Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

In recent years, many students have not been pursuing careers in science-related fields at universities across the globe. The primary reason for such a situation is the complexity of the subjects related to science. I believe such a situation hampers the economic development of a nation since sectors like energy, infrastructure, and medicine, which are the backbone of economic development, will face a shortage of manpower.

I believe that students in higher education institutions are avoiding choosing science because it involves more complex and rigorous courses as compared to commerce, arts, or humanities. Additionally, there are limited seats for students during admissions in this particular field. Science courses require more credit hours and attendance from the students, and exams are relatively tougher. Furthermore, students cannot engage in extracurricular activities as this particular subject requires more focus, dedication, and time. For instance, an engineering course consists of more subjects, projects, and credit hours than courses in other streams.

This trend of avoiding science in university can massively hamper the economic development of any country. Sectors like energy, infrastructure, medicine, and transport are the economic backbone of a nation. Lack of manpower in these sectors can halt development projects, which adversely impacts the economy of the nation. Also, the presence of medical professionals is very significant to ensure healthy and prosperous citizens. The information technology sector can also be affected as basic manpower needs to be outsourced from other nations. For example, sufficient engineers are required to operate several development projects simultaneously.

To conclude, the number of science students in universities is falling due to the complex and rigorous nature of the course. Such a situation can slow the development of the nation. Ultimately, it will lead to a shortage of skilled human resources in the medical, engineering, and information technology sectors, which are vital for a nation to prosper.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes (complexity, rigorous nature, limited seats) and effects (economic stagnation, shortage of skilled professionals). The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive; for instance, the economic impact is mentioned in the introduction, the body, and the conclusion using similar phrasing. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'causes' beyond just academic difficulty—perhaps by discussing the lack of career incentives or the influence of social media trends. The ideas are relevant, but they could be more deeply explored with more specific examples or nuanced analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the effects. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'Furthermore,' and 'To conclude' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the essay would benefit from a more sophisticated range of cohesive devices to improve the overall flow and connectivity between the arguments presented.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'manpower,' 'adversely impacts,' and 'prosperous.' There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are slightly repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'economic development' and 'nation.' The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and collocations related to academic and economic contexts to avoid lexical monotony.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over basic grammar, and errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. There is a reasonable attempt at complex structures, such as 'since sectors like energy... will face a shortage of manpower.' However, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to rely on similar sentence patterns. Increasing the variety of subordinate clauses and using more sophisticated punctuation would help elevate the grammatical range score.

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