Fatherhood is as important as motherhood
This is a model answer written to show what a Band 7 response looks like against the marking criteria. It is a worked example, not a graded submission. To see your own band, paste your writing into the free checker.
The prompt
Some people say that a father's role in raising children is just as important as a mother's. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Band 7 model answer (259 words)
It is sometimes assumed that mothers naturally matter more in a child's upbringing, with fathers playing a supporting part. I completely agree that fatherhood is equally important, because children benefit from the distinct contribution each parent makes and from seeing both share responsibility.
The clearest reason is that fathers shape children in ways that complement what mothers provide. Research aside, everyday experience shows that children turn to different parents for different needs: one may offer comfort while the other encourages risk, or one manages routines while the other opens up new interests. A father who reads with his daughter, coaches her football team or simply listens after a bad day is not assisting the "real" parent; he is doing the parenting itself.
A second argument concerns the example parents set. Children absorb their ideas about family life from watching their own home. When a boy sees his father cooking dinner and attending school meetings, he learns that caring is not a woman's job, and a girl raised the same way expects an equal partner rather than hoping for one. Households where the mother carries everything quietly teach the opposite lesson.
Admittedly, mothers are irreplaceable in the earliest months, particularly where breastfeeding is involved. Yet this biological head start lasts a short time compared with the two decades of guidance, discipline and encouragement that follow, in which either parent can lead.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that fathers matter as much as mothers, both for what they directly give their children and for the model of shared responsibility they provide.
Why this reaches Band 7
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Task Response
The position ("I completely agree") is stated immediately and never wavers, and each body paragraph develops one reason fully, with the counterpoint about early infancy addressed rather than ignored.
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Coherence and Cohesion
Clear progression from the direct contribution argument to the role-model argument to the concession, with links like "A second argument concerns" doing quiet, natural work.
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Lexical Resource
Precise and sometimes less common phrasing such as "biological head start", "absorb their ideas" and "shared responsibility", used without strain.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide mix of structures, including the semicolon contrast "he is not assisting... he is doing the parenting itself", handled with very few errors.
The one fix to reach Band 7
The typical Band 6 essay on this topic asserts that "both parents are important" without explaining what each actually contributes. To lift it to Band 7, replace general praise with concrete parenting actions, as this answer does with reading, coaching and attending school meetings.
Now check your own answer.
Paste your own attempt at this prompt and Examinerly names the single criterion keeping you below your target band, and shows the sentence-level fix. We never inflate your band.
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