The response uses precise, relevant wording, including “balanced education,” “traditional academic disciplines” and “well-planned weekly sessions.” The vocabulary covers both practical and educational benefits without becoming overly technical, and phrases such as “manage both winning and losing” give the argument a concrete dimension. For further refinement, vary the repeated references to “subjects” and “students” with contextually clear alternatives such as “lessons” and “pupils.”

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

8.5 Band

There is good control of sentence variety, including the colon-led explanation in “Cooking is equally practical: students can learn…” and the contrast in “This does not mean academic learning is unimportant; rather…”. Longer sentences remain readable, and the conditional “A pupil who struggles… may gain confidence” is handled accurately. As an optional refinement, check that long sentences do not carry too many linked ideas; the final sentence of the timetable paragraph could be split for extra emphasis.

Topic Band Distribution

Band 9.03 examples

Band 8.03 examples

Band 7.03 examples

Band 6.03 examples

Band 5.03 examples

Band 4.03 examples

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Writing Academic Task 2 Band 9.0 Example

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