Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-04

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 5.5)

In different countries few students in universities are having interest in science related fields. This is may due to their interest in other departments ,might be because of their dreams. Moreover, it have both negative and positive impacts on our society. This may cause the decline in research areas in science and also it will also allows student to explore other field of studies.

There are several reasons for having very little interest in science in bachelors or masters studies, students are more focused on the practical work like doing online jobs, earning money is another essential factor for this because in our recent time people where trying to be independent ,so they are not showing any importance for studying science in universities. Moreover, there main aim is on to earn , that's why students were choosing degree which is easy to complete and research fields are hard to do. For instance, my friend wants to be a freelancer, and her family pressure her ,if you want to earn they you should have to get degree first, so she choose other field then science.

On other hand, this have effects on the society in many ways. In today's era its not mandatory to choose science field, so students are not bounded to this, they are choosing less competitive department in universities and this have positive impacts on students. In addition to this, accepting least difficult part like doing degree other then science may cause limiting the research data of science due to reason of having mind to only earn money. For example, in our country students are doing web developing, designing, freelancing due to which our country's research department have least data then other countries.

In conclusion, not choosing science is because of the money platforms ,this makes earning money easy for students, so they are not focusing on the subjects they are choosing. It also effects the research field in science, limiting the information about the science for future generation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: causes and effects. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. The causes are identified as financial motivation and the pursuit of 'easier' degrees, but the explanation lacks depth and specific academic context. The effects are also discussed, though the argument that choosing non-science subjects has 'positive impacts' is not fully supported or clearly linked to the broader societal context. The position is generally clear, but the analysis remains superficial, often relying on anecdotal evidence like the mention of a friend. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced explanations of how these trends impact national development or technological progress.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'On other hand' is missing an article, and 'In addition to this' is used to connect ideas that are not always logically linked. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the use of 'this' to refer to broad concepts without a clear antecedent. While there is a logical progression from causes to effects, the transitions between sentences feel somewhat disjointed, which hinders the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'doing', 'get', and 'easy'. Some word choices are awkward or incorrect, such as 'not bounded to this' instead of 'not restricted to this' and 'least data then' instead of 'less data than'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations. Improving your range of academic vocabulary would significantly enhance the quality of your writing.

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. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('it have', 'students were choosing'), article usage ('in our recent time'), and awkward phrasing ('if you want to earn they you should have to get degree first'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is usually conveyed, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors is essential.

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

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