Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-07-27

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 6.5)

Many students in the modern age choose to study languages, the arts, history and other subjects instead of science. In my opinion, causes of this include but are not limited to, lack of motivation and encouragement from parents and peers to choose science, looking for the easy way out, and choosing subjects that don't require much effort or participation on their part to understand and apply it accurately.

The fact of the matter is that majority of the students today do not appreciate a challenge. Most, if not all, choose a subject they are already good at or a subject they know to be easy in an effort to avoid hard work.

The sciences are not easy subjects to study. They require the student learning them to be diligent, attentive and active in their studies. They are complex and not easily understood, hard with a good chance of failing.

For these reasons, students avoid choosing science. They prefer to stay in their comfort zone instead of experimenting and taking risks. They choose what is easy instead of what they are interested in.

This leads to less doctors, scientists, botanists and other science related workers in the world today. In my experience, I have noticed that there is a stark difference in the number of doctors there are to the number of patients. Obviously, it is hard to train professionals and takes a lot of time, but one would think that more students would be willing to fill this gap.

In fact, many doctors I know have kids are not even remotely interested in learning the sciences. They avoid learning it like it's the black plague and instead prefer to learn languages and the arts.

My friend, Samantha, is an example. Her mother is a neurologist and her father is an opthalmologist, yet she is pursuing fine arts! One could never imagine such a gap in idealogies back in the 1950's.

In conclusion, it is clear that with the reduce in the number of students who are studying the sciences, there has been a reduce in the amount of interest and the hours of hardwork students are willing to put into their studies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and effects. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. The argument that students avoid science simply because they 'do not appreciate a challenge' or want 'the easy way out' is a significant over-generalisation that lacks nuance. While you provide a personal example regarding your friend Samantha, the discussion of the effects on society is limited to a brief mention of a shortage of professionals. To reach a higher band, you should explore broader societal impacts, such as the stagnation of technological innovation or economic consequences, and provide more balanced reasoning for why students choose other subjects beyond just a lack of motivation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'For these reasons' and 'In conclusion', to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the discussion of student motivation and the specific example of your friend Samantha feels slightly abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is repetitive, and the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'diligent', 'neurologist', and 'idealogies'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'reduce' is used as a noun ('with the reduce in the number'), where 'reduction' is required. The phrase 'avoid learning it like it's the black plague' is a bit informal for an academic essay. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that word forms (nouns vs. verbs) are used correctly. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'majority of the students' should be 'the majority of students', and 'many doctors I know have kids are not' is missing a relative pronoun ('who are not'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to sentence construction, particularly the use of relative clauses and correct article placement, and proofread for small slips in agreement.

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