Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-25

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)

It is agrued that nowadays only a few students of different countries like to study science and others have their interest in arts or other subjects. There are many cause of not choosing science subjects. This essay will give certain reasons of that problem with possible examples.

The very first cause of not selecting science is poor learning of some students. All the students might have different capacity of learning. For example, some children can't learn things as fast as others can do. So they are inclined to study easy subjects which they can pass with good marks. Consequently, the number of science students decreases.

Secondly, economic issue is the major cause of this problem. For instance, in my country Pakistan, there is unemployement in almost every street. Many parents can't afford the expenses of science universities for their cheildren. In this way, their kids have to learn those subjects which are cheap to study. Moreover, science students also have to join any academy for their better preapration which can't be easy for poor children to join.

Thirdly, interest of students is also the main problem. Nowadays, most of the students have their interest in different subjects except science.

This problem has many other reasons and if we talk about its effects on society there are many effects. Firstly, the society has less number of scientists because students are not studying science. Moreover, the number of doctors also ca be decreased.

To conclude, there are many causes of not choosing science for many of the students and it has many effect on the society.

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 quite limited. While you identify reasons like academic difficulty, economic constraints, and personal interest, these points are not fully extended or supported with sophisticated analysis. The effects section is particularly underdeveloped, offering only brief mentions of a shortage of scientists and doctors without exploring the broader societal consequences, such as technological stagnation or economic decline. To improve, you should aim to provide more depth to your arguments by explaining the 'how' and 'why' behind your points, rather than simply listing them. The conclusion is also very brief and lacks a summary of the main points discussed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'The very first cause', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' to signal new points. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the links between sentences can feel repetitive. The transition between the causes and the effects is abrupt, and the conclusion does not effectively synthesise the arguments presented in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that flows logically into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'many causes', 'many effects', and 'good marks'. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'agrued', 'unemployement', 'cheildren', and 'preapration', which occasionally distract the reader. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to education and societal development. Avoid using overly simple sentence starters and try to vary your word choices to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the English language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the control over these is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'There are many cause' (should be 'causes'), 'interest of students is also the main problem' (article usage), and 'number of doctors also ca be decreased' (modal verb error). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are punctuated correctly. Proofreading for basic errors like these will significantly improve your clarity and accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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