Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-30

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)

There is a debate between sciences and arts in education . Sciences are interesting to study, but it depends upon how it’s taught and what are the ways the students intend to study on . Sciences have various branches and fields student can choose to study but it’s all about whether that certain field have any sort of scope or not . Sciences are really essential to study for the development in society, because it depends mostly on human lives and human body systems .

Nevertheless, sciences are crucial for understanding how or body , or environment we live in works . In my opinion, most of the countries only focuses on medical , no other science once can focus. Somehow, When a child is born he is given only two option, either medical or engineering. And it’s human nature that he may gain interest on which he is not forced to do so. . Society makes pressure which becomes difficult for an individual to survive .

On the other hand , if we shade some light on arts ; it has vast amount of fields and popularity as well . They engage people through interesting way of teachings . There is myth by society that only higher IQ level people can study sciences , which somehow demotivates a person .

To conclude this argument , I would say due to lack of interest and pressure caused by society students prefers arts rather then sciences and if this continues in the way it is , soon people may face problems in daily life . The only solution to this will be creating interest in people and knowledge about how important it is for an individual to study sciences .

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 inconsistent. The causes are identified as societal pressure and limited academic options, while the effects are briefly mentioned as potential future problems. However, the ideas lack depth and specific examples. The argument is somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on the 'medical vs. engineering' dichotomy without exploring broader systemic or economic factors. To reach a higher band, you need to provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples of how a lack of science graduates impacts society (e.g., technological stagnation or healthcare shortages). The position is clear, but the supporting arguments are underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often disjointed. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Nevertheless' and 'On the other hand', they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not logically connect the preceding and following sentences. For instance, the transition to the paragraph about arts feels abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the internal structure of paragraphs lacks a logical progression of thought. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'really essential' and 'interesting way'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'shade some light on arts' (should be 'shed some light on') and 'there is myth by society'. The range is limited, and the repetition of words like 'study' and 'science' suggests a need for a broader academic vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more precise academic terminology and collocations related to education and societal development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'most of the countries only focuses'), incorrect article usage, and punctuation errors (e.g., spaces before commas and periods). The sentence structure is often repetitive, and some sentences are fragmented or lack clarity, such as 'it depends upon how it’s taught and what are the ways the students intend to study on'. A more careful review of basic grammar rules and sentence construction is necessary to reduce the frequency of these errors.

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

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