Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-27
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 5.5)
In this new era, numerous countries are facing the same problem that not many pupils are pursuing science-related subjects. There are many reasons and some serious long-term issues.
On the one hand, students are not choosing scientific courses because of various reasons such as lower salaries and lack of visible impact. They are drifting towards the art subjects because these courses promise more annual packages. Furthermore, art based subjects are heavily discussed among students and have more visible impacts, whereas scientific degrees require heavy mathematics and physics knowledge which students sometimes fail to match. For example, a prominent digital media house published a complete survey which showed that pupils do not want to enroll into science subjects because of vast science knowledge requirements.
On the other hand, science related subjects are immensely important because without them it is extremely hard to discover and invent. Not only inventions but it also creates unemployment in technical fields which can ultimately cause many complications in the long run and can generate a gap in new scientific advancements. For instance, if a science institution lacks technical experts and scientists, they might slow down in new advancements which can impact not only on countries but on humanity itself because science has been the partner of humans.
In conclusion, after briefly and thoroughly analyzing its drawbacks and causes as well as new generation behavior. I firmly believe that this continued trend of students ignoring special science based courses will have an enormous effect on people's lives and society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and effects. The causes (lower salaries, difficulty of subjects) and effects (lack of innovation, technical unemployment) are relevant. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the claim that art subjects have 'more visible impacts' is vague and lacks sufficient explanation. The conclusion is also slightly disjointed, as it introduces a sentence fragment ('In conclusion, after... behavior.') that does not form a complete thought. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete examples or deeper analysis of how these societal gaps manifest in real-world scenarios, rather than relying on general statements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' are used to signal shifts in the argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the lack of experts and the impact on humanity is a bit abrupt. Additionally, the final sentence of the conclusion is a fragment, which disrupts the logical flow of the closing statement. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring all sentences are grammatically complete would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pursuing,' 'prominent,' and 'advancements.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'art based subjects' is better phrased as 'humanities' or 'liberal arts.' The phrase 'annual packages' is slightly informal for an academic essay, and 'vast science knowledge requirements' is awkward. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the sophistication required for higher band scores.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'not only inventions but it also creates' (faulty parallel structure) and 'impact not only on countries but on humanity' (unnecessary preposition). The sentence 'In conclusion, after briefly and thoroughly analyzing its drawbacks and causes as well as new generation behavior.' is a fragment and lacks a main clause. While your meaning is generally clear, more consistent control over complex sentence structures and punctuation is needed to move into the 7.0+ range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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