Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries not enough students are choosing to study science at university. What are the causes of this? What effects does it have on society?

Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In many countries not enough students are choosing to study science at university. What are the causes of this? What effects does it have on society? I think this is very bad problem.First, why students don't like science. Because science is very difficult subject. Many students study science at school but they don't understand. Teacher is not good too. Also, science jobs is very hard. You must work in laboratory all day and not get much money. So, people like study business or computers because easy and more money. My friend study business and he happy.Second, the effect on society is bad. If no science students, we don't have doctors. If people sick, no doctor to help. Also, no new technology. We need science for make new phones and cars. If no science, country cannot grow and people are poor. So, government must do something for help science.In conclusion, not many students study science because it is hard. This have bad effect for society and technology in future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt (causes and effects), but the development is significantly limited by the word count. At 168 words, the essay fails to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. The ideas provided—such as science being 'difficult' or the lack of doctors—are relevant but remain superficial and lack the necessary depth or supporting examples required for a higher band. The position is clear, but the lack of elaboration on the causes and the societal impacts prevents a more comprehensive discussion. To improve, you must expand your arguments with specific examples and detailed explanations to reach the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into basic paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and often mechanical (e.g., 'First', 'Also', 'Second'). There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between sentences. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the response. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of transition signals and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting details that flow logically from one to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which limits your ability to express complex ideas. For example, you frequently use 'science' and 'bad' without exploring more precise terminology. Phrases like 'science jobs is very hard' and 'people are poor' demonstrate a limited range that is just adequate for the task. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or awareness of collocation. To improve, try to incorporate topic-specific vocabulary related to education and economics, and avoid overusing simple adjectives like 'good' or 'bad'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('science jobs is', 'This have bad effect') and article usage ('for make new phones'). While the meaning is generally understandable, these persistent errors and the lack of complex sentence structures (such as relative clauses or conditional sentences) restrict the score. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and practice combining simple sentences into more complex ones using conjunctions and relative pronouns.

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